About > Elisabeth Ajtay

Born and raised behind the iron curtain and growing up in Western Germany, Elisabeth Ajtay is primarily working in photography. Recurring topics in her work are the notion of home and belonging, language and aspects of Western society. Her multi-facetted practice which is genre-free reflects her life as a nomad, growing up in, and constantly moving between two different systems.

Ajtay’s work is in numerous private collections. She has exhibited throughout Europe and in the US, including inSPIRACJE and Art Moves Festival in Poland, Goethe Institutes in Morocco, Prague, New York and France and Don Soker Contemporary Art in San Francisco. Museum shows include the MKK -Museum for Art and Cultural History Dortmund, Germany and Blue Star Contemporary in San Antonio, Texas. She has received an honorable mention with PX3-Prix de la Photographie Paris, France. She was included into the Prequalified Artist Pool by the San Francisco Arts Commission and awarded a residency at the 3rd Street Studio Programs by San Francisco Art Institute. Most recently she was awarded an artist in residence at BANFF Center for Arts and Culture in Canada and the Vermont Studio Center. She further received two honorable mentions with the International Photography awards, one for her body of work Dialog (Dialogue).

Elisabeth Ajtay received a diploma in communications design from the University of Applied Sciences Dortmund in Dortmund, Germany and a MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in San Francisco, CA. She began her formal education in Budapest, Hungary, where she studied dance, painting, drawing, jewelry making, graphic design and photography with Tamás Kopasz and other contemporary Hungarian artists.

CV	FORTHCOMING
2021	So the Red Rose, Fred & Ferry, Antwerp, BE

	SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2020	Dialog (Dialogue), Don Soker Contemporary Art, San Francisco CA, USA
2018	Variations, Don Soker Contemporary Art, San Francisco, USA
2016	Penumbral States, (peephole gallery) Alter Space, San Francisco CA, USA moonABC, Savernack Street Gallery, San Francisco CA, USA
2014	babel, 9th WC installation, Ramon‘s Tailor, San Francisco CA, USA
2013	Exported Dreams, Imported Desires, Ramon’s Tailor, San Francisco CA, USA
2012	Ginnungagap/Yawning Void, Still Lights Gallery, San Francisco CA, USA
2011	Analogue Memories, Union Gewerbehof, Dortmund DE The Scent of the West, curated by Simone Czech, Galerie 143, Dortmund, DE

	GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2021	50th Anniversary Survey Exhibition, Don Soker Contemporary Art, San Francisco CA, USA Wo Bitte Geht’s nach Arkadien? /2, Art Festival curated by Peter Kees, Ebersberg, Germany All of the Lights, Treat Gallery, New York, NY, USA Ginnungagap (Yawning Void), SOHO Photo, New York NY, USA Darkest Before Dawn, Ethan Cohen Gallery, Beacon NY, USA
2020	Reconstruct, prideART Gallery, Berlin, DE 100 Years Bauhaus, Ruth’s Table, curated by Hanna Regev, San Francisco CA, USA
2019	Off the Grid, curated by Rex Bruce, LACDA, Los Angeles CA, USA
2017	Inner Nature, 8 Bay Area Photographers, curated by Jessica Snow, Gallery 1317, San Francisco CA, USA
	28 Day Cycle, curated by Pamela Belknap & Ingrid Wells, Studio 110 Projects, Sausalito CA, USA
2016	Elisabeth Ajtay, Brad Woodville & shesaidred, curated by Ann Jastrab, RAYKO Photo Center, San Francisco CA, USA Instant, Refusalon Gallery, San Francisco CA, USA The Sea Has No Boundaries, Stories of Travellers and Dreamers, Venice Vending Machine, curated by Marina Moreno, Hamburg, DE
2015	Transmissions, Blue Star Contemporary Art Museum, San Antonio TX, USA
2014	Small Works, curated by Mary Negro, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn NY, USA Bay Area Now 7, B.A.A.W.A. Bay Area Art Workers Alliance, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco CA, USA More or less Freedom? Art Moves, The Festival of Art on Billboards, Torun PL Times Square, Billboard Display, see.me, New York NY, USA if…, curated by Cléa Massiani, Google Headquarters, Mountain View CA M.A.C.H.I.N.E. (Master of Arts Collective in Higher Idea Navigation and Exploration), Gallery West, University Texas at Arlington, Arlington TX, USA Global Mission of Art – Reversality, project curated by Farhad Bahram, Geroges Hattab, Kevin Nazar Postal Collage Project N°3, curated and initiated by Marty McCutcheon ◦ The Shuman Block, Berkeley CA, USA ◦ Ramon‘s Tailor, San Francisco CA, USA Group Study, curated by Shmulik Krampf, Cléa Massiani, Refusalon, San Francisco CA, USA Art by Telephone…, Recalled, curated by Sébastien Pluot and Fabien Vallos, Art Center of La Panacée, Montpellier, FR Juried Exhibition 2014, curated by Diana L. Daniels, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel CA, USA
2013	Me, Myself & I, curated by David Hilliard, RAYKO, San Francisco CA, USA Small Works, curated by Mary Negro, Trestle Gallery, Brooklyn NY, USA Currency, Final MFA show, The Mint, San Francisco CA, USA Sledgehammer Constitution, curated by Christina Elliott, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco CA, USA Merkle Dir Was, 15 Jahre Galerie Merkle, curated by Verena Zeiner, Galerie Merkle, Stuttgart, DE Art by Telephone… Recalled, curated by Sébastien Pluot and Fabien Vallos, Centre National Édition Art et Images-CNEAI, Chatou, FR
2012	Art by Telephone… Recalled, curated by Sébastien Pluot and Fabien Vallos, CAPC Musée d’Art Contemporain de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, FR Rob The Noisebank, THE LAB, San Francisco CA, USA Then and Now : Photography at the San Francisco Art Institute, 1945-2013, curated by Toni Gentilli, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco CA, USA Not Kansas, Photographers Explore Their Own Worlds,curated by Ann Jastrab, RayKo, San Francisco CA, USA
2011	BAN6 Slide Slam, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco CA, USA
2010	Moving Bikes, collaboration with Katrin Keller, RWE Ruhrtal-Rad Weg, Arnsberg, DE Zuhause/At Home, Bibliothek Scharnhorst, Dortmund, DE 4. F/STOP Leipzig, Photo Festival, Leipzig, DE
2009	inSPIRACJE, 5th Festival for Visual Arts curated by Krzysztof Ked Olszewski, Szeczin, PL raum-fluss-vektoren/space-flow-vectors, photographic installation, KVWL-Kassenärztlicher Verband Westfalen-Lippe, Dortmund, DE The Christmas Photo Album, curated by Tina Schelhorn, Gallery, Moscow, RU

	HONORS AND AWARDS
2021	Finalist, Hopper Prize, USA Artist + Activist Relief Fund, The Soze Agency, USA Achievement Award, Artfacts, Germany
2019	Merit Grant, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson VT, USA Honorable Mention, Category: Fine Art/Abstract, International Photography Awards Honorable Mention, Category: Fine Art/Conceptual, International Photography Awards Merit Grant, BANFF Centre for Arts and Creativity, BANFF, CAN
2017	Belfast Photo Festival 2017 Open Submission, shortlisted for Quo Vadis, Belfast, IRL
2015	2015/16 Prequalified Artist Pool, San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco CA, USA Semi Finalist, Immigration / Emigration Residency, Santa Fe Art Institute, Santa Fe NM, USA
2014	4th ArtSlant Showcase Winner, juried by Joanna Szupinska-Myers, Sebastian Campos and Anca Rujoiu
2013	7th ArtSlant Juried Winner, juried by Maria Jenson, Bea de Souza, Daniela Kostova 5th ArtSlant Juried Winner, juried by Neysa Page-Lieberman, Darren Jones, Deb Klowden Mann 1st place, Paul Sack Building Award in Black & White Photography
2011- 2013	Scholarship of Merit, SFAI, San Francisco CA, USA
2012	Honorable Mention, Paul Sack Building Award, San Francisco CA, USA Honorable Mention, PX3-Prix de la Photographie Paris, Paris, FR
2009	Semi Finalist, Photofestival Groningen, Groningen, NL
2005	Material grant, Kodak, Köln, DE
2002	3rd place-Skin Aesthetics and Fascination, 2. Hamburger Triennale der Photographie, Hamburg, DE

	RESIDENCIES
2019	Winter Residency, Vermont Studio Center, Johnson VT, USA
2019	Independent Residency, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, Banff, CAN
2016	3rd Street Studios Program, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco CA, USA

	PUBLICATIONS (excerpt)
2021	Wo Bitte Geht’s nach Arkadien? /2, exhibition catalogue
2020	Dek Unu, Literary Magazine, Berlin, GER
2017	“Interdependent Independence” and “Floating” and a little bit of History, by Ann Jastrab (2017.03.17)
2015	Goddard, Dan R., Everyday Life Connects The Dots In New Blue Star Exhibits, San Antonio Current, San Antonio TX, USA June 17, 2015 Global Mission of Art – Reversality, book publication
2014	M.A.C.H.I.N.E. (Master of Arts Collective in Higher Idea Navigation and Exploration), exhibition catalogue, University Texas at Arlington TX, USA Colloquy, in conversation with Cléa Massiani, published by San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco CA, USA Juried Exhibition 2014, exhibition catalogue, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel CA, USA
2013	Currency, exhibition catalogue, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco CA, USA
2012	Sehstücke, Kunstwerke für die KVWL, KVWL, Dortmund, DE
	MFA NOW 2012 Archive Project, catalogue, Root Division, San Francisco CA, USA
2010	Amtsblatt des Ministeriums für Schule und Weiterbildung 10/2010, Schule Nordrhein-Westfalen, Ministerium für Schule und Weiterbildung, Düsseldorf, DE
	Kultur Elektrisiert, book, RWE Aktiengesellschaft Essen, Katrin Osbelt-KO2B, Klartext-Verlag, Essen, DE
	VoRWEggehen und den Ruhrtalradweg zur Open-Air Galerie machen, catalogue, RWE Deutschland AG, Essen, DE
2009	inSPIRACJE/space, exhibition catalogue, inSPIRACJE, Szeczin, PL
2008	Camera Austria International N° 103/104, Graz, A
2006	Nah und Fern N° 32/Bilder in unseren Köpfen, cultural magazine for Migration and Participation, Prof. Dr. Birgit Rommelspacher, von Loeper Literaturverlag, Karlsruhe, DE
2005	7. Internationale Fototage Mannheim/Ludwigshafen, exhibition catalogue, Mannheim, DE
2002	Reality-check, 2. Hamburger Triennale der Photografie, catalogue, Hamburg, DE

	LECTURES, INTERVIEWS, ARTIST TALKS
2021	Online Interview, Hopper Prize (2021-04-14)
2018	Visiting artist, CCSF, Adult Education, led by Lorna Stevens Artist Talk, Don Soker Contemporary Art, San Francisco CA, USA
2017	The Artscene Podcast, Louis Vargas, San Francisco, CA, USA, (2017.03.02)
2012	Ginnungagap/Yawning Void, Diego Rivera Gallery, San Francisco CA, USA
2010	Zeit.Räume – Über Migration, Bibliothek Scharnhorst, Dortmund, DE
2009	Interview with Danko Rabrenovic for Balkanizer, Funkhaus Europa, Köln, DE
2007	Hanging Around, Casa Matei, Cluj, RO

	TEACHING
2017- 2018	Public Education Faculty (Spring/Summer) , San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco CA, USA Teaching Artist, RAYKO Photo Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
2013- 2014	Teaching Artist, Young Interns Program, Meridian Gallery, San Francisco CA, USA
2013	Teaching Assistant to Paul Klein – Friending Art with Benefits, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco CA, USA
2012	Teaching Assistant to Jack Fulton – Introduction to Digital Photography, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco CA, USA
2009- 2011	Immaculate, workshops developed in collaboration with Petra Linden, Youth program manager, Witten, DE
2001- 2003	Teaching Assistant to Jörg Winde, – div. photography classes, University of Applied Sciences and Art, Dortmund, DE

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