Simon Faithfull
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Faithfull’s practice has been described as an attempt to understand and explore the planet as a sculptural object – to test its limits and report back from its extremities. Within his work Faithfull often builds teams of scientists, technicians and transmission experts to help him bring back a personal vision from the ends of the world.
Recent projects include a journey across Europe and Africa tracing the 0º Greenwich Meridian, live video-transmission from the deliberate sinking of a ship to create an artificial reef and a film featuring the artist walking through a burning jet plane. Other projects include a video-work recording the journey of a domestic chair as it is carried to the edge of space beneath a weather balloon, a drawing project sending back live digital-drawings from a two month journey to Antarctica and an animated film developed from drawings made on a walk out of London along the A13 trunk-road (a Channel 4 TV commission with Arts Council England).
Recent exhibitions include solo shows at Galerie Polaris (Paris), Sprinhornhof Kunstverein (Germany), Musee des Beaux Arts (Calais), Fabrica (Brighton,) FRAC Basse Normandie (France) and the British Film Institute (London). Recent group shows include exhibitions at Parafin (London), Maison Rouge (Paris), ACC Gwangju (Korea), Turner Contemporary (UK), CCCB (Barcelona), Palais de Tokyo (Paris) and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (Australia). In 2010 Faithfull’s largest permanent public artwork to date was unveiled at the centre of Liverpool, England. Faithfull’s works feature in many collections around the world including in France: Centre Pompidou, FRAC Basse Normandie & FRAC Franche-Comté, in England: the Government Art Collection & the Arts Council Collection in England and the MAST Foundation in Italy amongst others.
Faithfull was born in Braziers Park – a utopian community in Ipsden, Oxfordshire. He studied at Central St Martins and then the University of Reading . His practice takes a variety of forms – ranging from video, to digital drawing, installation work and writing. Faithfull is also Associate Professor at Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, London.
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