Candice Breitz

Candice Breitz
Born	1972 Johannesburg, South Africa
Alma mater	University of the Witwatersrand University of Chicago Columbia University
Known for	video art
Website	www.candicebreitz.net

Candice Breitz (born 1972)^[1] is a South African white Jewish artist who works primarily in video and photography.^[2][3] She won a 2007 Prince Pierre de Monaco Prize.^[4] Her work is often characterized by multi-channel moving image installations, with a focus on the "attention economy" of contemporary media and culture,^[5] often represented in the parallelism of the identification with fictional characters and celebrity figures and widespread indifference to global issues.^[6] In 2017, she was selected to represent South Africa at the 57th Venice Biennale.^[7]

Early life and education

Breitz was born in Johannesburg.^[1] She holds degrees from the University of the Witwatersrand, the University of Chicago, and Columbia University.^[8]

Work

Breitz uses found video footage, appropriating video from popular culture.^[9] She is represented by KOW (Berlin), Kaufmann Repetto (Milan / NYC) and the Goodman Gallery (Johannesburg / Cape Town / London).^{[citation needed]}

Breitz's 2016 seven-channel installation, Love Story, shares the personal narratives of six individuals who have fled their countries in response to a range of oppressive conditions: Sarah Ezzat Mardini, who escaped war-torn Syria; José Maria João, a former child soldier from Angola; Mamy Maloba Langa, a survivor from the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Shabeena Francis Saveri, a transgender activist from India; Luis Ernesto Nava Molero, a political dissident from Venezuela; and Farah Abdi Mohamed, an idealistic young atheist from Somalia.^[10]

Created as part of Performa Commissions for the Performa Biennial, New York City (2009)^[11] is her first live performance. Exploring themes of identity and inclusion, this evening length play follows the formula of a television sitcom. New York City involves four sets of identical twins in two separate but identical productions.

Academic career

Breitz has been a tenured professor at the Braunschweig University of Art since 2007.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

She currently lives in Berlin.^{[citation needed]}

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

• Yvon Lambert, "Him + Her", New York, 2009^[12]
• Kunsthaus Bregenz, "Candice Breitz: The Scripted Life", Bregenz, 2010^[13]
• Iziko South African National Gallery and Standard Bank Gallery, "Candice Breitz: Extra!", Johannesburg, 2012^[14]
• Australian Centre for the Moving Image, "Candice Breitz: The Character", Melbourne, 2013^[15]
• Museum of Fine Arts, Candice Breitz: Love Story, Boston, 2016^[16]
• Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, "Candice Breitz: Ponderosa", Stuttgart, 2016^[17]

Group exhibitions

• Represented South Africa with Mohau Modisakeng at the 57th Venice Biennale, 2017^[18][19]

References

1. Great women artists. Phaidon Press. 2019. p. 76. ISBN 978-0714878775.
2. White Cube Archived 16 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
3. "Kunsthaus Bregenz" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
4. "Prix International d'Art Contemporain | Fondation Prince Pierre". www.fondationprincepierre.mc (in French). Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
5. "Candice Breitz: Love Story". Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
6. "Candice Breitz". www.candicebreitz.net. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
7. "The Jewish Museum". thejewishmuseum.org. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
8. "Candice Breitz". Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
9. Spont, M. (2010). "Analyzing Mass Media through Video Art Education: Popular Pedagogy and Social Critique in the Work of Candice Breitz". Studies in Art Education. 51 (4): 295–314. doi:10.1080/00393541.2010.11518810. S2CID 193017284.
10. Russeth, Andrew (12 May 2017). "Alec Baldwin and Julianne Moore Address Refugee Crises in Candice Breitz's Piece in South Africa's Pavilion". ARTnews. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
11. "Performa Archive". Performa Archive. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
12. Johnson, Ken. "Art in Review". The New York Times.
13. "Kunsthaus Bregenz". www.kunsthaus-bregenz.at. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
14. "Extra! « Mahala". Archived from the original on 5 July 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
15. "Candice Breitz: The Character | ACMI". acmi.net.au.
16. "Candice Breitz: Love Story". Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 1 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
17. "Vorschau_Details – Kunstmuseum Stuttgart". kunstmuseum-stuttgart.de.
18. Seymour, Tom. "Mohau Modisakeng and Candice Breitz to represent South Africa at the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017". www.1854.photography. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
19. Greenberger, Alex (2 November 2016). "Candice Breitz and Mohau Modisakeng Will Represent South Africa at the 2017 Venice Biennale". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 19 November 2023.

Further reading

• Perryer, Sophie (2004). 10 Years 100 Artists: Art In A Democratic South Africa. Cape Town: Struik. ISBN 1868729877.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
• Grosenick, Uta; Riemschneider, Burkhard, eds. (2005). Art Now (25th anniversary ed.). Köln: Taschen. pp. 40–43. ISBN 9783822840931. OCLC 191239335.

External links

• Official website
• Candice Breitz at The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco