Jems Robert Koko Bi

Jems Robert Koko Bi (born 1966) is an Ivorian sculptor, and installation artist.

Life and career Jems Robert Koko Bi was born in 1966, in Sinfra, Ivory Coast. He studied Spanish history between 1986 and 1988 at the University of Abidjan. Between 1988 and 1995, he studied at (INSAAC) in Abidjan. In 1997, he won the DAAD scholarship, and moved to Germany where he studied at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, with Klaus Rinke.

Bi uses wood as the medium in his sculptures and installations. His production also includes performances.

Works "Remember – Repeat – Reprocess" Installation by Jems Robert Koko Bi (Germany/Ivory Coast) and Wolfgang Hekele (Germany) for "Forest Art Path Laboratory" in 2006, in Darmstadt, Germany Some works on the website of Freie Akademie der bildenden Künste, Essen "Don't Fence Me Out", 2005, Installation for 7th Dak’Art Biennial of Contemporary African Art'.

Exhibitions 2020 „Im Wald geboren. Jems Koko Bi & HAP Grieshaber“, Kunstmuseum Reutlingen | Spendhaus, 2020 2014 Jems Robert Koko Bi & Katharina Lökenhoff: Kein Titel – galerie#23, Velbert, "The Divine Comedy. Heaven, Purgatory and Hell Revisited by Contemporary African Artists" -Museum für Moderne Kunst (MMK), Frankfurt/Main 2009 "Art Brussels" Catalogue, Nomad Gallery, Brussels 2008 "The Great Art Exhibition" Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf, Germany 2008 Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2008 8th Dak’Art Biennial of Contemporary African Art, Dakar, Senegal 2008 "Travesia", Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain 2008 "L'homme est un Mystère", Musée de la Briqueterie, Brittany, France 2008 "Premier choix", Musée de la Rotonde des Arts Contenporains Abidjan, Côte d´Ivoire 2007 "CAFKA.07 Haptic", an international forum of contemporary public art held in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada 2007 "AfriqueEurope: Reves croises" Contemporary African Art in Ateliers des Tanneurs, Brussels, Belgium. Group exhibition curated by Yacouba Konaté. Artists included: El Anatsui, Nu Barreto, El Berry Bickle and Luis Basto, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Dilomprizulike, Mustapha Dime, El Loko, Tapfuma Gutsa, Annie Haloba, Jak Katarikawe, Jems Robert Koko Bi, Abdoulaye Konate, Bill Kouelany, Siriki Ky, Ndary Lo, Toyin Loye, Churchill Madikida, Joel Mpah Dooh, Francis Mampuya, Ingrid Mwangi, Robert Hutter, Serigne Niang, Babacar Niang, Samuel Olou, Freddy Tsimba, and Guy Bertrand Wouété. 2006 7th Dak’Art Biennial of Contemporary African Art, Dakar, Senegal 2006 "EUROPE-AFRICA", Brussels, Belgium 2005 "Kunst am Baum" in Städtischen Museum in Gelsenkirchen, Germany 2004 "Sculpteur d'ailleurs", International symposium & exhibition, Abbaye de Bon Repos, Saint- Gelves, France 2004 "L’homme est un Mystere", Musée de l´espace Francois Mitérand, Guingamp, France 2004 "Sculpture Sculpture", International Sculptors Symposium, Joucas, France 2004 2003 "XARALA", Art sans frontière Abbatial Palais, Saint-Hubert, Belgium 2003 "L'Europe fantôme", Espace Vertebra, Brussels, Belgium 2003 "Blick nach Afrika" (Heilbronn) Künstlerbund Heilbronn, Germany 2003 "Carrefour", GEA, Bochum, Germany 2003 "Bienal de la Habana VIII: El arte con la vida", Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, Cuba 2003 Düsseldorfer große Kunst Ausstellung, Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf, Germany 2002 5th Dak’Art Biennial of Contemporary African Art, Dakar, Senegal 2002 "ASSIMILATION", Atelier vor Ort Anne Berlit, Gallery ATISS, Dak 'Art Biennale and the Dakar 2001 "Paradis obscur", Forum Bildender Künstler, Essen, Germany 2001 "Künstler gegen Gewalt und Ausgrenzung", Landtag Düsseldorf, Germany 2001 "Die andere Seit der Kette", Atelier Projekt Kettenschmiedemuseum, Fröndenberg, Germany 2000 4th Dak’Art Biennial of Contemporary African Art, Dakar, Senegal 1999 "Traumfabrik", Galerie Sparkasse Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany 1998 Städtische Museen, Heilbronn, Germany (catalogue) 1998 Iwalawa House, University of Bayreuth, Germany 1997 ARTEFACT 97, Abidjan 1996 ARTEFACT 96, Abidjan

Performances 2008 "Dédouanement" Musée de la Rotonde des Arts Contemporains, Abidjan 2006 "Menschen Erde" Waldkunst Pfad, Darmstadt 2004 "Mea culpa", Joucas en Provence 2003 "Chemin de l´épreuve", Havana Biennale, Cuba 2002 "Galère" Dakar Biennale Dakar 2002 "Camouflage, The Center of Contemporary Art of Southern, East and West Africa, Belgium 2001 "Return of the children of Gorée", Gorée, Dakar, Sénégal 2001 "On change de terre", Düsseldorf Art Academy, Germany 2001 "Zwei Spuren, ein Weg", Anne Berlit – Koko Bi, Alte Synagoge, Essen, Germany 2001 "Die andere Seite der Kette", Kettenschmiedemuseum, Fröndenberg, Germany

Awards Francophone Prize, Dakar Biennale 2008 Foundation Art and Culture of North Rhine-Westphalia: Project Scholarship The Dakar Biennale, Prize, 2000 The Kunstverein Düsseldorf Prize