James Beckett, 7/ 10/ 1977, Harare, Zimbabwe
Currently lives and works in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
www.jamesbeckett.tk
Education/ Residency:
2009 Kunstlerhauser Worpswede, Sound residency, DE
2008 International Residence, Récollets, Paris, FR
2001-2002 Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam, NL
1996-1999 Technikon Natal, BAFA (degree), Durban, ZA
Solo exhibition (selection):
2011 As yet untitled, Neuer Kunstverein, Vienna, AT
2011 Khevsurvite Derivative (potential dwellers in ravines), T293, Rome, IT
2010 Pairs and Stacks, Hilversum Museum, Hilversum, NL
2010 Zaklady na Zycie (Plant-Life): Wilfried Lentz, Rotterdam, NL
2009 Bagnoli and Italsider (as extract-arrangement): T293, Naples, IT
2008 Limburgerhof (the agricultural extract-arrangements), Wilfried Lentz, Rotterdam, NL
2008 Dalmine (and other industry extract-arrangements), Lüttgenmeijer, Berlin, DE
2008 Spade Scrapes 1-6, Van Zijll Langhout expositities, Amsterdam, NL
2007 Living Registration, T293, Naples, IT
2006 Living Registration, Bürofriedrich, Berlin, DE
2006 Untitled Cut-up, Natal Society of Arts, Durban, ZA
2003 Climb on Shoulders to Peep Over and Dismount with Lips in Hedge,
NICC at the Koninklijk Museum Voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp, BE
2002 Extract-Arrangements, PLUS Gallery, Düsseldorf, DE
1999 Home,Natal Society of Arts, Durban, ZA
1999 Breathing Space, The Yard, B/W Photography, London, GB
1999 Breathing Space, Natal Society of Arts/ Palmer street studios, Durban, ZA
Exhibition/ (selection):
2011 XV Unidentified Species, Galleria Boavista, Lisbon, PT
2011 New Existentialism, Part 2, ALTEFABRIK, Rapperswil-Jona, CH
2010 Metmorphosis, Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam, NL
2010 Doodgewoon, Hilversum Museum, Hilversum, NL
2010 Tutta la memoria del mondo, GAM, Turin, IT
2009 Not created by a Human Hand, Wilfried Lentz, Rotterdam, NL
2009 Faux Frères, Galerie In Situ, Aalst, BE
2009 Straat van Scuptuuren, CBK, Biljmer, Amsterdam, NL
2008 Spades Scrapes 1-6, Romanian Biennial of Young Artists, Bucharest, RO
2008 For the First and the Second Time, CAC, Vilnius, LT
2007 Between Thought and Sound, The Kitchen, New York, US
2007 Sites and Traces, Universal Studios/ Boers-Li, Beijing, CN
2007 Museum of Noise, with Mark Bain at the Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, DE
2007 Return of the Gastarbeiter, Kucevo, YU
2006 Vacuum 2, Façade piece for VHDG, Leeuwarden, NL
2005 Map to Sine, at Adam, SMART Project Space, Amsterdam, NL
2005 Radio Days, four radio programs at De Appel, Amsterdam, NL
2005 Pioneer, (premiere screening of) Dutch Open, De Balie, Amsterdam, NL
2005 Low Tech, Arte Arti Et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, NL
2004 Hit and Run, Platform Garanti and Smart Project Space, Istanbul, TR
2004 Values, 11th Serbian Biennale Visual Arts, Pancevo, YU
2004 City/Object Observation, Nanjing Art Institute, with DAI, Nanjing, CN
2003 Vacuum, Opkomst Yaarbeurs, Utrecht, NL
2003 A Partial Museum of Noise, Prix de Rome, Gem Museum of Contemporary Art, Den Haag, NL
2003 Death Emmaus-Ölberg-Gemeinde, Berlin, DE
2002 Rendevous, Centre for Contemporary European Art, Xiamen, CN
2002 Documenta 11, collaboration with Narcisse Tordoir in ‘shop’ of Meschac Gaba, Kassel, DE
2002 Bessengue City, temporary radio station, Doula, CM
2002 Filiale Afrika, Spar Kassa, Düsseldorf, DE
2002 Noise of Coincidence, Cucosa Contemporary Art Space, Rotterdam, NL
2002 A Haunted house of Art, Outline Project Space, Amsterdam, NL
2001 Home Made, Stichting V/H de Gemeente, Leeuwarden, NL
2001 Karl Hofer Society, with Khwezi Gule and Robin Rhode, Berlin, DE
2001 CLICK, Centre Soeleil d’Afrique, Bamako, ML
2001 Adrift, Las Palmas, Rotterdam, NL
2000 Pulse, NSA, Rijksakademie R.A.I.N., Durban, ZA
1999 Graduates of Natal Tech., Civic Centre, Johannesburg, ZA
1998 Black and Blue, Palmer Street Studios, Durban, ZA
1997 ‘Stel Hotten Totten Ten Ten Toon’,
Collaboration with Sandberg Institute, Bat Centre, Durban ZA
Fellowships / Awards
2003 Winner Prix de Rome, Art and Public Space, NL
2002 Stipend: Rijksakademie Beeldende Kunsten/ Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture/ Science, NL
2002 Grant: National Arts Council, Johannesburg, ZA
2001 Grant: Ernest Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, Johannesburg, ZA
2001 Stipend: Rijksakademie Beeldende Kunsten/ Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture/ Science, NL
1999 Emma-Smith scholarship, Durban, ZA
Concert/ Lecture/ Performance/ Workshops
2009 Calling out of Context, three concerts of Beckett, ICA, London, GB
2009 Pecha Kucha, Architecture Biennale, NAI, Rotterdam, NL
2007 Circalles, Stage and Light with Martijn Tellinga, Huis ad Werf, Utrecht, NL
2006 Lucier in Taiwan, concept and leader of sound workshop, Taipei, TW
2006 Loss of meaning in Language, Delft Architecture Dept. Delft, NL
2005 Practicum 05a/06a, Nadine Project Space, Brussels, BE
2004 City/Object Observation, Nanjing University, lecture /sound work shop, Nanjing, CN
2003 Schoenberg /Gamelan imposition, concert, Baby, Amsterdam, NL
2003 Fridge, Lost and Found, concert, Amsterdam, NL
2003 Nethererlands Architecture Institute, concert, Rotterdam, NL
2002 International Art practice, seminar, Alliance Francais, Yaoudé, CM
2002 Monoculture, Stubnitz.nl/NDSM-WERF, concert, Amsterdam, NL
2002 Mantra for Motors, concert, Rijksakademie, Amsterdam, NL
2002 Muntplein, concert, Muntplein, Amsterdam, NL
1999 Salt, performance, National Art Gallery, Durban, ZA
Curated Exhibitions
2007 Here as the Centre of the World, in collaboration with the Dutch Art institute,
50 artists from: The Netherlands, Turkey, Taiwan, Syria, Lebanon and Sudan, Enschede, NL
2007 Sirens, an evolution from water, through water, to water, 66-East, Amsterdam, NL
2006 Lucier in Taiwan, Artists from the Netherlands and Taiwan, Taipei, TW
1997 Thirty Seven Songs, 37 local artists, Durban, ZA
Publication
2009 Monograph: James Beckett 1998- 2008, DE
2009 Transcriptons 1-6, James Beckett, DE
2007 Museum of Noise, Mark Bain and James Beckett, Köln, DE
2007 A-for Alibi, Uqbar foundation, De Appel, Amsterdam, NL
2007 Sirens, Catalogue of the exhibition, Amsterdam, NL
2005 Radiodays, Stichtung De Appel, Amsterdam, NL
2005 Open, SKOR, Amsterdam Amsterdam, NL
2004 Hit and Run, Smart projects in Istanbul Istanbul, Turkey
2004 Values, Catalogue, 11th Serbian Bianale Pancevo, Serbia
2004 Very Real Time,initiation of Gregg Smith, RAIN, Cape Town, ZA
2003 A Partial Museum of Noise, Catalogue 06, initiation of Will Holder, Amsterdam, NL
2003 Prix de Rome, Sculpture, Art and Public Space, catalogue Amsterdam, NL
2001 Home Made, Stichting V/H de Gemeente, Leeuwarden, NL
2000 Pulse, initiation of Greg Streak, RAIN, Durban, ZA
Articles/ Review (Selection)
2008 review, Dalmine, Art-Review, Astrid Mania, International
2008 review, Limburgerhof, Kunstbeeld, NL
2007 review, Living Registration, Art Forum, Eugineo Viola, IT
2006 review, Living Registration, Vonhundert Berlin, Astrid Mania, DE
2006 review, Living Registration, Zitty, city guide Berlin, DE
2006 review, Museum of Noise, Roland Schappert Kunst forum, DE
2006 review, Nebenwirkungen, Koelischer Rundschau, DE
2006 review, Das Brummen von 220 Volt, Koelner Stadanzeiger, DE
2006 review, Hiding in plain View, Mail and Guardian, Alex Sudheim, ZA
2006 review, Untitled Cut-up, artthrob, Dean Henning, ZA
2003 article, Prix De Rome, Ina Boiten, Art and Public Space, NL
2003 articles, Mark Kremer and Ansuya Blom, NICC, Antwerp, BE
2003 review, Beeldende Beckett, Scherpa, Daily Paper, Antwerpen, BE
BIOGRAPHY:
James Beckett (Harare, Zimbabwe, 1977, lives and works in Amsterdam)
James Beckett graduated from the Technikon-Natal, Durban South Africa, after which he took part in a two-year residency in the Rijksakademie, Amsterdam. He won the Prix de Rome for Art and Public Space in 2003. He is represented by Galleries Wilfried Lentz of Rotterdam, Luettgenmeijer of Berlin, and T293 of Naples.
Coming from a background of installation and sound, Beckett is primarily a visual artist, who has in the past years also been working in a theatre and stage context. Evolution in specific areas of the industrial revolution have played muse, such as the foundation of synthetic colour manufacture and its relationship to BASF, and the cultural implications of vacuum tubes for the Dutch firm Philips. Beckett has his own registered Scottish tartan, the pattern of which is based on vintage digestive experiments: ‘Beckett-Beaumont’ (#7039). Without humor his work would appear as mere cynism, - it is romance with an inherently rotten subject matter which offers some sort of redemption in a modern world.
Website: www.jamesbeckett.tk