Born 1962, Johannesburg, South Africa
Lives in Lille, France
Education:
1984 Bachelor of Arts degree, University of the Witwatersrand
Solo exhibitions:
2012 Magog, Stevenson, Cape Town
2010 Life is Shot, Art is Long, Michael Stevenson, Cape Town
Fuck Off and Die, Chapelle Fromentin, La Rochelle, France
Dancing Inside Out, Kunsthalle Wien Project Space Karlsplatz, Vienna
Uninvited (with Elu), Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, USA Izele, Michael Stevenson, Cape Town
1999 Nobody Loves a Fairy When She’s Forty, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg
1998 Material Boy, Galerie Dudelange-Ville, Luxembourg
But Me, I’m Sitting Pretty, Galerie Mikado, Luxembourg
1997 Camp Concentration, Hänel Gallery, Cape Town
1994 The Toilet of Adventure (installation), Civic Art Gallery, Johannesburg
1993 Uneasy Chairs and Bitter Suites, Everard Read Contemporary, Johannesburg
1989 The Living Room, Gallery on the Market, Johannesburg
1988 Alice in Pretoria, Market Gallery, Johannesburg
Performances:
2015
Chandelier: Spotlight South Africa, Canadian Stage, Toronto
2014
Sphincterography AKA Four Solos on Three Continents (screening): Fierce Festival, Birmingham, UK
Chandelier: Summer of Photography 2014, Bozar (Palais des Beaux Arts), Brussels, Belgium
Chandelier: Josephine Baker and Le Corbusier in Rio – A Transatlantic Affair, Museu de Arte do Rio, Brazil
Chandelier: 4 Days of Creation, Les Subsistances, Lyon, France
2013 Mene Mene Tekel uPharsin: Festival d’Automne à Normandie, La Maison Sublime, Rouen, France
Coq/Cock: ‘uninvited public intervention’, Place du Trocadéro, Paris
Title Withheld (for Legal and Ethical Reasons): Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse, France
Sphincterography the Tour: Festival d’Automne, La Maison Rouge, Paris
Title Withheld (For Legal and Ethical Reasons): Festival de la Batie, Geneva
Title Withheld (For Legal and Ethical Reasons): VIA festival, Maubeuge, France
2012 The Cradle of Humankind, Title Withheld (For Legald and Ethical Reasons): La Rose des Vents, Scene nationale Lille Métropole Villeneuve d’Ascq
The Cradle of Humankind, Title Withheld (For Legald and Ethical Reasons): Novart, La Biennale des Arts de la Scène – ‘Les Inventeurs’, Bordeaux, France
The Cradle of Humankind, Title Withheld (For Legald and Ethical Reasons): Oktoberdans festival, Bergen, Norway
Title Withheld (For Legal and Ethical Reasons), The Cradle of Humankind: Festival d’Avignon, France
The Cradle of Humankind: National Arts Festival, Grahamstown, South Africa
2011 Chandelier: Fragile Danse festival, Les Bouffes du Nord, Paris
The Cradle of Humankind: Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse, France
The Cradle of Humankind: Danae festival, Milan
The Cradle of Humankind: Festival d’Automne, Centre Pompidou, Paris
The Cradle of Humankind: Dampfzentrale, Bern, Switzerland
The Cradle of Humankind: La Bâtie – the Festival of Geneva, Switzerland
The Cradle of Humankind: C/U (Body Mind) Festival, Warsaw, Poland
The Cradle of Humankind: Latitudes Contemporaines festival, Le Phénix, Scène nationale Valenciennes, France
The Cradle of Humankind: Troubles festival, Les Halles de Schaerbeeck, Brussels
The Cradle of Humankind: Un Pas de Trop festival, La Maison Folie Mons, Belgium
The Cradle of Humankind: Festival les Anticodes 2011, Brest, France
Golgotha: Festival Escena Contemporánea, Madrid
Chandelier, Cleaning Time, Maid in South Africa, Golgotha: Le TAP, Poitiers, France
Golgotha: Les Rencontres du Court, Le Bouscat, Bordeaux, France
Golgotha: Le Centre Chorégraphique National de Tours, France
2010 Chandelier, The Wandering Jew: first Aichi Triennale, Japan
Chandelier: Festival Rayons Frais, Tours, France
Golgotha: Munich Opera Festival, Bavarian State Opera, Munich, Germany
Golgotha, Chandelier: Latitudes Contemporaines festival, Maison Folie/Wazemmes, Lille, France
Chandelier, Maid in South Africa: Le Marathon des Mots festival, Toulouse, France
Golgotha: Maison Folie/Mons, Belgium
Chandelier: Centre Chorégraphique National, Montpellier, France
Golgotha: Festival des Antipodes, Brest, France
Chandelier: Theatre d’Orléans, France
Chandelier: Festival Vivat la danse, Vivat, Armentières, France
2009 Golgotha: Festival d’Automne, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Chandelier: Dampfzentrale, Berne, Switzerland
Golgotha: Les Subsistances, Lyon, France
Three Solos: Dancing Inside Out, Maid in South Africa, Chandelier: Festival Souterrain Porte V, Nancy, France
Knock ’Em Dead: Centre for Performance Research, New York City, USA
Three Solos: Body Mind Festival, Warsaw, Poland
Three Solos: Holland Festival, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Three Solos: Queer Up North Festival, Manchester, UK
Golgotha: Trouble Festival, Les Halles de Schaerbeek, Brussels, Belgium
Three Solos: Festival des Antipodes, Brest, France
2008 Three Solos: Festival d’Automne, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Dancing Inside Out, Maid in South Africa, Taste: Queer Zagreb, Croatia
Dancing Inside Out: Court Toujours festival, Poitiers, France
Chandelier: Espinal, Le Mans, France
Dancing Inside Out: First Live Art Festival of India, New Delhi, India
Dancing Inside Out: L’Arsenic Theatre, Lausanne, Switzerland
2007 Cleaning Time (Vienna): Public interventions, Judenplatz, Vienna
Chandelier: Mettre en Scene, Quimper, France
Cleaning Time (Vienna): Public intervention, Heldenplatz, Vienna
(Invited, then uninvited once there): First Jewish Theatre Festival of Austria, Vienna
Dancing Inside Out: Rencontres du Court, Poitiers, France
2006 Dancing Inside Out: Kunsthalle Wien Project Space Karlsplatz, Vienna, Austria
Taste: Museum of Contemporary Art, Honolulu, USA
Tradition (duo with Elu): Les Intranquilles, Les Subsistances, Lyon, France
Chandelier: Latitudes Contemporaines, Lille, France
I Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead in That! in collaboration with Ballet Atlantique/Régine Chopinot: Festival d’Automne, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
I Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead in That!: Theatre Garonne, Toulouse, France
Chandelier: Theatre Garonne, Toulouse, France
Chandelier: Dressing the Contemporary, PROGR, Bern, Switzerland
Dancing Inside Out: Montevideo, Marseilles, France
Save the Last Dance for Me: Scenographies Urbaine, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
2005 Dancing Inside Out: Porte MC2a, Bordeaux, France
Chandelier: Palamino Gallery, São Paulo, Brazil
Dancing Inside Out: Panorama Festival of Dance, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Dancing Inside Out: International Biennale of Dance of Ceara, Fortalezza, Brazil
Dancing Inside Out, Maid in South Africa, Taste: Latitudes Contemporaines, Lille, France
I Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead in That!: Le Vivat, Armentierres, France
I Wouldn’t Be Seen dead in That!: Scene National, Dieppe, France
Hard Core Queer: Chapelle Fromentin, La Rochelle, France
Dancing Inside Out: Johannesburg Dance Umbrella, South Africa
2004 Chandelier: Cathedral of St John the Divine, New York
Free Jew is Cheap at Twice the Price: Museum for African Art, New York
Dancing Inside Out, This One Got Away: Estonia
Sorry I’m Late!: Public intervention, Centre d’Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation, Lyon, France
Dancing Inside Out: Les Intranquilles, Les Subsistence, Lyon, France
I Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead in That!, Les Subsistence, Lyon, France
Mauvais Genre Alain Buffard, Chapelle Fromentin, La Rochelle, France
Limping into the African Renaissance, Chandelier: African Art Centre, Bordeaux, France
Chandelier: Les Subsistence, Lyon, France
2003 I Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead in That!: Aix-en-Provence, France
Taste, Chandelier: Estonia
I Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead in That!: Chapelle Fromentin, La Rochelle, France
I Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead in That!: FNB Dance Umbrella, Johannesburg
2002 Rencontres Video Art Plastique 16, Centre d’art contemporain de Basse-Normandie, Caen, France
In Transit International Performance Festival, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin
Danses du Loin festival, Port de Peche, La Rochelle, France
Chandelier: Playtime Festival, Newtown, Johannesburg
Chandelier: FNB Vita Dance Umbrella, Johannesburg
2001 Chandelier: Squatter camp, Newtown, Johannesburg
2000 Shit Day at 702: Radio 702, Johannesburg
Limping into the African Renaissance: Sandton Civic Gallery, Johannesburg
Art and Body: Unisa Art Gallery, Pretoria
Mandela/Rabbi/Queen: Book Shop, Hyde Park Centre, Johannesburg
Jomba Dance Festival, Sneddon Theatre, University of Natal, Durban
Tradition: NSA Gallery, Durban
Elephant Style: Miss Glow Vaal, Sebokeng,
Kudu Dance: Chagall exhibition opening, Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg
Limping into the African Renaissance (with Nomsa Dhlamini): FNB Vita Dance Umbrella, Wits Theatre, Johannesburg
Limping into the African Renaissance: Public road, eSigangeni, Swaziland
1999 Limping into the African Renaissance: Traditional homestead, eSigangeni, Swaziland
Boeredrag: Church Square, Pretoria
Crawling to Register: Independent Electoral Commission, Johannesburg
Crawling to Miniland and Radio 702, Johannesburg
Fly: Goodman Gallery window, Johannesburg
Nobody Loves a Fairy When She’s Forty: Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg
I’ll Walk with God: Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg
Crawling: Leonardo da Vinci exhibition opening, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
Freedom Day performance: Club Zoo, Johannesburg
The Trek Song: Dusty Closets exhibition, Carfax, Johannesburg
Voting: Independent Electoral Commission, polling day, Johannesburg
Fashion Mule: Greyville Race Course, Durban
Nobody Loves a Fairy When She’s Forty, Tradition: Cape Town Dance Umbrella, Baxter Theatre, Cape Town
Crawling: British Airways flight, Cape Town to Johannesburg
Taste: University of Cape Town campus canteens, Cape Town
Intersection/Hijack (danced by Elu): Public intervention at traffic intersections, Johannesburg
Taste: Wits University Fine Art Department, Johannesburg
Crawling: Gay Pride March, Johannesburg
Intersection/Hijack: Sebokeng zone 12, judging Miss GLOW Vaal
Taste: Carfax, Johannesburg
Intersection/Hijack: North West Fashion Technikon, Mabopane, Gauteng
Taste: Babel Tower exhibition, Civic Art Gallery, Johannesburg
Dog, Once Upon a High Heel: Nico Malan Confluences Dance Conference, Cape Town
Flying: Johannesburg Zoo, Johannesburg
Fly: Hyde Park Centre, Johannesburg
Crawling: Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Johannesburg
Crawling: Standard Bank Gallery, Johannesburg
Good Mourning: Bryanston Catholic Church and WestPark Cemetry, Johannesburg
Simon Nkoli Memorial: St Mary’s Cathedral, Johannesburg
Miss FNB and Father Christmas: Fourways Crossing and Eastgate Mail, Johannesburg
Menorah at Chanukah: Lubavitch Public Event, Sandton Square, Johannesburg
1997 Divorcee Drag: Hyde Park Shopping Centre, Johannesburg
Natural Angel: Krush exhibition, Troyeville, Johannesburg
Bridal Drag: Decriminalisation of gay sex hearing, Supreme Court, Johannesburg
The Art of Kissing (with Elu): Supreme Court, Johannesburg, and Arts Alive, Johannesburg
Dagga is an Alarming Problem: Second Johannesburg Biennale and Rosebank Mall, Johannesburg
Dildo-Drag: Body Politics Conference, Durban
I Was Fucked Up My Art: Sandton Civic Gallery, Johannesburg
Theory of the Queer as a Slut: Kempton Park, Johannesburg
Monster Shopper: Eastgate Mail, Johannesburg
Theory of the Queer as a Dumb Drag: Hanel Gallery, Cape Town
Selected group exhibitions:
2015 Disguise: Masks and Global African Art, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA, USA
2014 Josephine Baker and Le Corbusier in Rio – A Transatlantic Affair, Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Black Milk: Holocaust in Contemporary Art, Museum for Contemporary Art, Roskilde, Denmark
2013 A Sculptural Premise, Stevenson, Cape Town
My Joburg, La Maison Rouge, Paris; Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
2012 11th Havana Biennale, Cuba
Revolution vs Revolution, Beirut Art Centre, Lebanon
Collection on Display I. Sites of Art, MdM (Museum der Moderne) Rupertinum, Salzburg
2011 No Fashion, Please: Photography between Gender and Lifestyle, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna, Austria
Neither Man Nor Stone, Iziko: South African National Gallery, Cape Town
Beguiling: The Self and the Subject, Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town
Lens: Fractions of Contemporary Photography and Video in South Africa, Stellenbosch University Art Museum, Stellenbosch
ARS 11, Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, Finland
Space, Ritual, Absence: Liminality in South African visual art, FADA Gallery, University of Johannesburg
Alterating Conditions: Performing performance art in South Africa, GoetheonMain, Johannesburg
2010 Life Less Ordinary: Performance and display in South African art, Ffotogallery, Cardiff, Wales
Dada South?, South African National Gallery, Cape Town
Life Less Ordinary: Performance and display in South African art, Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham, UK
Gender, (Trans) Gender and (De) Gendered, special project of the Havana Biennale, Cuba
2008 Radical Drag, SAW Gallery, Ottowa, Canada
Disguise: The art of attracting and deflecting attention, Michael Stevenson, Cape Town
Too Close for Comfort, Goethe-Institut, Johannesburg
Rencontres Internationales, Berlin and Madrid
Spier Contemporary 2007, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
The Enterprise of Art, Pallazzo Delle Arte, Naples, Italy
Under Pain of Death, Austrian Cultural Forum, New York
2007 Spier Contemporary 2007, Spier Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Rightfully Yours, Barnicke Gallery, University of Toronto, Canada
Rencontres Internationales, Paris
10th Biennale Bandits-Mages, Bourges, France
2006 Personal Affects: Power and poetics in contemporary South African art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Honolulu
2004 Personal Affects: Power and poetics in contemporary South African art, Museum for African Art and Cathedral of St John the Divine, New York
2000 Distinguished Identities, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York
1999 Emergence, national touring exhibition, South Africa
Postcards from South Africa, Axis Gallery, New York
1998 FNB Vita Art Prize, Sandton Civic Gallery, Johannesburg
Body Politics, Wits University, Johannesburg
1997 Lifetimes: Art from Southern Africa, Out of Africa Festival, Munich, Germany
1996 National Gay and Lesbian Art Exhibition, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Cape Town
Colours: Kunst aus Sud-Afrika, Haus der Kulturen Der Welt, Berlin
1995 Inside Out, Africus: First Johannesburg Biennale, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
1994 Vita Art Now, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
State of the Art, Everard Read Contemporary, Johannesburg
1993 Erotica for Home and Garden, Newtown Gallery, Johannesburg
1992 Queer Art, FIG Gallery, Johannesburg
Processed Image, Newtown Gallery, Johannesburg
1991 Cape Town Triennial, national touring exhibition, South Africa
Urban Artefact, Newtown Gallery, Johannesburg
1989 Porn/Pawn, FIG Gallery, Johannesburg
Awards:
2009 Research residency, Baryshnikov Arts Center and Center for Performance Research, New York
2003 Ampersand Foundation Fellowship, New York
1998 FNB Vita Award Winner
1993 Vita Art Now, Joint Second Quarter Award Winner
Momentum Life Award
