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Hans Ulrich Obrist

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Hans Ulrich Obrist
Hans Ulrich Obrist (2010)
Born1968 (age 55–56)
Weinfelden, Switzerland
NationalitySwiss
OccupationArt curator
Notable workThe Interview Project

Hans Ulrich Obrist(born 1968) is aSwissart curator,critic,and art historian. He is artistic director at theSerpentine Galleries,London.Obrist is the author ofThe Interview Project,an extensive ongoing project of interviews. He is also co-editor of theCahiers d'Artreview. He lives and works in London.


Life and work[edit]

Obrist was born inWeinfelden,Switzerland on May 24, 1968.[1]Obrist first gained art world attention at the age of 23, when as a student in Politics and Economics inSt. Gallen,Switzerland, in 1991, he mounted an exhibition in the kitchen of his apartment entitledThe Kitchen Show[2]It featured work byChristian BoltanskiandPeter Fischli & David Weiss.[3][4]

museum in progress, 1993–2000[edit]

Some of his early projects Obrist curated for the art initiativemuseum in progressin Vienna, for example the legendary exhibitionmuseum in progresswithAlighiero Boettion board ofAustrian Airlinesin 1993 (using images from Boetti's “Airplanes” series, both in every in-flight magazine and as a free jigsaw puzzle, given to passengers),[5][6]Interventionsin the daily newspaperDer Standard1995 with artists likeChristian Marclay,Lawrence Weiner,andTravelling Eyein the magazineProfil1995/1996 withJohn Baldessari,Nan Goldin,Felix Gonzalez-TorresandGerhard Richteramongst others.[7]

Obrist has also been a jury member of the art projectSafety Curtain,which museum in progress has been realizing at theVienna State Operawith famous artists likeTauba Auerbach,David Hockney,Joan Jonas,Jeff Koons,Maria Lassnig,Rosemarie Trockel,Cy TwomblyandCarrie Mae Weemssince 1998.[8]

In 1993, Obrist founded theMuseum Robert Walserand began to run theMigrateursprogram at theMusée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Pariswhere he served as acuratorforcontemporary art.In 1996, he co-curatedManifesta 1,the first edition of the roving European biennial of contemporary art.

Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 2000–2006[edit]

In 2003, Obrist curated, as part of the Venice Biennale, "Utopia Station"; an interview with Obrist about the project appears inSarah Thornton'sSeven Days in the Art World.[9]

By 2005,The Guardianreported that Obrist had interviewed to succeedPhilip Doddas the director of theInstitute of Contemporary Artsin London.[10]

Serpentine Galleries, 2006–present[edit]

In 2006,Serpentine GalleriesdirectorJulia Peyton-Jonesappointed Obrist as her co-director of exhibitions and programs.[11]Since Peyton-Jones left the organization in 2016, Obrist has worked alongside successive co-directorsYana Peel(2016–2019) andBettina Korek(since 2019).[11]

In addition to his role as the Serpentine Galleries, Obrist has been the international programs advisor to theGarage Museum of Contemporary Artin Moscow (since 2018)[12]and the artistic adviser toThe Shedin New York (since 2018).[13][14]

While maintaining official curatorial positions, Obrist is also the co-founder of the Brutally Early Club,[15]a discussion group open to all that meets at Starbucks in London, Berlin, New York and Paris at 6:30 a.m. In 2007, Obrist co-curated Il Tempo del Postino withPhilippe Parrenofor the Manchester International Festival, also presented atArt Basel,2009, organised byFondation BeyelerandTheater Basel.In 2008 he curated Everstill at the Lorca House in Granada.

In 2013, Obrist co-founded, withSimon Castets,the 89plus, an international, multi-platform research project with support fromGoogle,conceived as a mapping of the "digitally native" generation of those born in or after 1989.[16][17]

In 2014, Obrist curated theSwiss Pavilionat the 14thInternational Architecture Biennale in Venice, where he presentedLucius BurckhardtandCedric Price;the building was designed by architectsHerzog & de Meuron,and the program was developed with artistsLiam Gillick,Philippe Parreno,Tino SehgalandDominique Gonzalez-Foerster.[18][19]

In 2022, Obrist organized aJota Mombaçaperformance staged onSan Giacomo in Paludoto kick off the construction of an arts space operated by theFondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo.[20]

The Interviewproject[edit]

Obrist's interest in interviews was first triggered during his student years when he read two extensive conversations. The first was between Pierre Cabanne andMarcel Duchamp,while the second was betweenDavid SylvesterandFrancis Bacon."These books somehow brought me to art," he has said. "They were like oxygen, and were the first time that the idea of an interview with an artist as a medium became of interest to me. They also sparked my interest in the idea of sustained conversations—of interviews recorded over a period of time, perhaps over the course of many years; the Bacon/Sylvester interviews took place over three long sessions, for example."[21]

Over the years, nearly 2000 hours of interviews have been recorded,[22]which he refers to as "an endless conversation". He began publishing these interviews in Artforum in 1996 and in 2003 eleven of these interviews were released asInterviews Volume 1.Volume 2was published in Summer 2010. With the release, a total of 69 artists, architects, writers, film-makers, scientists, philosophers, musicians and performers share their unique experiences and frank insights.

Obrist has also published a series of books called "The Conversation Series," which features the longer interviews in his archive. To date, 28 books have been published, each containing a lengthy interview with cultural figures includingJohn Baldessari,Zaha Hadid,Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster,Yoko Ono,Robert CrumbandRem Koolhaas.A number of Obrist's interviews have also appeared in the Berlin culture magazine032c,including those with artistsElaine SturtevantandRichard Hamilton,historianEric Hobsbawm,and structural engineerCecil BalmondofArup.[23]

More recently, Obrist initiated a series of "marathons", a series of public events he conceived in Stuttgart in 2005.[24]The first in the Serpentine series, the Interview Marathon in 2006, involved interviews with leading figures in contemporary culture over 24 hours, conducted by Obrist and architectRem Koolhaas.This was followed by the Experiment Marathon, conceived by Obrist and artistOlafur Eliassonin 2007, which included 50 experiments by speakers across both arts and science, includingPeter Cook,Neil Turok,Kim Gordon,Simone Forti,Fia BackstromandJoseph Grigely.There was also the Manifesto Marathon in 2008 and the Poetry Marathon in 2009, which consisted of poems read aloud by artists and writers includingGilbert & George,Tracey Emin,Nick Laird,Geoffrey Hill,andJames Fenton.[25]

The 2014 Extinction Marathon: Visions of the Future[26]linked the humanities and the sciences to discussions of environmental and human impact on the world today. It was programmed with artistGustav Metzgerwhose research addresses issues of extinction and climate change. Notable participants included artistsEtel Adnan,Ed Atkins,Jesse Darling,Gilbert & George,Katja Novitskova,Yoko Ono,Susan Hiller,Marguerite Humeau,Trevor Paglen,Cornelia Parkeramongst notable model and actorLily Coleand founder ofThe Whole Earth Catalogand co-founder of The Long Now FoundationStewart Brand.

Curatorial practice[edit]

Obrist is an advocate and archivist for artists, and has said: "I really do think artists are the most important people on the planet, and if what I do is a utility and helps them, then that makes me happy. I want to be helpful."[2]He is known for his lively pace and emphasis on inclusion in all cultural activities.

Obrist's practice includes an ongoing exploration of the history of art institutions and curatorial practice. In his early 20s he began to research the topic. "At a certain moment, when I started doing my own shows, I felt it would be really interesting to know what is the history of my profession. I realized that there was no book, which was kind of a shock."[22]He has since helped to rectify this gap with exhibitions on curating and a book entitledA Brief History of Curating.This volume, which is part of Obrist's Interviews project (see above) compiles interviews from some of the leading curators of the 20th century.

While the history of exhibitions has started, in this last decade, to be examined more in depth, what remains largely unexplored are the ties that interconnected manifestations have created among curators, institutions, and artists. For this reason, Obrist's conversations go beyond stressing the remarkable achievements of a few individuals...Obrist's collected volume pieces together "a patchwork of fragments," underlining a network of relationships within the art.[27]

In keeping with his desire to explore the world of art and view it as an open system, Obrist has long advocated a participatory model for his activities. One early project, 1997's "do it", is an ongoing exhibition[28]that consists of instructions set out by artists for anyone to follow. In his introduction to the project, Obrist notes that "do it stems from an open exhibition model, and exhibition in progress. Individual instructions can open empty spaces for occupation and invoke possibilities for the interpretations and rephrasing of artworks in a totally free manner. do it effects interpretations based on location, and calls for a dovetailing of local structures with the artworks themselves. The diverse cities in which do it takes place actively construct the artwork context and endow it with their individual marks or distinctions."[28](sic)

Other activities[edit]

Obrist is a contributing editor of032cmagazine,ArtforumandParadis Magazine,among others.

Obrist has lectured internationally at academic and art institutions includingEuropean Graduate SchoolinSaas-Fee,[29]University of East Anglia,[30]Southbank Centre,[31]Institute of Historical Research,[32]andArchitectural Association.[33]

Obrist served on the juries that selectedCedric Pricefor the Österreichischer Friedrich Kiesler-Preis für Architektur und Kunst (2002);[34]Loukia Alavanou for theDeste Prize(2007);[35]Nav HaqandJay Sandersfor the Independent Vision Curatorial Award (2012);[36]Rachel Rosefor the Frieze Art Award (2015);[37]Otobong Nkangafor the Belgian Art Prize (2017);[38]Cathy Wilkes(2017),[39]Sheela Gowda(2019)[40]andLubaina Himid(2023)[41]for theMaria Lassnig Prize;Diego Marconfor the MAXXI Bulgari Prize (2018);[42]Sondra PerryforRolls-Royce’s first-ever Moving-Image Dream Commission (2021);[43]and Nifemi Marcus Bello for the Hublot Design Prize (2022);[44]among others.

Obrist hold various positions at art organizations, including the following:

Recognition[edit]

In 2009 and 2016, Obrist was ranked number one inArtReview's annual list of theart world's one-hundred most powerful people.[51]

Other honors include:

Personal life[edit]

Obrist is in a relationship withKoo Jeong A.They share an apartment in London'sKensingtondistrict.[53][54]

Publications by Obrist[edit]

Main article:Hans-Ulrich Obrist bibliography

References[edit]

  1. ^"Hans Ulrich Obrist".
  2. ^abRoberts, Alison (October 22, 2009),Ulrich-obrist---the-god-of-planet-art.do "Hans Ulrich Obrist - The God of Planet Art"[permanent dead link],The London Evening Standard.
  3. ^Leon Neyfakh (December 16, 2009),The Man Who Made Curating an ArtNew York Observer.
  4. ^Field, Marcus."An object lesson in what goes where",The Independent,December 5, 1999.
  5. ^Project webpage ofmuseum in progress on Board,museum in progress,Vienna
  6. ^Lou Stoppard (3 March 2020),Everyone's a Curator Now: When everything is “curated,” what does the word even mean?New York Times.
  7. ^Project webpage ofTravelling Eye.museum in progress,Vienna
  8. ^Project webpage ofSafety Curtain,museum in progress,Vienna
  9. ^Thornton, Sarah L. (2009-11-02).Seven days in the art world.New York: W. W. Norton & Company.ISBN9780393337129.OCLC489232834.
  10. ^Charlotte Higgins (22 January 2005),Swiss curator tipped as new director of the ICAThe Guardian.
  11. ^abFarah Nayeri (13 April 2016),Chief Executive for Serpentine Galleries in London Is NamedNew York Times
  12. ^Randy Kennedy (11 February 2013),Russian Art Center Looks to the West for New CuratorNew York Times.
  13. ^Robin Pogrebin (6 February 2018),The Shed Isn't Waiting for a Building to Start ProgrammingNew York Times.
  14. ^Andy Battaglia (6 March 2018),The Shed's Commissions for 2019 Opening Involve Gerhard Richter, No I.D., Steve McQueen, Trisha Donnelly, Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt, Many MoreARTnews.
  15. ^Brutally Early Club
  16. ^Rachel Donadio (6 August 2014),Technology Driving Young ArtNew York Times.
  17. ^Scott Reyburn (29 October 2016),How Important Is Art History in Today's Market?New York Times.
  18. ^Roslyn Sulcas (5 March 2014),An Architect and a Sociologist to be Honored at Swiss Pavilion in VeniceNew York Times.
  19. ^Kevin McGarry (6 June 2014),Q. & A.: Hans-Ulrich Obrist on Curating the Swiss Pavilion at the Venice Architecture BiennaleT: The New York Times Style Magazine.
  20. ^Alexander Greenberger (25 April 2022),Collector Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo to Turn Venetian Island into Arts SpaceARTnews.
  21. ^Hans Ulrich ObristA brief history of CuratingArtbook
  22. ^abNeyfakh, Leon.The Man Who Made Curating an Art[dead link]The New York Observer,December 15, 2009.
  23. ^Ulrich-obrist/ Hans Ulrich ObristArchivedMarch 4, 2016, at theWayback Machineat 032c
  24. ^Greg Allen (22 May 2005),Art of the UndoneNew York Times.
  25. ^Orr, Gillian.My Week: Hans Ulrich Obrist.The Independent,October 17, 2009.
  26. ^Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (October 20, 2014)."The Extinction Marathon: the art world's bid to save the human race".The Guardian UK.RetrievedMarch 8,2015.
  27. ^Obrist, Hans Ulrich (2010).A Brief History of Curating, JRP|Ringier & Les Presses Du Réel, Zurich.ISBN9783905829556.
  28. ^abdo it.ArchivedMarch 14, 2012, at theWayback Machinee-flux. 1997.
  29. ^Ulrich-obrist/biography/ Hans Ulrich Obrist[permanent dead link].Faculty page atEuropean Graduate School.Biography, bibliography, photos and video lectures.
  30. ^International gathering of story-makers at UEAArchived2014-12-03 at theWayback Machine.University of East Anglia.May 7, 2010.
  31. ^Martha Rosler and Hans Ulrich Obrist.Ulrich-obrist/ Keynote Lecture from Martha Rosler and discussion with Hans Ulrich Obrist[permanent dead link].Southbank Centre.Deschooling Society. Episode 5, June 8, 2010.
  32. ^Stephen Willats and Hans Ulrich Obrist.A Conversation Between and Hans Ulrich Obrist.ArchivedSeptember 30, 2012, at theWayback MachineInstitute of Historical Research.Kenneth Clark Lecture Theatre. Lecture. February 15, 2011.
  33. ^Markus Miessen, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Armin Linke."The Archive as a Productive Space of Conflict"Archived2019-08-05 at theWayback Machine,Architectural Association.School of Architecture. March 22, 2011.
  34. ^Kultur: Britischer Architekt Cedric Price erhält Kiesler-PreisDer Tagesspiegel,7 December 2002.
  35. ^Loukia Alavanou Wins 2007 DESTE Foundation PrizeArtforum,26 September 2007.
  36. ^David Ng (10 September 2012),LAXART curator among nominees for Independent Curators awardLos Angeles Times.
  37. ^M.H. Miller (28. April 2015),Rachel Rose Wins Frieze Art AwardARTnews.
  38. ^Otobong Nkanga wins Belgian Art Prize 2017Art Forum,20 April 2017.
  39. ^Alex Greenberger (12 January 2017),Cathy Wilkes Wins Inaugural Maria Lassnig PrizeARTnews.
  40. ^Annie Armstrong (12 March 2019),Sheela Gowda Wins 2019 Maria Lassnig PrizeARTnews.
  41. ^Lubaina Himid – Maria Lassnig Prize 2023Maria Lassnig Foundation,press release of 28 June 2023.
  42. ^Robin Scher (3 October 2017),MAXXI Bulgari Prize Names 2018 FinalistsARTnews.
  43. ^Claire Selvin (21 October 2020),Martine Syms, Sondra Perry, and More Shortlisted for Rolls-Royce CommissionARTnews.
  44. ^Hannah Silver (3 November 2022),Nifemi Marcus-Bello wins Hublot Design Prize 2022Wallpaper.
  45. ^Board of TrusteesArchived2019-08-07 at theWayback MachineKino der Kunst.
  46. ^Advisory BoardFlash Art.
  47. ^International CouncilMuseum Berggruen.
  48. ^Advisory BoardThyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary.
  49. ^Advisory BoardUllens Center for Contemporary Art(UCCA).
  50. ^Supervisory BoardArchived2019-03-22 at theWayback MachineManifesta.
  51. ^Pac Pobric (20 October 2016),Peripatetic curator Hans Ulrich Obrist tops ArtReview's 2016 Power 100 listThe Art Newspaper.
  52. ^"RIBA announces 12 Honorary Fellowships".architecture. 6 October 2009. Archived fromthe originalon April 16, 2014.RetrievedApril 15,2014.
  53. ^Rachel Cooke (8 March 2015),Hans Ulrich Obrist: ‘Everything I do is somehow connected to velocity’The Guardian.
  54. ^Michael Segalov (5 January 2020),Sunday with Hans Ulrich-Obrist: ‘I go to London Zoo – mostly for the architecture’The Guardian.

External links[edit]

Interview videos[edit]

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