About
Silja Yvette is a German artist who lives and works in Berlin and Frankfurt am Main (Germany). She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Städelschule, Frankfurt in 2011 and added studies in architecture until 2010 and philosophy until 2018. She has been exhibiting works in individual and group shows in Germany since 2006, since 2011 in other European countries and in 2016 in Beijing. Most recently, in 2020, she was featured in a gallery exhibitions in Paris and at the Imago Lisboa Photo Festival. 2017 her first monograph Season of Admin was published at Kerber Verlag and was selected for „Longlist of Most Beautiful German Books 2018“ of Stiftung Buchkunst (Frankfurt/ Leipzig). With Collective Creatures her second monograph followed and was published 2019 by Hatje Cantz Verlag which recently won silver at the renowned Deutscher Fotobuchpreis 19/20 (German Photobook Award). In 2019, she was nominated for the prestigious Edward Steichen Award in Luxembourg.
Silja Yvette’s artistic work deals with a tradition of dialectic of enlightenment focusing in a todays context on ecological aspects and on the relationship between human beings and the world of natural and artificial things. One could also say her practice is at the intersection of nature and human ventures and inventions. Her work frequently approaches the absurdity of a well restricted and administrated nature with a captivated eye pointing on the influence and the social interactiveness of things. Her interest arouses where the separation of the social and what we describe as nature, between society and technology as well as the distinction between subject and object are no further tenable. Maybe because they are already so interwoven today and it might become more and more clear how much these were only categories of the mind. She artistically enjoys the ridiculousness of the dichotomy that the human mind constantly tries to establish. In doing so, she seeks ways of visualizing the tussle between myth and progress.
since 2017 Studio in Berlin
2011 - 2018 Studies in philosophy, University of Hagen
2014 - 2017 Freelancer at Fotografie Forum Frankfurt
2009 - 2010 Studies of architecture, University of Applied Science Frankfurt
2005 - 2011 Master of Fine Arts, Hochschule für Bildende Künste - Städelschule, Frankfurt
since 2008 Studio in Frankfurt
Grants | Awards | Artist in Residence
2021 Belfast Photo Festival, shortlisted
2021 Lajone Art Residency, Monferrato (upcoming)
2021 BAF Budapest Art Factory International Artist Residency Program, Budapest (upcoming, postponed to 2022)
2020 Stipendium Senat für Kultur und Europa Berlin
2020 Athens Photo Festival Finalist, Athens
2020 COLLECTIVE CREATURES Preselection at Fedrigoni Top Award
2020 Artist in Residency Beautreillis Marais, Paris
2019 Deutscher Fotobuchpreis 19/20 Silver for COLLECTIVE CREATURES in category photographer (monograph), Stuttgart
2019 Nomination for Edward Steichen Award 2019, Luxembourg
2019 SEASON OF ADMIN finalist Athens Photo Festival, Athens
2018 Publication grant Kulturamt Frankfurt am Main
2018 SEASON OF ADMIN longlisted “Best Books from Germany 2018” by Stiftung Buchkunst, Frankfurt/ Leipzig
2017 Publication grant Hessisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst, Wiesbaden
2017 Publication grant Kulturamt Frankfurt am Main
2016 Artist in Residence Shen Shaomin, Beijing
Solo Exhibitions
2020 WILDGEHEGE mit Christine Straszewski, Rubrecht Contemporary, Wiesbaden
2019 COLLECTIVE CREATURES, H.W.Fichter Galerie und Kunsthandel, Frankfurt
2017 FRANKFURTER ELEGIEN, Atelier Silja Yvette, Frankfurt
2017 SEASON OF ADMIN, Atelier Silja Yvette, Frankfurt
2016 DRAG ON FLOW with Christine Straszewski, 798 Art District, Beijing
2016 HIGGSTEDDY with Christine Straszewski, Kaiser&Cream, Wiesbaden
2016 SEASON OF ADMIN, Rezeption, Frankfurt
2013 KATEGOR HYBRIDOR, Fabrik45, Bonn
2013 ICH UND DIE GEISTER, with Bernd Metz und Anselm Schenkluhn, Die Fabrik, Frankfurt
2012 NETZ-WERKE, Projektraum Bäckerei Wimmer, Wien
2011 DIE CHOREOGRAPHIE DES AMORPHEN, Saint Charles Complementary, Wien
2011 UNCANNYUNCANDY, Spazio PWC-Experience, Mailand
2011 MELTING BORDERS, Centro Culturale Polivalente and Palazzina Liberty, Imperia
2010 LIBERTY CALLS, Galerie Saint Gabriel Interieur, Frankfurt
2008 ZUGEFLÜSTER with Sarah Schoderer, Kultureller Förderverein, Dreieich
Group Exhibitions
2021 SKYLINE SPACE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, Frankfurt (upcoming)
2020/21 DOUBLE TROUBLE, Galerie Mansart, Paris
2020 BLICKRICHTUNG, Rubrecht Contemporary, Wiesbaden
2020 VISUALIZED VOLTAGES, Imago Photo Festival Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
2020 DFBP Frankfurter Buchmesse, Frankfurt (cancelled/postponed due to Corona)
2020 DFBP Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe
2020 DFBP Fotoforum Köln, Köln
2020 DFBP Contemporary Art Ruhr, Essen
2019 DFBP Stuttgarter Buchwochen, Stuttgart
2019 PAPER POSITIONS, Frankfurt
2019 Athens Photo Festival, Athens
2018 Stiftung Buchkunst "Schönste Deutsche Bücher", Frankfurter Buchmesse, Frankfurt
2016 KLEIDET MICH IN SEIDE, Fabrik45, Bonn
2015 Art Cologne, Booth of Bonner Kunstverein, Köln
2014 JAHRESGABEN, Bonner Kunstverein, Bonn
2014 SUMMER SENSATIONS, Rue de Montenegro, Brüssel
2013 [HAI:P], Kaiser&Cream Galerie, Wiesbaden
2013 DIE GOLDENE BOMBE, Bergerstraße 6, Frankfurt
2013 AKTUELLE FORMATIONEN, Neue Studiogalerie, Frankfurt
2013 THE MERGE OF DUALITY, Saint Charles Complementary, Wien
2013 ICH UND DIE GEISTER, Die Fabrik, Frankfurt
2011 Encore, Absolventenausstellung Städelschule, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Zollamt, Frankfurt
2011 Gallus Calling, Go West Festival, Tevesgelände, Frankfurt
2011 Nacht der Museen, Junge Kunst mit Zukunft, Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt
2011 Im Kunstlabor, Atelier Frankfurt
2009 Lebenslust, Metzlersaal Städelmuseum Frankfurt und Raum 121 – Verein für Kunst und Kultur, Frankfurt
2009/10 My Corridor ist your workspace, McKinsey, Japantower Frankfurt
2008 bodenlos, Skulpturen- und Installationenausstellung, Kunstcoma, U.F.O.-Gebäude Frankfurt
2008 Schlittschuhlaufen auf Canal Grande, Leonhardi Kulturprojekte, Karben
2006 Nacht der Museen, Junge Kunst mit Zukunft, Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Frankfurt