John Bock

John Bock (born 1965 in Schenefeld, Germany) is a German artist. He studied in Hamburg, Germany and lives and works in Berlin.

Work Bock is a multi-media artist primarily known for his performances. Since 1991, he creates environments hand crafted from found materials which function as symbolic settings for his "lectures." More recently there has been an increased production of film and video work.

In his "lectures", Bock acts on "stages" built from tables, cupboards or multi-level wood constructions. The objects are handmade or re-modeled accessories of the lecture, made out of clothing, electrical equipment such as hoovers and mixers, or "plastic diagrams" that illustrate his mathematical explanations. After the lecture, they are left on the stage which thus forms a "theatrical collage". The "lectures" are structured by different scenes in which Bock sometimes works with (non-professional) actors; frequently he plays pop songs or classical pieces from a record player. The lecture is mostly recorded on video. The film is then integrated in the installation, documenting the lecture throughout the exhibition.

Bock has been professor for sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts of Karlsruhe since 2004.

Exhibitions Bock participated in numerous international exhibitions, among others the Venice Biennial (1999 and 2005) and the documenta 11 in Kassel (2002). He has also had solo exhibitions in a number of international institutions including MoMA and the New Museum in New York, Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art in Berlin, Kunsthalle in Basel, Secession, Wien, and the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.

He has participated in various group shows including Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art, Barbican Centre, London, and "Laughing in a Foreign Language", The Hayward Gallery, London, both in 2008. John Bock: Maltreated Frigate, a monograph of his work, was published by Walther Koenig Ltd, 2007.

Bock is represented by Galerie Klosterfelde, Berlin, Anton Kern Gallery, New York, and Regen Projects, Los Angeles.

Selected exhibitions Source:

Germany City Venue Type Collection/Installation Year(s) Berlin Staatsoper unter den Linden Individual John Bock’s Medusa im Tam Tam Club 2006 Deutsche Guggenheim Kunst und Papier auf dem Laufsteg [Art and paper on the catwalk] 1998 Element Am Tüddelband der Liebeselastizität 1997 Gagosian Gallery Collective The Addiction 2005 Haus der Kulturen der Welt Individual The greased bendsteering in the luggage gets tangled up with the white shirt 2009 Haus am Waldsee Collective Anstoss Berlin, Kunst Macht Welt 2006 Klosterfelde Edition Das Gängelband der Kunstwohlfahrt 1997 Klosterfelde Gallery Individual ArtemisiaSogJod – Meechwimper Lummerig 2000 John Bock: Lütte mit Rucola, Klosterfelde 2006 OHR-WALACHEI 2011 Kraftwerk Berlin Individual Paramoderne = Rokokkogobrot 1999 KW Institute for Contemporary Art Collective Berlin Biennal 1999 Schinkel Pavillon 2011 Sprüth Magers Individual 1 = 2 + Kleinodtod 2000 Temporäre Kunsthalle Individual FischGrätenMelkStand 2010 Collective Berlin Biennale (LiquiditätsAuraAromaPortfolio) 1998 Bonn Bonner Kunstverein Individual Im Dilemma der ExistoEntropie 2001 Kunstmuseum Bonn Collective Zeitwenden – Rückblick & Audblick 1999 Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland Individual Im Modder der Summenmutation 2013 Bremen Gesellschaft für Aktuelle Kunst Individual 2000 Cologne Austellungsraum Schnitt 1999 Frankfurt Die Dreckschleuder 1996 Freiburg im Breisgau Kunstverein Freiburg Koppel op Kop. ars viva 1999-2000 1999 Museum für Neue Kunst Collective Works from the Boros Collection 2004 Hamburg Das Trojanische Schiff Der Fremde in der 4. Etag 1995 Friedensallee 12 Das Kunstwerk des 21. Jahrhunderts 1995 Komparativer Kunstfähigkeitsvorteil 1993 Golden Pudel Club Mord und Robotermalerei 1992 Hamburger Bahnhof Museum für Gegenwartskunst Individual PestKOP im black rebel motorcycle club 2005 Helga Maria Klosterfelde Meechfieber im Paradoxonmodderkarton 1998 Klosterfelde Gallery Individual Ma’am prosciutto crudo 2001 Kunsthaus Hamburg Kunstkarton 1994 Kunstverein in Hamburg Individual Der Pappenheimer 2013 KX. Kunst auf Kampnagel Rasputin ist Mütterchen 1997 University of Fine Arts of Hamburg 4 x Rezipientenmodelle 1993 Das Feld 1995 Der kleine Rezipient und der grosse Rezipient 1993 Die dynamische Nacht des Titerus 1996 Die Kunstwohlfahrtsmaschine 1993 Die molekulare Heimsuchung des Herrn 0,47 1997 Elephant 1993 Gribbohm 1996 Haschkeks 1993 Heilung Nr. 4 1994 Jackson - Action 1992 Kunst – Mädchen – Erfolg – Tod Paul Eluard Gesichtskorrektur Wie werde ich breühmt? Westwerk Törtchen der Leidenschaft 1994 Hanover Expo 2000 Collective Captain Sheriff Schippert Dröge 2000 Kunstverein Hanover home and away 1999 Sprengel Museum Individual Dionysische Monologicus – Gelüste eines Schwachomate 2000-2001 Heidelberg Heidelberger Kunstverein Collective Artists as Collectors 2007 Karlsruhe Laurids & Mattheus BommelbabyfaceNelson 1998 Leverkusen Morsbroich Museum Collective Freestyle: Werke aus der Sammlung Boros 2001 Munich Haus der Kunst Collective “Aller Anfang ist Merz – von Kurt Schwitters bis heute” 2001 Neuer Marstall Individual Rasputin ist Mütterchel 1999 Wolfsburg Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg Collective German Open : Gegenwartskunst in Deutschland 1999

Europe Country City Venue Type Collection/Installation Year(s) Austria Bregenz Quasi-ich-isoquantenschar-Kammer 1999 Graz Grazer Stadtraum Collective RE_public 2000 Steirischer Herbst Von der Kunst bis zum Warten + drinnen Jungtiere 1999 Innsbruck Kunstraum Innsbruck Collective Soufflé, eine Massenausstellung 2007 Linz OK Center for Contemporary Art Austria Individual Ma’am prosciutto crud 2000 Mönchengladbach Abteiberg Museum Regardez le Diskjockey Long John Silver “El Niño” 1998 Offenbach am Main Klingspor Museum Silageproppen verstopft den Streptopenfluss im Love-Time-Mluiplikator 1998 Schwaz Galerie der Stadt Schwaz $1.000.000 Knödel Kisses, pfüti 1999 Vienna MienGribbohmWien 1998 Charim Galerie Collective SoonSonicShySONSupernovaSide UP 1999 Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien Collective Zeitwenden - Rückblick und Ausblick 2000 Belgium Antwerp Der heilige Anwalt in Antwerpen Lokaal 05 1996 Stella Lohaus Gallery Individual A-Buba 2005 Yes Sir No Sir 1999 Ghent Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst Collective Memme muss schlafen opening exhibition of S.M.A.K. 1999 Maastricht Der Onkel im Koffer 1996 Denmark Aarhus ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum 1999 Copenhagen Jacob Fabricius Collective "New Settlements" 2000-2001 England London Barbican Centre Individual Curve-Vehicle incl. π-Man-(.), The Curve 2010 Collective Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art 2008 Hayward Gallery Collective Laughing in a Foreign Language 2008 Institute of Contemporary Arts Individual Klutterkammer 2004 Program Collective Rough Diamond 2005 RCA Galleries Individual MEECHbuildings – “playing among the ruins” Sadie Coles HQ Individual John Bock 2007 Individual John Bock 2001 France Lyon Collective 8th Biennale d'art contemporain de Lyon 2005 Marseille FRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Individual John Bock 2005 Paris Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain Collective Dionysiac 2005 Greece Athens Eleni Koroneou Gallery Individual No Time No Screws 2009 Collective The Harder You Look 2007 2001 Individual Regardez le Diskjockey Long John Silver 1999 Technopolis Nai Aristoteles Ochi – Nichtsabsolut 1999 Mikrokosmos Cinema Individual Film Retrospective 2008 Iceland Reykjavík Kling og Bang Individual Skipholt 2005 Reykjavik Art Museum Collective Reykjavík Arts Festival Ireland Cork Lewis Glucksman Gallery Collective Beyond the Country 2007 Italy Milan Gió Marconi Gallery Individual Inside Beyond 2008 John Bock 2003 opt. APE trouvé Moving 50 Diagram 1999 Nicola Trussardi Foundation Individual John Bock 2004 Padiglione d'Arte Contemporanea Collective LA FORMA DEL MONDO/LA FINE DEL MONDO 2000 Siena Palazzo Piccolomini Individual MultiplexQuasiSiena – “le repubbliche dell’ arte germania” 2001 Centro d’Arte Contemporanea 2001 Venice Collective International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2013 Venice Biennale 2005 48th Venice Biennale 1999 Luxembourg Casino Luxembourg Existo – Tour 99 “ars viva – Gernzgänge” 1999 Netherlands Amsterdam Netherlands Media Art Institute Collective (......) – Surrogat 2006 Scotland Edinburgh Fruitmarket Gallery Collective Dada's Boys 2006 Spain Málaga Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga Individual Nöle 2010 San Sebastián European Biennial of Contemporary Art Collective Manifesta 5 2004 Sweden Malmö Malmö Konsthall Collective The Hamsterwheel 2008 Switzerland Basel Klosterfelde MolkeMeMindVehikle 1999 Kunsthalle Basel Individual Lombardi Bängli

Americas Country City Venue Type Collection/Installation Year(s) Mexico Mexico City Jumex Foundation Lost-Egg in the Desert 2011 United States Los Angeles Collective The High Desert Test Sites (Palms) 2007 REDCAT Individual Palms 2008 Regen Projects Individual John Bock 2007 Lichterloh / roh 2011 Miami The Moore Loft Zero Hero 2006 New York City Anton Kern Gallery Bendix Harms Lebenslieben 2008 Individual John Bock 2010 John Bock – Mit Schisslaveng 2006 Maybe-Me-Be-Microworld 1999 Barneys, Madison Avenue Collective Into the Quasi-Me-Hill 2012 Gagosian Gallery Collective Fit to Print: printed media in recent collage 2007 Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Collective Hugo Boss Prize 2006 Museum of Modern Art Individual Multiple Quasi-Maybe-Me-Be-Updown (fashion show) 2000 PS1 MolkeMeHindVehikel “Children of Berlin” 1999 Nyehaus Abnormal 2005 Zwirner & Wirth Collective Girls on Film 2005 Water Mill The Watermill Center Lecker Puste (Delicious Breath) 2012

Asia + Oceania Country City Venue Type Collection/Installation Year(s) New Zealand Auckland Pizza Kiwi Nazionale 2000 South Korea Seoul Insa Art Space 2008

Lectures 2000: Four Lectures, Museum of Modern Art, New York “Aller Anfang ist Merz – von Kurt Schwitters bis heute”, Sprengel Museum, Hannover, Germany, 6 June Gribbohm meets Mini-Max society, (lecture 4, MoMA N.Y.C.) thread waxing space, “death race”, Brooklyn, Dec. 2009: Lecture / Fashion Show The greased bendsteering in the luggage gets tangled up with the white shirt (in German: Die abgeschmierte Knicklenkung im Gepäck verheddert sich im weissen Hemd) at HKW, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany