Paper Positions Berlin

The Kandahar-born artist Aatifi, who trained as a calligrapher as a child and later received a degree in painting from Kabul University, combines in his "scriptural art" the traditional, oriental art of writing with elements of modern, European art in an innovative and masterly way. At the core of his paintings lies the light-hearted dance of the letters, which takes the viewer on a journey into previously unknown realms of art. Even without deciphering distinct letters, the observer is welcomed to experience the beauty of the colors, which model the tension of the forms and their spatial effect, as well as their intense, aesthetic radiance. The characters, consisting of broad brushstrokes, form voluminous figures on the light background, individual splashes of paint expose traces of the painting process and offer a certain spontaneity to the works created under the highest concentration.

Paul Jacobsen, who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York, was an assistant for Jeff Koons, Sean Scully, and Rudolph Stingel. In his series "Studies in Movements," he addresses the black flag, which is considered an authoritarian symbol representing the absence or resistance to a nation state. The artist has an increasingly critical view towards politics. Even though society is far from egalitarian, Jacobsen believes that a new, dark, chapter has recently begun in America's history, which is expressed through his video work in addition to his charcoal drawings. In Jacobsen's current works, the artist focuses on the motif of flags, the fabric abstracted into a distinctive, dark shape that seems to wave in the wind. Symbolically, Paul Jacobsen's works address the loss of values and the accompanying dwindling charisma of the national flag. His works on paper prove to be both a provocation and a haunting memorial.