Elias Sime

In spring 2025, the Kunstpalast is dedicating a large-scale exhibition to the Ethiopian artist Elias Sime (*1968). In this first solo exhibition in a German-speaking country, the development of his work from the early 2000s to the present day can be traced. Since Sime’s participation in the Venice Biennale in the exhibition “The Milk of Dreams” in 2022, his work has received widespread international recognition. His art can be found in important collections such as the Metropolitan Museum, New York, Saint Louis Art Museum and the Israel Museum, Jerusalem.

In his artistic practice, Sime explicitly juxtaposes the global with the local and draws attention to the influence that technology has on our society, as well as its mass consumption and its effects. He examines the complexity of various forms of communication and questions the role of interpersonal relationships. This interest is also reflected in the collaborative approach on which all of Sime’s works are based and which is practiced in his studio in Addis Ababa. A workshop at the center of the Düsseldorf presentation, where events take place and visitors can experiment with the artist’s materials and techniques, picks up on this aspect. Sime’s studio is a component of the joint project Zoma Museum, which he co-founded and which is also presented in the exhibition at the Kunstpalast and which underlines his far-reaching reputation in the African art and cultural scene.