About – Dana Engfer

*1981, lives and works in Berlin

Contextualisation of absence and the examination of history and her own personal and familiar background are central issues in Dana Engfers art practice. In each work she incorporate a wide variety of media such as drawing, collage, photography and video. With her artworks she wants to invent mysterious, fragmentary visual worlds. Engfer sees herself as a collector of different traces of time, memories and abeyance, representing the atmosphere and story of specifc environments by combining memory and fiction with documentary.

Education

2007 Master-class student with Prof. Henning Kürschner, University of the Arts Berlin
2005-2006 Studies Fine Arts with Prof. Christian Boltanski, École des Beaux-Arts Paris
2003 Studies Fine Arts at Iceland University of the Arts Reykjavik Iceland
2001-2007 Studies Fine Arts with Prof. Henning Kürschner, University of the Arts Berlin

Awards, Grants and Residencies

2023 Research Grant, Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion
2022 NEUSTART KULTUR-Stipendium 2022, Stiftung Kunstfonds Bonn
2020 Lichtenberg Studios Residency, Berlin
2019 Artist-in-Residence, Mecklenburgisches Künstlerhaus Schloss Plüschow
2016 Haus am Kleistpark Berlin, Art Award, Nomination
2014 Travel Grant, German Consulate General Ekaterinburg, Russia
2012 IBB-Preis für Photographie, Investitionsbank Berlin
2011 Marti-Clerici Stiftung Artist-in-Residence, Montevettolini, Italy
2010-2012 Studio Grant Karl Hofer Gesellschaft Berlin
2009 European Art Project/Artist-in-Residence, Galerie BMB Amsterdam
2005-2006 Grant from the German-French Youth Offce at the École des Beaux-Arts Paris
2003 Erasmus Scholarship, Iceland University of the Arts Reykjavik, Iceland

Solo/Duo Exhibitions

2023 Schneckenhaus-Sammlung und Wale, Städtische Galerie Alte Lederfabrik, Halle (Westf.)
2022 TO THE SEA, FROM THE SEA, with Yuki Jungesblut, sign, CIAT Contemporary Institute for Art & Thought, Berlin
2022 Magnetic Field, with Moritz Otto, Galerie Tor6 Theaterhaus, Bielefeld
2018 INSELN, with Max Sudhues, Kunstverein Neukölln, Berlin
2014 Behind falling leaves, Sverdlovsk Regional Local Lore Museum, Ekaterinburg (RU)
2014 Wenn die Nachtigall weint, sind alle Katzen pink, Azad´s Kiosk, Köln
2012 Schöne Aussichten in der Bank, with Anita Regli, IBB-Preis für Photographie, Investitionsbank Berlin (K)
2011 Wanted Dana Muckova, Showroom for Young Art Galerie Hrobsky Wien (AT)
2011 Wiese und Zelt, Frantoio, Montevettolini (IT)
2009 Engfer, Ferstl, with Daniel Ferstl, Galerie BMB Amsterdam (NL)
2008 European Art Project, with Fabian Patzak, Chelsea Galerie/H95 Basel (CH) (K)

Group Exhibitions (selection)

2023 Kunstfestival Begehungen, et cetera pp, Palais Lichtenstein/Sa.
2023 ALLES V, studio im HOCHHAUS, Berlin
2023 Wie die Linien einer Hand, geschrieben in die Straßenränder, Villa Heike, Berlin
2023 Imposed Traces, Green Hill Gallery, Berlin
2023 CIRCLES, EMOP – European Month of Photography, curated by Thomas Elsen, Salon am Moritzplatz, Berlin
2022 nowhere / nirgendwo – on persons and landscapes / über Personen und Landschaften, curated by Gunnar Borbe, Edvard-Munch-Haus, Warnemünde
2022 15 Jahre IBB-Preis für Photographie, Kommunale Galerie, Berlin
2022 ALLES IV, studio im HOCHHAUS, Berlin
2022 Silent Spring, curated by Lena Fließbach, Galerie im Körnerpark, Berlin
2021 Weissheiten, Galerie Tor6 Theaterhaus, Bielefeld
2021 LEBENSSINN, curated by maecenarte, erstererster Galerie, Berlin
2021 WECHSELRAUM, initiated by Ulrike Mohr, Ehemalige Gießerei, Chemnitz
2021 FotoFlaneure, AFF Galerie, Berlin
2021 Kunstlandschaft 10, BEDARFSHALTESTELLE, Kulturhaus Mestlin, Mestlin
2021 Der temporäre Rand – Stipendiatinnen und Stipendiaten der Jahre 2019 und 2020, Mecklenburgisches Künstlerhaus Schloss Plüschow, Upahl
2021 BISCUIT, pilote contemporary, p145, Berlin
2020 5. Roter Kunstsalon, pilote contemporary, Museum Villa Rot, Burgrieden
2020 WECHSELRAUM part of “Raum für Netzwerke und Solidarität”, initiated by Ulrike Mohr, curated by Sarie Nijboer and Vincent Schier, Haus der Statistik, Berlin
2020 Present, Perfect, Continuous, Mecklenburgisches Künstlerhaus Schloss Plüschow
2020 pilote : Unter Linden, SubTei, Berlin
2020 BOOM! Stories, Kunstverein Neukölln, Berlin
2020 VIRAL EMPATH, Kreuzberg Pavillon, Berlin
2020 ALLES III, studio im HOCHHAUS, Berlin
2019 L’ Artiste Et Les Commissaires – Not So A White Cube #16, curated by Pierre Granoux, Lage Egal, Berlin
2019 I can´t recall the melody, but it was beautiful, curated by Vu Hoang, Transmitter, Berlin
2019 Domino 2, Salve Berlin
2019 INS: International Neurotic Society, with Max Sudhues, SIN Berlin
2019 to put on paper, curated by Katja Pudor, Errant Sound Projektraum, Berlin
2019 artspring dezentral, Zeiss-Großplanetarium, Berlin
2019 ALLES II, studio im HOCHHAUS, Berlin
2018 The center of minimum distance, Screening, Kreuzberg Pavillon, Berlin
2018 Meet your critics, FAQ, Bremen
2018 Receiver, Transmitter, Berlin
2018 ALLES!, studio im HOCHHAUS, Berlin
2017 Other narrations, curated by Caroline Bayer, Bolnissi (GE)
2017 All is fine now yes but I miss you a lot, curated by Antoanetta Marinov, das Atelier, Berlin
2016 The making of the unrealized, Kreuzberg Pavillon, Berlin
2016 Sanctuary for a flannelette, Old Hawdon St cemetery Melbourne (AU)
2016 Collective, Kunstpreis des Haus am Kleistpark, Haus am Kleistpark, Berlin
2014 European Art Project, Chelsea Galerie (CH)
2013 (das)Gift, Cultural Transit Foundation, Ekaterinburg (RU)
2013 13 Etage, with Andreas Märker, das Gift/Giftraum, Berlin (duo)
2013 What never happened, National Center for Contemporary Arts Ekaterinburg (RU)
2013 Being lucky feels so lonely, with Clara Bahlsen, Moritz Frei, Hanno Stecher, Kreuzberg Pavillon, Berlin
2012 Künstlerische Buchprojekte, with Clara Bahlsen, UdK Bibliothek, Berlin (duo)
2012 Vice Versa, Kommunale Galerie Berlin
2011 Ich bin ein Berliner, Dezer Schauhalle Miami (US)
2011 Junge Positionen-sag´s durch die Blume, Galerie Hrobsky Wien (AT)
2011 Penultimate, Schalter Berlin
2011 Zeichnung Wien II, Galerie Hrobsky Wien (AT) (K)
2010 Tales of ordinary madness, with Georgina Criddle, Isa Hochstein, Judith Karcheter, Lasso Textbüro, Berlin
2010 Wahlverwandt, curated by Carola Conradt, Projektraum The Wedding of The King, Berlin
2010 Garden//Art//Action, curated by Georgina Criddle, Stirling Gardens Perth (AU) (K)

Publications

2023 “et cetera pp”, Kunstfestival Begehungen, Palais Lichtenstein/Sa., Exhibition catalogue
2022 “15 Jahre IBB-Preis für Photographie”, Kommunale Galerie, Berlin, Exhibition catalogue
2021 “Der temporäre Rand – Stipendiatinnen und Stipendiaten der Jahre 2019 und 2020”, Exhibition catalogue, Mecklenburgisches Künstlerhaus Schloss Plüschow
2021 “Heftschnecke”, Schnecken Publishing, Berlin
2020 “Paris Benutzerausweis”, VERLAK, Berlin
2020 “Lichtenberg Studios III/2020”, Uwe Jonas Lichtenberg Studios Berlin
2012 “Wiese und Zelt”, IBB-Preis für Photographie 2012, Investitionsbank Berlin
2011 “Zeichnung Wien”, Exhibition catalogue, Galerie Hrobsky Vienna, Austria
2010 “Garden//Art//Action, Exhibition catalogue, Stirling Gardens Perth, Western Australia
2008 “Dana Engfer, Fabian Patzak”, European Art Project, Exhibition catalogue, Chelsea Galerie, Switzerland