Irina Birger

Growing up in the Soviet Union Irina Birger was exposed to communist propaganda methods. Social Realism and the Stalinist Empire style have greatly influenced her artistic development. Their monumental designs, intended to inspire awe and wonder, are very similar to sacred formations.

She spent many years studying the visual strategies and formal principles of religions, cults and totalitarian regimes. As a result, central symmetry, patterns, slogans and monumental approaches often appear in her work. Birger’s visual language is prompted by structures found in science, mythology, astrology, pop-culture, news articles, everyday objects and personal items. She selects, isolates, arranges these elements and then reconnects them. The result of each project is a mini universe with its own system.'

Drawing is Birger’s primary medium. She experiments with it as a site-specific part of an installation, in performances, as an element in a public space and as a moving image.

Birger exhibited and participated in screenings a.o. in Israel Museum (IL), Tel Aviv Museum (IL), Haifa Museum of Art (IL), Mediamatic (NL), W139 (NL), Apexart (US), Preview Berlin (DE), the Israeli Centre for Digital Art (IL), Chinese European Art Centre (CN), Today Art Museum (CN), Redtory (CN), Drawing Centre Diepenheim (NL), Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (NL), Kabinet T (CZ), Nieuw Dakota (NL), Amsterdam Drawing (NL), Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (NL) and Viborg Kunsthal (DK).

She was an artist in residency at a.o. Chinese European Art Centre (CN), the Israeli Centre for Digital Art (IL), MeetFactory (CZ) and Kunstlerhaus Bethanien (DE).

Her works are part of many private and public collections; Haaretz LTD (IL), Israel Museum (IL), C-Collection (Lichtenstein), EYE Collection (NL) and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (NL).

Project info