Biography
Amer AlBarzawi (b. 1987) is a Syrian multidisciplinary artist based in Paris, working across film, contemporary dance, and installation. His practice draws from personal experience—growing up under censorship in Damascus, years of displacement, and his journey through movement, visual media, and memory.
Amer’s work is rooted in the tension between visible reality and the unseen, between collective narratives and personal memory. Using irony, stop-motion, and conceptual video, he explores how war, censorship, and exile deform the perception of truth and identity. He often approaches political and social themes through absurdity and fragmented narratives, inviting viewers to confront what is hidden behind what is shown.
In 2024, Amer graduated with honors from Le Fresnoy – Studio National des Arts Contemporains, where he presented Hybrid Memory, an interactive video installation exploring the layered nature of digital identity and the psychological landscapes of displacement. His previous training includes the Guest Student Program at ENSAD (Paris, 2017–2020), and earlier artistic roots in physical expression through gymnastics and contemporary dance. Between 2007 and 2017, he performed with groups like Ramad (Syria), Le Grand Cru (Netherlands), and Koon (Lebanon), appearing in international dance festivals.
Amer has participated in several residencies in France, including Abbaye Royale de Fontevraud, La Saline Royale, and Maison Maria Casarès. His short films Fade to Black (2015), Yaman (2016), and Amphibious (2023) were screened at festivals such as Annecy, Uppsala, and Winterthur. His work received multiple awards including Best Short Film at Dhaka International Film Festival, Special Mention at MED Film Festival (Rome), and Jury Prize at the Toronto Urban Film Festival.
His ongoing project Cybernetic Families investigates how digital platforms reshape diasporic connections, turning virtual presence into a sensory and emotional archive—where technology mediates intimacy, memory, and loss.