Contact&Imprint:
—Email: info@olavwestphalen.com
—All rights reserved ©2023 Olav Westphalen
Current&Upcomig:
—“The Palliative Turn”, Zwischenspiel at the Bauhaus Museum, Dessau
—“Ridiculously Yours, Art, Awkwardness and Enthusiasm”, curated by Jörg Heiser and Cristina Ricupero at Bundeskunsthalle Bonn, Sammlung Falckenberg der Deichtorhalle Hamburg, Neue Galerie Graz
—“VEGA”, Kunsthalle Bremen
—“Changing City”, 50 Jahre Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Bremen
—“State of Emergence”, NADA House, NY and Ukrainian Institute, curated by Lesia Kulchynska
Short Bio:
Olav Westphalen is a German-American artist whose practice frequently takes the form of games, entertainment or cartoons. His activities aim at the blind spots of his own cultural contexts. He plays both sides of the HI-LO divide, producing mass-media comedy and cartoons while showing in museums and galleries such as The Whitney Museum, ICA London, The Swiss Institute NY, Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Brandenburgischer Kunstverein, Museum Fridericianum and others. His work is collected by the Dallas Museum, Centre Pompidou, Moderna Museet, MoMA, New York etc. Books include: “Sensitivity Training,” Textem 2022, “Helden und Geschichten,” Carlsen, 2009; “Ü,” with Dan Graham, OCA, 2009; “24 Artworks,” Shelf, 2010, “Dysfunctional Comedy,” Sternberg Press, 2016. From 2007 to 2017 he has been the professor for performative art at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm. Currently,he is a professor of Drawing at Hochschule für Künste, Bremen. He is also the founder of MoMCo (The Museum of Modern Comedy in Art), one of the founders or the Association for the Palliative Turn. Together with Marcus Weimer he has been publishing cartoons in a wide range of print magazines under the shared pseudonym Rattelschneck.
Selected Solo Exhibitions&Events:
2023
—“Der Eselkönig”, VEGA-Performance, Changing City, Kunst im öffentlichen Raum, Bremen (with Samuel Nyholm)
—“VEGA – Verein für erzählerische Geschichtsaufarbeitung”, Kunsthalle Bremen (with Samuel Nyholm)
—“Cancer-Break-Up-Songs”, Performance, Bauhaus Museum, Dessau
—“SAFE”, StarkWhite Gallery, Queenstown, NZ (collaboration with Amanda Newall)
2021
—“Mom Tattoo”, Performance, Brandenburgischer Kunstverein Postdam
2020
—“The Worth of Value”, Performance, Kyiv Art Week
—“9 Public Drawings for the Pandemic”, Goethe Institute Stockholm
—“Sketchland”, Performance/Seminar, SET-Art Foundation, Kyiv
2019
—“Moai Emojis”, Happening, for the “Interformat Symposium” on the Fluidity of Humor and Absurdity, Nida Art Colony, Lithuania
2018
—“New Narratives”, Lecture Performance at the Annual Research Conference of the Climate Impact research Centre, CIRC, Umeå
2017
—“The Museum of Modern Comedy in Art (MoMCo)”: “A Proposal”, Project Art Center, Dublin
2016
—“Dysfunctional Comedy – The Panel”, Performance with Miriam Katz (Artforum, NY), Aron Flam, Iris Smeds, Livia Paldi (Baltic Arts Center) und Sandra Ihlar, Goethe Institute Stockholm
—“Bomb”, Lars&Olav (with Lars Arrhenius), live performance program at Bios, Athens curated by “Take Over Athens”
2015
—“Prow: Relative Coordinates”, Kristen Lorello Gallery, New York
—“Cringe”, WELD Theatre, Stockholm
2014
—“Desert Dreams”, Moderna Museet, Stockholm
—“Banner”, Public project for the 15th International Bakhtin Conference, Stockholm
2013
—“Even Steven”, Performance Program, Brussels Art Fair
—“Bomb”, Platform, Stockholm
—“Projecting Future Institutionalism”, Baltic Art Center, Visby
2012
—“A junkie in the forest: doing things the hard way”, Galerie Georges-Phillipe and Nathalie Vallois, Paris
—“Flip-Flop Factory” at the Minsheng Art Museum, Shanghai
—“Even Steven”, Index, The Swedish Contemporary Art Foundtion, Stockholm
2011
—“Banner” at the Polytechnic University, public project curated by “The Drachma Project”, Athens
—“My Last D-Mark”, Performance at Monodrome, Athens Biennial, Athens
2010
—“Olav Westphalen/FERCO” , Milliken Gallery, Stockholm
—“Cooperative De La Fertilite” , Galerie Georges-Philippe&Nathalie Vallois, Paris
—“Prow: The Prequel” , Sara Meltzer Gallery, New York (w/ Peter Rostsovsky)
—“Anti-Prow” , Art In General, New York (w/ Peter Rostovsky)
2009
—“Dog Ascending A Stepladder”, public sculpture, Stockholm Konst
2008
—“Waiting for the Barbarians”, Maccarone Inc. New York
2007
—“The Disciplines”, Brandenburgischer Kunstverein, Potsdam
—“The Big White”, Milliken Gallery, Stockholm
—“Desert Dreams” and “The World Politics Costume Cuddle Party”, Pact Zollverein, Essen
2006
—“Le Grand Blanc”, Galerie Georges-Philippe&Nathalie Vallois, Paris
2005
—“Avenger of Widows and Orphans”, Galerie Klosterfelde, Berlin
—“Olav Westphalen, Drawings”, Hilger Contemporary, Vienna
2004
—“One Day, Foreign Correspondent”, “Fallen Monuments”, Maccarone Inc., New York
Galerie Vallois, Paris
Milliken Gallery, Stockholm
—“Kotzrohr”, and “Popular Ceramics”, Wilkinson Gallery, London
2003
—“The First Long Island City Blimp Derby”, Sculpture Center, Long Island City, NY
2002
—“Olav Westphalen”, Maccarone Inc., New York
—“Du Und Deine Welt”, Michael Neff Gallery, Frankfurt
—“Demo”, Zinc Gallery, Stockholm
2001
—“E.S.U.S.”, Museum Liljewalchs, Stockholm
—“E.S.U.S.”, Konstcentrum Gävle
—“E.S.U.S.”, Bergens Konstforening, Bergen
2000
—“E.S.U.S.”, Project of the Public Art Fund at the Whitney Museum at Philip Morris; Tompkins Square Park; Corona Park, NY
—“Olav Westphalen”, Galerie Michael Neff, Frankfurt
1998
—“Gummi TV”, LACE, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles (collaboration with Peter Friedl)
—“Blind Date”, Malmö Konsthall, Malmö
1997
—“Scenic”, Four Walls, San Francisco
1995
—“Park”, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin
1994
—Mark Quinn Gallery, San Diego, CA
1992
—“Soft Guns”, Krasne's Gun Shop, Sand Diego (curated by Kraig Cavanaugh)
Selected Group Exhibitions&Events
2023
—“The Palliative Turn”, “Bauhaus Museum Dessau”
—“Ernsthaft?! Albernheit und Enthusiasmus in der Kunst”, Sammlung Falckenberg der Deichtorhalle Hamburg und Neue Galerie Graz
2022
—“Ridiculously Yours”, Bundeskunsthalle Bonn
—“The Palliative Turn”, Künstlerhaus Bremen
—“InSitu Paradise”, Biennale Lindau
—“An Evening on the Palliative Turn”, KW Berlin
—“Intro to Sensitivity Training”, Goethe Institute Sofia, Bulgaria (curator and artist)
—“Sensitivity Training”, Gabrovo Biennial, Bulgaria (curator and artist)
2021
—“Die Palliative Wende”, Brandenburgischer Kunstverein Potsdam
2020
—“AFASIOTOPIA”, Symposium on the Palliative Turn, Salon am Moritzplatz, Berlin
—“Tyst Vår”, Djurgardsskogen, Stockholm
2019
—“Schrein der Freundschaft”, Brandenburgischer Kunstverein Potsdam
2018
—“The Battle of Coal”, Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten Marl und Ruhr Kunst Museen
—“Hotel Jaguar”, Exposed Art Projects, London
2017
—“Hard to Picture”, “A Tribute to Ad Reinhardt”, MUDAM musée d’art moderne, Luxembourg
—“The Laughable Enigma of the Everyday”, Arquipelago Centro des Artes Contemporaneas, San Miguel, Azores
—“Re-Imagining Utopia” (The Auroville Project), Kunstpavillion Insbruck “Sammling”, Arnstedt, Östra Karup
2017
—“The New Normal”, The Hangar (UMAM D&R), Beirut, organized by artists Murat Adash and Hiba Farhat
—“The New Normal”, Supa Salon, Istanbul, organized by artists Murat Adash and Hiba Farhat
2016
—“Double Act”, The MAC Belfast, Northern Ireland
—“IX Shiryaevo Biennale of Contemporary Art – The Nomadic Show”, Russia
2015
—“The Thessaloniki Biennial of contemporary Art”, Greece
—“Into the Solar Plexus”, Kunshalle Bern, CH
2013
—“Drawn by Hand”, Charlotte Lund Galleri, Stockholm
—“Play - Recapturing the Radical Imagination, Gothenburg International Biennial Of Contemporary Art”, Gothenburg
—“Magnum Sammlung”, Arnstedt, Östra Kärup, Sweden
—“Un Bonhomme De Neige En Ete”, Atelier 340 Muzeum, Brussels
2012
—“Centrefold Scrapbook, Zabludowicz” Collection, London
—“Non-Talk Radio”, (Performance, workshop, live radio program) with Marten Spangberg, part of “Performing Recalcitrance”, Stockholm
—“Postcolonial Dilettantes: A Retrospective of Progress”, Residence of the US-Ambassador to Sweden, Stockholm, curated by Theodor Ringborg and Ronald Jones
—“Här har man altid med sig”, Stockholm Arts and Music, curated by Maria Lind
—“Bodies and Representation”, Wetterling Gallery, Stockholm
2011
—“Freunde”, Brandenburgischer Kunstverein, Potsdam
—“Volcano Dreams”, Moderna Danstheatern, Stockholm
2010
—“Eternal Tour”, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Al Quuds University, Abu Dis, Palestin
—“Moderna Utställning 2010”, Moderna Museet, Stockholm
—“Party Crashers”, Arlington Arts Center, VA
—“Fax”, Para/Site Art Space, Hong Kong
—“The Invisible Generation”, Les Kurbas Center and National Museum, Kiev
2009
—“Gestern oder im 2. Stock”, Stadtmuseum München
—“One Day Comic”, Eastside Projects Birmingham
—“Do they love their children too?” Milliken Gallery, Stockholm
—“Cut-Ups”, Centrum for Fotografi, Stockholm
—“Cave”, Performance/Sculpture/Workshop, KKH, Stockholm
—“Fax”, The Drawing Center, New York, NY
2008
—“The object is the mirror”, Curated by Max Henry, Wilkinson Gallery, London,
—“Permanent Collection”, Moderna Museet, Stockholm
2007
—“Same, same, but different”, Jet Kunstverein, Berlin
2006
—“Global Players”, Kulturforum Ludwig, Aachen
—“Draft Deceit”, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo
—“Neo-Sincerity”, Apex Art, New York
2005
—“Monuments for America”, Wattis Gallery, CCAC, San Francisco
—“Situation Comedy: Humor in Recent Art”, Curated by Dominic Molon and Michael Rooks and organized by ICI (Independent Curators International), The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, HI; Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago,IL; Winnipeg Art Gallery, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; MacKenzie Art Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; Salina Art Center, Salina, Kansas
—“Global Players”, Bankart Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
—“Schwarz, Brot, Gold”, Kunstverein Oldenburg, Germany
2004
—“The Whitney Biennial”, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
—“The Mythological Machine”, Warwick Arts Center, Warwick
—“Harlem Postcards”, The Studio Museum Harlem, NY
2003
—“Lies, Lust, Art, and Fashion”, Podewil, Berlin
2002
—“Zipp”, Kunstverein Kassel
—“Inter.Play”, Miami Design Center, Miami
—“On Paper”, Galerie Friedrich, Basel
—“London-Berlin”, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
2001
—“After Effect”, Centre D’Art Neuchatel, CH
—Smart Project Space, Amsterdam
—“Televison”, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna
—“Out of Bounds”, Luckman Gallery, California State University, Los Angeles
—“Slimvolume”, Austrian Cultural Forum; Institute for Contemporary Art, London
—“Surprise”, Dunaujvaros, HU
—“Lobby Project”, Swiss Institute, New York
2000
—Greater New York, PS1, Queens, NY
—“fido”, Hunter College Gallery, New York
—“End Papers”, Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, NY
—“Carnival in the Eye of the Storm”, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR
—“Vague but True”, Asbaek Gallery, Copenhagen
1999
—100 Drawings, PS1, Queens, NY
—“Arrested Ambition”, Apex Art, New York
—“Sampling”, Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, New York
—“Keep Fit, Be Happy”, De Chiara/Stewart, New York
1998
—“Domesticity”, Galerie Mehdi Chouakri, Berlin
—“Art Club Berlin”, Mies van der Rohe Pavillion, Barcelona
1997
—“Organically Grown”, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco
1996
—“Surfing Systems”, Kunstverein Kassel
—“All Work No Play”, ACME Gallery, Santa Monica
—Videonale Intermezzo, Kunstverein Bonn
1995
—“Battlefield”, Kunsthalle Palazzo, Liestal, CH
1994
—“Postconceptual Painting”, Kunst-Werke, Berlin
—Revir, Kulturhuset, Stockholm,
Works in Collections (selected):
—Moderna Museet, Stockholm
—Museum of Modern Art, New York
—Centre Pompidou, Paris
—Dallas Museum, Dallas, TX
—Statens Konstrad, Sweden
—Stockholm Konst (public comission, Stockholm)
—Hortz Collection, NY
—Jerry Speyer, NY
—Marc and Livia Strauss, NY
—Pontus Bonniers, Stockholm
—Marty Eisenberg, NY
—Georges-Philippe Vallois, Paris
—Werner Nekes, Muehlheim
—Deutsche Bank Collection, Frankfurt