SIMON GUSH

Simon Gush was born in Pietermaritzburg. South Africa in 1981. He lives and works in Johannesburg, where he has been living since 2000. In 2003 he completed his BAFA at the University of the Witwatersrand, which culminated with a solo show at the Johannesburg Art Gallery. He is a practicing artist. As part of his practice he has collaborated on numerous projects facilitating the development of emerging artist in Johannesburg. His artistic practice is varied including video, installation and actions.
In 2004 Simon co-founded the artist collective aThirdparty, to curate and facilitate Negotiate. He is currently runs the Parking Gallery located in inner city Johannesburg and is a co-founder of saartsemerging.org, a website promoting young and emerging artists.

2005
IUO TDB-SG
Staten Island Ferry, New York, NY United States

Statement

I consider myself mainly as a conceptual artist, working across disciplines. I have been based in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the last six years, where I completed my BAFA degree at The University of the Witwatersrand School of Arts. Since then I have been a practicing artist and art technician. I have collaborated with different artists on realizing a range of projects, mainly in the inner city, where my role included curating and coordinating large scale exhibitions. I was accepted for a solo exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2003. Since then I have participated in a number of exhibitions throughout South Africa.
My interests and foci are largely informed by having grown up in post-Apartheid South Africa. This includes for example exploring questions around access; access to information, access to history, access to and the realization of rights. I am interested in the ways that South Africa is engaged in transforming itself and the problems involved in this. South Africa represents a unique set of relationships that are in the process of being negotiated due to the legacy of the apartheid government. However, the sensitivity to my context that I have learnt is not limited to South Africa.
I'm drawn to the idea of working with 'actions', where objects (found, made, visual, stolen, etc.) become the visible residues of an activity. I am interested in the way that objects can reference complex the history and the context from which they come. I want to explore the idea that art can be a platform or a site of agency, not only within established (western art) domains but also within fragmented, politically charged public spaces.
In my curating and facilitating role my interest has been in working with and supporting other emerging artists in South Africa. I have with fellow artists Nathaniel Stern and Bronwyn Lace set up a website that will profile up and coming South African artists: saartsemerging.org. I am also a founding member of artist collective aThirdparty, which has curated and organised a number of exhibitions in Johannesburg. In collaboration with Hannes Olivier and Lester Adams I am launching a new experimental gallery in a inner city parking lot, called the "parking gallery".
In my capacity as an 'art technician', I have for the past four years been involved in installing numerous exhibitions, including William Kentridges' retrospective at the Johannesburg art Gallery, Daimler Chrysler Collection at Museum Africa and the Constitutional Court Collection at the new court building. This has meant working as part of and overseeing a team, co-ordinating material for multi-media and conventional installations, being exposed to high profile national and international artworks and collections and being able to work with or under experienced curators. This experience has had large impact upon my work, particularly as it has introduced me to different curatorial approaches, concepts and spaces. I am interested in the crossovers between curatorial and artistic practice, how they can work within and outside the mainstream and shape different ways of viewing and experiencing art.

Solo Exhibitions
2005
Thank you Johannesburg; Outlet; Pretoria
2003
Déjà vu; Johannesburg Art Gallery; Johannesburg

Selected Group Exhibitions
2005
Red Eye: Intersection; Durban Art Gallery; Durban
Outlet; Aardklop Arts Festival; Potchestroom
Preview; Point Blank; Drill Hall; Johannesburg
2004
Art in the Dark; Faan Smit Park; Melville; Johannesburg
Negotiate: Intercession; Johannesburg Art Gallery; Johannesburg
2003
20:20: Mapping trajectories; University Corner Gallery; Witwatersrand University; Johannesburg
Martiensen Prize Exhibition; Johannesburg Art Gallery; Johannesburg

Public Collections
S.A.B.C. Art Collection
KwaZuluNatal Law Society Art Collection