14 june 2024, Flor Linckens
The Spiritual World of Nomin Zezegmaa
Until 21July, Galerie Bart in Amsterdam presents ‘ᠴᠢᠨᠠᠳᠤ ᠰᠠᠯᠬ (The Wind on the Other Side)’. This exhibition immerses viewers in the mysterious and spiritual world of Nomin Zezegmaa.
Zezegmaa’s art is deeply rooted in Mongolian cosmogony. Cosmogony, derived from the Greek "kosmos" (world or universe) and "gonos" (birth or origin), offers explanations for the origin and development of the universe. This can be both a mythological and a scientific explanation. Mongolian cosmogony describes the creation of the universe by the supreme being Tengri, where heaven and earth were separated, and the first humans and animals emerged from a cosmic tree. Zezegmaa’s exhibition at Galerie Bart invites us to contemplate the mysteries of nature and our connection to all living beings.
Zezegmaa is active as an artist, researcher and writer and has a multidisciplinary practice that includes sculpture, painting, film, land art, calligraphy and performance. Through her work, she aims to open a dialogue about how we perceive the world and subsequently interact with it. She uses her complex relationship with her Mongolian heritage and her extensive historical and cultural knowledge to offer new perspectives on our relationship with the earth and the elements. Her works are not just a visual experience but also invite introspection and a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us. The artist positions herself as a mediator, exploring the boundaries between the material and the immaterial.
Zezegmaa’s poetic work is infused with spirituality and symbolism, revealing the invisible connections between the physical and the metaphysical. Her often enigmatic artworks — usually executed in black, white, and cobalt blue — are characterised by an interest in shamanistic traditions, alchemy, memories, semiotics, diaspora, non-linear (and sometimes intertwined) histories, non-existent places, crafts, roots (in a broad sense), and historical writing systems.
Zezegmaa was born in Germany in 1992 and studied Fashion at the Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin, followed by a Bachelor’s degree at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam. Today, she divides her time between Amsterdam, Berlin and Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. She has also completed several residency programs in Mongolia. Zezegmaa’s work has been exhibited at Het Hem, the Stedelijk Museum, the Rietveld Pavilion in Amsterdam, De Vishal and the Red Ger Creative Space in Ulaanbaatar. This year, she was shortlisted to represent Mongolia at the Venice Biennale.
