Cosima von Bonin, born in 1962 in Mombasa, Kenya, lives and works in Cologne.
The work of Cosima von Bonin is hard to categorize; she alternately makes photographs, videotapes, sound piece, collages, drawings, posters and textile works. The use of soft, delicate, fragile materials is part of her poetics and she creates substantial, but delicate, installation works. Often her procedure is "parasitical" or appropriational, as revealed in her numerous collaborations with other artists, such as Michael Krebber, Josephine Pryde, Isa Genzken or Kai Althoff. Even when addressing historical or social themes, her approach is ironic, reflecting personal or peripheral interests rather than broad critical commentary.
The work of Cosima von Bonin has been shown in public and private spaces all over Europe and in the United States, including PS1, New York (1993); Kunsthalle St. Gallen, St. Gallen (1999); Kunstverein Braunschweig (2000); Kunstverein, Hamburg (2001); Neue Galerie am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz; Deste Foundation, Athens, Greece (2002); ZKM, Karslruhe; MOCA, Los Angeles (2007).
The work of Cosima von Bonin is hard to categorize; she alternately makes photographs, videotapes, sound piece, collages, drawings, posters and textile works. The use of soft, delicate, fragile materials is part of her poetics and she creates substantial, but delicate, installation works. Often her procedure is "parasitical" or appropriational, as revealed in her numerous collaborations with other artists, such as Michael Krebber, Josephine Pryde, Isa Genzken or Kai Althoff. Even when addressing historical or social themes, her approach is ironic, reflecting personal or peripheral interests rather than broad critical commentary.
The work of Cosima von Bonin has been shown in public and private spaces all over Europe and in the United States, including PS1, New York (1993); Kunsthalle St. Gallen, St. Gallen (1999); Kunstverein Braunschweig (2000); Kunstverein, Hamburg (2001); Neue Galerie am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz; Deste Foundation, Athens, Greece (2002); ZKM, Karslruhe; MOCA, Los Angeles (2007).
