Semier Insayif

- Austria -

Semier Insayif was born in 1965 and he lives in Vienna as a free-lance writer since 1993. Readings and speak-performances in Austria and abroad. Publications in various literarature magazines, art catalogues, anthologies and on air.

So far five books of poetry: "69 konkrete annäherungsversuche" (poems + cd, edition doppelpunkt, wien 1998), "über gänge verkörpert oder vom verlegen der bewegung in die form der körper" (poems, haymon verlag, innsbruck 2001), "libellen tänze – blau pfeil platt bauch vier fleck", martin hornstein – 6 suiten für violoncello solo von J.S.Bach (BWV 1007-1012), (poems + CD, haymon verlag, innsbruck 2004), "unter schall – gedichte im zweiklang", (offizin s., meran 2007) and "boden los" (poems, haymonverlag, innsbruck 2012). In 2017 his poetry collection über zeugungen (Verlag Berger, 2017) was published.

In 2009 he published the novel "faruq" (haymonverlag innsbruck).

Various prizes and scholarships, such as autorenstipendium für literatur der literar mechana jubiläumsfonds 2008 and staatsstipendium für literatur des bmuk 2009/2010, literaturaufenthalststipendium "casa litterarum" 2012, projektstipendium für literatur des bundesministerium für kunst und kultur 2014/15.


What the concept of "crossover" in its finest and most consequent form may signify – going far beyond interest and mutual input-firing, when different art genres normally join forces – this may be impressingly deduced from opus and methods of Semier Insayif. The poet – and that is the only way to adress this verbal and performing artist – was born in 1965 and lives in Vienna. He draws his power and his ability to evoke attraction and effect presumably from the wide range of his fields of activity, which in their interaction amount to a perfect whole. The poet Semier Insayif, who is one of the leading protagonists of rhythmised prose, is also working as: art and cultural manager, communication and behaviour trainer, trainer for interaction analysis, systemic coach, mediator, supervisor, fitness advisor and personal coach. No wonder that his stage appearances are perceived as performances. His finely chased and at the same time unadorned poetry disposes of an optimised and far-reaching resonance chamber, which catches the audience even in spheres, where the well-trained gestus of speaking no longer may find its way. The conveyance of the contents is not limited to the meaning of the spoken word, but activates other sensoria as well, which open possibilities not only confined to simple intellectual decoding. Sensuality, rhythm, musicality, the body as an instrument – in passive state as well as in movement, these are only a few parametres that accompany the performed text of Semier Insayif. Miraculously the lyric density of his poetry also catches the reader when reading on one’s own – and eventually the compelling desire emerges to read the poems aloud, to arise from the comfortable armchair, to assimilate the poets rhythm into one’s own movements, to individually translate – for example – the title of the book über gänge verkörpert (2001).

 

The titles of his literary works persistently refer to the very centre of his writing: movement, mutation, music. Of course, the view has to be added, which results in cooperations with visual artists and excursions to photography.

 

But most intensive is the accessibilty to the music genre, to the common heart station of music and poetry: the exact and the precise, the mathematic ground structure, which are inevitable requirements for the joyful breaking of structure, phrasing, improvising, the endless playing with classic and modern in the best sense – sound adventures as a result, speaking music, musical poetry.

 

In his most recent book of poems boden los (2012) Semier Insayif pays homage to the (oriental) garden. The garden, a natural space, an artistic space at the same time, a place of desire, an oasis, again a space of movement, a language and a speaking space. In this divan the author succeeds in frequently using Arabic signs in his texts, but this mingling of languages, this counterpointing must not be interpreted as decorative element, it is more „verbal worlds and poetic structure vocabulary“. Insayif is knotting occidental and oriental elements to a multicultural poetic language carpet. "Originally, according to Foucault, oriental carpets had been nothing more than images of gardens, i.e. winter gardens in the most proper sense of the word." (Martina Schmitz, Literaturhaus Wien 2012).