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Draft:Alexander Augustus

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  • Comment: The article needs more citations to establish notability. Many sections of the draft are unsourced, for example, Early life & education, Career/artistic styles and influences, Notable works, Exhibitions, Public works. Netherzone (talk) 19:55, 4 October 2024 (UTC)

Alexander Augustus (born 1988) is a British visual artist recognized for his provocative work in sculpture, film, and interactive media.[1][2] His practice explores social and political narratives, technology, and the complexities of the human condition.[3] His contributions to contemporary art have been showcased in group exhibitions alongside notable artists such as Frank Auerbach, David Bomberg, David Hockney,[4] Lu Yang, Vakki,[5] Nan Golding, Jeremy Deller[6]. Augustus achieved acclaim for his first major solo exhibition at Somerset House in London, "A Dangerous Figure", at the age of 24,[7][8][9] going on to co-found The Bite Back Movement, a visual art studio[10] operating across the UK, Germany, and South Korea.[11]

He has lectured and exhibited at institutions including Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, University for the Creative Arts,[12] and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).[13][14]

Early Life and Education

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Alexander Augustus was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1988. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK.[15] He then completed a Master of Arts at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London and a Master of Education from Darwin College, Cambridge at the University of Cambridge.[16] As of 2024, he is a doctoral candidate at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.[17]

Career

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Artistic Style and Influences

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Augustus's work is characterized by the integration of technology and interactive media with traditional art forms. He often addresses contemporary social and political issues, such as youth unemployment, identity, and the impact of technology on society. His projects frequently involve community participation and utilize advanced technologies like computer vision and digital fabrication.

Critics have noted that his work challenges conventional boundaries between artist and audience, encouraging viewers to become active participants. His use of user-generated content and interactive installations reflects a commitment to democratizing art and giving voice to underrepresented groups.

A Dangerous Figure

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In 2013, Augustus launched "A Dangerous Figure,"[18] an interactive artwork exhibited initially at Somerset House in London, opposite the UK Houses of Parliament.[8] The project aimed to highlight rising youth unemployment and the prevalence of unpaid internships in the UK.[19] Utilizing custom-built computer vision technology, the artwork compiled selfies from unemployed UK youths under the age of 30 to create a user-generated portrait representing the demographic.[10] Augustus described the project as "rebranding young unemployment," shifting the narrative from statistics to the human stories behind them.[20] The portrait saw participation from over 7,000 individuals in its peak week and was subsequently archived by the National Portrait Gallery.[9]

Political commentator Owen Jones contributed to the project, emphasizing the long-term impacts of youth unemployment: "Youth unemployment is a robbery. If you're unemployed at a young age, you're more likely to be without work at a later age, and to have lower wages for the rest of your life: 'scarring,' they call it. That's why we need to give young unemployed a voice, to organize people so we can transform lives, and to give people hope."[21]

Notable Works

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  • OH MY GOD Series (2014): A sculpture and film series exploring themes of belief, future societies, and the intersection of technology and spirituality. Exhibited at Seoul Culture Station 284 in South Korea and in at Tate Modern in the UK.[22][23]
  • The Shamans of Neo-Joseon (2015): A series including "The Crown of Grandmother Samshin," displayed at the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju, South Korea. The work reimagines traditional Korean shamanistic practices through a futuristic lens, commenting on cultural preservation amid rapid technological advancement.
  • Public Sculptures: Augustus has several public works installed internationally, including "The Birds Who Stayed" (2017) at Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik (ZK/U) in Berlin, Germany, and "Meleagris Live Free or Die" (2022) at The Factory on Willow in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA.

Exhibitions

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Solo Exhibitions

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  • 2022: POWER, Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA), South Korea.[3]
  • 2022: Alexander in Mimesis, The Factory on Willow, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA.[24]
  • 2021: Power from the Blazing Stone, Cornish Lithium / Deep Earth Synergies, Cornwall, UK.[25]
  • 2017: The Birds Who Stayed & The Birds Who Left, Zentrum für Kunst und Urbanistik, Berlin, Germany.[26]
  • 2016: TIME SPACE GHOST MONEY, Gallery G2, Incheon Art Platform, South Korea.
  • 2015: Mu-Dang: The Korean Shaman in the Year 2100 AD, CAN Foundation, Seoul, South Korea.
  • 2013: A Dangerous Figure, Somerset House, London, UK.

Group Exhibitions

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  • 2024: Human Augmentation Summit, MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  • 2019: Sculpture: Modern and Contemporary, Beaux Arts Gallery, London, UK.
  • 2016: International Artists Exhibition, Seoul Art Space Geumcheon, South Korea.
  • 2015: Plastic Myth, Asia Culture Centre opening exhibition, Gwangju, South Korea.
  • 2013: TRACTION: Eurostar Music Festival, in collaboration with Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

Public Works

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  • Meleagris Live Free or Die (2022): Five steel sculptures installed at The Factory on Willow, Manchester, New Hampshire, USA.
  • The Birds Who Stayed (2017): Two steel sculptures at ZK/U Berlin, Germany.
  • Orchogany: 11 Gods Reborn (2016): Eleven steel sculptures at Incheon Art Platform, South Korea.
  • The Crown of Grandmother Samshin (2015): Steel sculpture at Asia Culture Centre, Gwangju, South Korea.
  • Here at the Beginning, There at the End: The Pollock God of Cheongju (2015): Permanent installation at Cheongju Cultural Foundation, South Korea.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Souppouris, Aaron (2013-07-25). "'A Dangerous Figure': this is the face of Britain's unemployed youth". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  2. ^ "Alexander Augustus". Beaux Arts London. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  3. ^ a b Seoul Museum of Art. "Alexander Augustus". www.sema.seoul.go.kr/. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  4. ^ "The Poetry of the Real - Exhibition at Beaux Arts in London". ArtRabbit. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  5. ^ "Plastic Myths - Announcements - e-flux". www.e-flux.com. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  6. ^ "Nuit de l instant 2016 - Dossier de Presse by Les Ateliers de l'Image - Issuu". issuu.com. 2016-03-30. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  7. ^ Mills, Jack (2013-08-20). "A Dangerous Figure". Frieze. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  8. ^ a b "Alexander Augustus: A Dangerous Figure | Art in London".
  9. ^ a b Dickinson, Bob (February 2014). "Bob Dickinson on art and unemployment Alexander Augustus & The Bite Back Movement" (PDF). Art Monthly (373): Features 02.
  10. ^ a b Souppouris, Aaron (2013-07-25). "'A Dangerous Figure': this is the face of Britain's unemployed youth". The Verge. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  11. ^ "[공연]연극 국경시장_ 작가 이승연의 무대 설치미술 콜라보". 네이버 블로그 | 애플씨드주니어 (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  12. ^ "DDes Student Bios". Harvard Graduate School of Design. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  13. ^ "대전테미예술창작센터". www.temi.or.kr. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  14. ^ "Bite Back Movement | People - ZK/U Berlin". www.zku-berlin.org. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  15. ^ "금천예술공장 Seoul Art Space GEUMCHEON : 네이버 블로그". blog.naver.com. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  16. ^ "About - Alexander Augustus Artist". Alexander Augustus. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  17. ^ "DDes Student Bios". Harvard Graduate School of Design. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  18. ^ "Bite Back Movement | People - ZK/U Berlin". www.zku-berlin.org. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  19. ^ Mills, Jack (2013-08-20). "A Dangerous Figure". Frieze. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  20. ^ "A Dangerous Figure". Don't Panic UK. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
  21. ^ "A Dangerous Figure". Don't Panic UK. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  22. ^ "금천예술공장 Seoul Art Space GEUMCHEON : 네이버 블로그". blog.naver.com. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  23. ^ "DDes Student Bios". Harvard Graduate School of Design. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  24. ^ "Meet Our Artists in Residence". The Factory on Willow. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  25. ^ Dominika (2021-05-26). "Alexander Augustus - Meet our first artist-in-residency at Cornish Lithium". Deep Earth Synergies. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
  26. ^ "Bite Back Movement | People - ZK/U Berlin". www.zku-berlin.org. Retrieved 2024-10-11.
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