“Art changes technology, technology changes art.”
ATA BOZACI
(born March 3, 1974, in Burgdorf) is a Swiss artist and entrepreneur. His work encompasses drawing, painting, digital graphics, large-scale wallpainting and modular sculpture. From 1990 to 2012 his principle creative output was graffiti writing; he is known for graffiti works under the pseudonym TOAST.
The art collector Gunter Sachs invited Bozaci, alongside Basel graffiti writer Dare, to design his apartment at the Schlosshotel Velden. Linked by the title ‘Point of View’, the artists painted six immersive pictures which merge into one complete image from just a few points of view. Group exhibitions followed with Dare, Stefan Strumbel and the street art pioneer Blek le Rat.
Over time Bozaci's works have become more socio-critical. His attitude to social media was visible in the 2015 travelling exhibition ‘Fifteen Seconds of Fame’. He transformed acquaintances’ facebook profile images into iconic portraits using digital technology. The faces are based on circle shapes.
Bozaci's largest mural to date can be seen in Shenzhen, China. He was invited to create an open-air gallery in 2016 to enhance a neighbourhood. The 27-metre tall work shows a brightly coloured baby attached to a smartphone.
SOLO SHOWS (SELECTION)
2023 Grinding on concrete, Bärengasse, Zürich
2023 Unexpected Interruption, Bozaci Studio, Zürich
2021 Unexpected Interruption, Die Diele, Zürich
2020 4478 m ü. m., punkt 58, Zürich
2019 Lucubratio II, Privat, Zürich
2018 Lucubratio I, Privat, Zürich
2015 Fifteen seconds of fame, The Trace Gallery, Zürich
2015 Fifteen seconds of fame, Artstübli, Basel
2015 Fifteen seconds of fame, Galerie SOON, Bern
2013 Lineares Boxen, The Trace Gallery, Zürich
2011 Unexpected Playground, TheEssentialCollection, Zürich
2006 Toast, ArtCorner28, Biel
2004 Toast, Büro Discount, Zürich
2003 Buchstabenarchitektur, Hotel Berchtold, Burgdorf
GROUP SHOWS (SELECTION)
2024 Jetzt Kunst, Marzili, Bern
2020 Papers Please, Colab Gallery, Weil am Rhein
2016 Lost Faces, The Trace Gallery, Zürich
2014 Behind the Red Wall, Jardin Rouge, Marrakesch
2012 Similitudes, Galerie zieglerzwei, Zürich
2012 Do Not Erase, G-Dot Art Space, Beijing
2012 Urban Art EFX, CBK, Amsterdam
2012 Die Sammlung Gunter Sachs, Museum Villa Stuck, München
2011 Urban Art Graffiti 21, Voelklinger-Hütte, Voelklingen
2011 Urban Art International, Galerie Novotny, Lörrach
2011 1st Beijing International Design Triennial, Beijing
2011 Top Marques Macau, Macau
2011 The aerosol experience, Galerie zieglerzwei, Zürich
2010 International Mural Exhibition, Dafen Art Museum, Shenzhen
2010 Rotkäppchen lackiert den Wolf, Haus der Kunst, München
2010 Public Provocations II, Colab Gallery, Weil am Rhein
2009 Art Karlsruhe, Galerie Springmann, Karlsruhe
2009 DARE, TOAST, STRUMBEL, BLEK LE RAT, Galerie Mang, Lindau
2009 Public provocations I, Colab Gallery, Weil am Rhein
2009 DARE & TOAST, Kunstverein Offenburg Mittelbaden, Offenburg
2008 Urban Art, Galerie Springmann, München/Berlin
2008 Berliner Liste, Galerie Springmann, Berlin
2008 Die Kunst ist weiblich, Retrospektive Gunter Sachs, MdbK, Leipzig
2008 Totale Weiblichkeit, Galerie Springmann, Freiburg
2008 Indelible, Subtext Gallery, San Diego
2008 Point of View, Galerie Springmann, Freiburg
2005 Further playgrounds, Galerie K13, Lahr
2005 Graffiti war gestern, Xhoch4, Ingolstadt
2005 Xpresart, Girona
2004 Wordless, Dachkantine, Zürich
2002 Urban Discipline, Hamburg
2001 Aspects of graffiti 2001, Zürich
2001 Urban Discipline, Hamburg
2000 Urban Discipline, Hamburg
2000 Graffiti art Berlin, Berlin
1998 Ernst & Young, Bern
1996 Art Frankfurt, Frankfurt
PUBLIC SPACE (SELECTION)
2016 Online, Wall painting, Jardin Orange, Shenzhen
2014 Amanda, Wall painting, STAMP Festival, Hamburg
2014 David, Wall painting, Naestved
2014 Michele, Wall painting, Jardin Rouge, Marrakesch
COLLECTIONS
2023 Musée d’art et d’histoire, Geneva
2022 Schweizerische Nationalbibliothek, Bern
2018 The Gunter Sachs Collection, München
BOOKS
2021 Unexpected Interruption, selected work 2005 to 2021, Ata Bozaci
2015 Fifteen seconds of fame, Ata Bozaci
2007 Black Ink / Illustrations by Ata „Toast“ Bozaci, Publikat Verlag
2005 Fadings. Graffiti to Design, Illustration and more, Publikat Verlag
2002 Graffiti Art / Deutschland, Schwarzkopf & Schwarzkopf
2002 Graffiti Art / Süddeutschland und Schweiz, Schwarzkopf & S.
2000 Swiss Grafik Design, Die Gestalten Verlag
1999 Büro Destruct, Die Gestalten Verlag
PRESS (SELECTION)
2023 I consider graffiti to be an art form, one33seven (Link)
2019 Gegen die Wand, Weltwoche Magazin Nr. 2 (PDF)
2007 Die Sprayboys, AD Architectural Digest (PDF)
1992 Die besten Sprayer der Schweiz, Schweizer Illustrierte (PDF)