Shamiran Istifan
Manor Art Prize 2026
12.6.–6.9.2026
Shamiran Istifan’s works emerge from fragments of memory and the present. Drawing on personal experiences, she works with images and visual codes, which she condenses into new constellations. Her installations, sculptures and textile works shift the focus to social and structural contexts. The artist often uses imagery from everyday life or references from pop culture and social media, which she transforms into new meanings, some with sacred connotations.
Born in Baden, she grew up in a diasporic reality shaped by a minority perspective. In her new works, Aargau becomes a resonant space: objects such as paving stones or letterboxes – as a transition between private and public space – encounter the aesthetics of the cosmetics industry and motifs from teenage culture. The result is a multi-layered constellation of images, materials and symbols in which different worlds coexist in parallel.
Shamiran Istifan (*1987) is the recipient of the Manor Art Prize Aarau 2026, which is awarded every two years to promote young Swiss art.
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Manor Kunstpreis 2026
12.6.–6.9.2026, Aargauer Kunsthaus
Shamiran Istifan,
Unearth Angel I-VII, 2026
Pipelines, 2026
Foto: ullmann.photography
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Manor Kunstpreis 2026
12.6.–6.9.2026, Aargauer Kunsthaus
Shamiran Istifan, Unearth Angel I-VII [Detail], 2026
Foto: ullmann.photography
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Manor Kunstpreis 2026
12.6.–6.9.2026, Aargauer Kunsthaus
Shamiran Istifan, Inbox, 2026
Foto: ullmann.photography
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Manor Kunstpreis 2026
12.6.–6.9.2026, Aargauer Kunsthaus
Shamiran Istifan, Inbox [Detail], 2026
Foto: ullmann.photography
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Manor Kunstpreis 2026
12.6.–6.9.2026, Aargauer Kunsthaus
Shamiran Istifan, Diva Nation [Detail], 2026
Foto: ullmann.photography
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Manor Kunstpreis 2026
12.6.–6.9.2026, Aargauer Kunsthaus
Shamiran Istifan, Skin City, 2026
Foto: ullmann.photography
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Manor Kunstpreis 2026
12.6.–6.9.2026, Aargauer Kunsthaus
Shamiran Istifan, Skin City, 2026
Foto: ullmann.photography
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Manor Kunstpreis 2026
12.6.–6.9.2026, Aargauer Kunsthaus
Shamiran Istifan,
Girls on film I, 2026
Girls on film II, 2026
Foto: ullmann.photography
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Metallic-Jersey, Watte, Garn, Leinen, 109 x 88 cm
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
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Metallic-Jersey, Watte, Garn, Leinen, Holzbrett, 76 x 88 cm
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
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Metall, Holz, Bienenwachs, 290 x 270 x 19 cm
Installationsansicht Swiss Art Awards
16.6. – 22.6.2025, Messe Basel
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
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Latex, Make-up, Watte, Garn, Leinen, 95 x 67 cm
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
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LED-Lampen, Kunststofffasern, 300 x 400 cm
Installationsansicht Law & Order
3.7. – 25.7.2021, Kulturfolger, Zürich
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
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Silber, Kupfer, PLA, 25 x 40 x 10 cm
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
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Zugeschnittenes und eingeritztes Acryl, Perlen, Breite: 120 cm
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
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Videoinstallation (Bildschirme, weiche Fliesen, Keramikwaschbecken, LED, Ton, verschiedene Materialien), 400 x 300 cm
Installationsansicht Werkschau
30.9. – 10.10.2021, Haus Konstruktiv, Zürich
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
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700 kg Calacatta-Stein, Zuckerwachs, Seide, Watte, Stangen, 130 x 110 x 90 cm
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
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Installationsansicht THE FAIREST 02: Get Used To This
14.9. – 17.9.2023, Kühlhaus Berlin
Mit Genehmigung der Künstlerin
© Shamiran Istifan
Foto: Robert Hamacher
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Partners
We would like to thank the following partners and sponsors for their specific support of the exhibition.
