I am a visual artist currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark. My work’s focus is on a socio-political critique of Western democratic practices and mass media’s influence on how democracy is enacted. I envision art as a tool for communication and research into human interaction patterns. My major inspiration comes from third-wave feminism, post-structuralism, post-colonialism, and the current times as they are perceived differently by all of us.
Poem:
Big Bang Theory (to G. W. Bush) , 2003
System suffers from delusional emperor, who thinks the world is a mirror. Mirror sooths emperor but is out of tune with world beyond. Emperor suffers increasing paranoia as world spins out of control, propelled by his irrational rule. To comfort his Highness, doctors reshape the world in the image of the mirror surface. The moorings between mirror and the beyond stretch, break, and the empire, full of anger and sadness, explodes in a horrific blast. In a remote palace, shockwaves shatter a mirror and an emperor is cured, too late.
First published at Raid Project Space, Los Angeles: Cover Up, 2000-2003 (installation of drawings partly covering army of stenciled G.I.s)
CV
Morten Goll, born April 23, 1964, Danish citizen.
Education
1998-99
MFA from Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, USA
1987-94
MFA from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark
Selected group exhibitions
2009:
Kunstnere går bananas langs den rådne banan, Masnedø Fortet, Vordingborg, Denmark
Kunstnere går bananas langs den rådne banan, Olivia Holm-Møller Museet, Holstebro and Masnedø Fort, Vordingborg, Denmark.
2008:
RADICAL SOFTWARE, with tv-tv, Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen, Denmark
100 dage = 100 videoer, with tv-tv, Gl. Strands Kunsthal, Copenhagen, Denmark
2007:
The Unmarked Categories, K2 – Contemporary Arts Centre / Izmir. Curator: Elmas Deniz. Participants: Morten Goll, Kristina Ask, Mahmoud Khaled, Gökçe Suvari, Mehmet Dere and Michael Baers.
In connection with this show, K2 organizes workshop, “Heavy issues” at Santrali Istanbul, the Istanbul Biennale.
Følelsen af ikke at vide hvor man skal bo, Galleri Pixel. Anne Skole Overgaard with Morten Goll/Joachim Hamou, Copenhagen.
Société Anonyme, Frac Île de France, Le Plateau. tv-tv invited by the curators Thomas Boutoux, Natasa Petresin, and François Piron, Paris.
21/21, Overgaden. tv-tv invited by curator Henriette Breton Meyer, Copenhagen.
2006:
Satelite of Love, Witte de With. tv-tv invited by the exhibition curator. Rotterdam, Holland.
2004:
Minority Report: Challenging intolerance in contemporary Denmark, The projects “Norms for Citizenship” and “Listening Post for the Danish people”, curated by Trine Rytter Andersen, Kirsten Dufour, Tone O. Nielsen & Anja Raithel, Århus
2003:
Ideboxing, curated by Iben dahlgaard, Stockholm Artfair, Sweden and Overgaden Institute for Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Denmark. www.ideboxing.com
Rethinking Drawing, Raid Projects, Los Angeles
ENTER INTERCESSOR, curated by Carrie Paterson, Raid Projects, Los Angeles
I AM A CURATOR, Curated by Per Hüttner, Chisenhale Gallery, London, UK, Nov.
2002:
The Painter as reporter, a performance created on the ocassion of the European Summit in the Bella Centre, Copenhagen.
Democracy When? – Activist Strategizing in Los Angeles, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles. Participating as a member of the Society for Orgonotic Streaming, with LAPD CMC (Los Angeles Police Department Caring Member of the Community). Website: www.artleak.org/DemocracyWhen
”A Show That Will Show That A Show Is Not Only A Show”, curated by Jens Hoffman for The Project, Los Angeles. Participating with “The Most Beautiful Spot in Downtown LA”, a street performance that generates 5 plein air paintings and an audio tape.
1999:
Den Foruroligende Stilhed, Vejle Museum of Fine Art, Vejle, Denmark
Graduate thesis show, Otis Gallery, Otis College of Art & Design, Los Angeles, USA
1997:
Rhizom Præsenterer, Exhibition Space Rhizom, Århus, Denmark
1996:
When the Shit Hits the Fan, Scandinavian Art in Recent Time, Overgaden, Copenhagen, Denmark
Intercambio, Spanish-Danish interchange-show, Rundetårn, Copenhagen, Denmark
1995:
Intercambio, Spanish-Danish interchange-show, Palo Alto, Barcelona, Spain
1994:
Charlottenborgs Efterårsudstilling, Charlottenborg, Copenhagen, Denmark
Selected solo exhibitions
2010:
Verdensbillede/World View, Goloss, Copenhagen
2004:
Listening Post and drawings to the Danish people, Lejre Kulturcafe, Domus Felix, Lejre
2002:
I promise to have a meaningful conversation with you…, Audience interactive performance at the Magasinet KUNST’s kick-off-party at Byens lys, Copenhagen
1999:
ACMaC (Artistic Crisis Management Center), The Bolsky Gallery, Otis College of Art & Design, Los Angeles
1998:
10 portraits and some of the small ones, Leoni Gallery, Viborg, Denmark
1997:
9 + 10 + 111 = 130, 3 exhibitions in the alternative exhibition space, Vestergade 5, Copenhagen, Denmark (catalog)
Morten Goll, Galleri Art So To, Ålborg, Denmark
Unichrom 120, Kørners Kontor, (artist run exhibition space), Copenhagen,Denmark
1996:
GardensAndPublicLayOutsAtDevilIsland, Reed Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
1995:
BCN >>> CPH, Overgaden, Copenhagen, Denmark
Selected public commissioned work
2001:
A&G Auto, Silverlake, Los Angeles, USA
1997:
Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (Danish State College), build. 301, Lyngby, Denmark Herning Gymnasium, Herning, Denmark
Herning Handelsgymnasium, Herning, Denmark
Goll & Nielsen Productions
2004:
Niagara Falls Artist Host Program, Mercer Union, Toronto, Canada
2002:
OONF/OIENL (The Organization for Information of the Effects of Neo Liberalism), Charlottenborgs Efterårsudstilling, Copenhagen, Denmark
fff (more people mediate), alternative news agency established in Copenhagen by a network of artists and cultural workers as a response to the EU summit in Copenhagen, 12-13th of Dec. 2002 http://www.cultur.com/cunst/malerensomreporter.html
2001:
The Evening School, Signal, Malmö, Sweden.
Ars Moralis – Timeo Danaos et Dona Ferentes, (presenting the Vandervoort Place booklet) Galerie für Gegenwartskunst Barbara Claasen-Schmal, Bremen, Germany
2000:
Vandervoort Place, street intervention in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, USA
1999:
On Location, Sin du da exhibitions, curated by Tone O. Nielsen in collaboration with Morten Goll, Los Angeles, USA
Selected tv-tv productions
2007:
Turkish version of Medea and the Bosporus, by Goll & Hamou. Is EU’s borderline fixed at the Bosperus? Debate program with former EU high commisioner, Mr. Poul Nielson, Mr. Morten Messerschmidt, The Danish People’s Party and Ms. Yildiz Akdogan of the Network for Turkey in EU. The participants simultaneously play a part in the Greek tragedy, Medea while an invited audience act as both chorus and debate audience.
Do we have room for more? – theme week on Denmarks asylum policy, by Morten Goll og Cecilie Ullerup Schmidt. Political debate between representatives of the political parties´ youth departments, local Nørrebro voxpop, interview with a citizen of Nørrebro, and related programs produced externally.
Les Candidates, by Goll & Hamou. French language re-enactment of known TV interviews form the president election campaign, 2007. Segolene Royal is played by a male actor, while Nicolas Sarkozy is impersonated by a woman.
French version af Medea and the Bosporus, by Goll & Hamou. Is EU’s borderline fixed at the bosperus strait? Debate program with former EU high commisioner, Mr. Poul Nielson, Mr. Morten Messerschmidt, The Danish People’s Party and Ms. Yildiz Akdogan of the Network for Turkey in EU.
L’art et le philosophie avec les animaux, by Morten Goll and Ulla Hvejsel. French poets and philosophers’ voices sampled and used as soundtrack on footage of crows and cats.
The limits of community, a theme evening by Morten Goll and Lizette Bryrup. Our society is founded on a common agreement of the meaning of words and the assumption that we can communicate. Live discussion between invited artists.
Ordbog til Skave Skole by Morten Goll. Video work in which 72 children from Skave School next to Holstebro, explains 54 words chosen by the artist.
2006:
Medea og Bosporusstrædet, by Goll & Hamou. Is EU’s borderline fixed at the bosperus strait? Debate program with former EU high commisioner, Mr. Poul Nielson, Mr. Morten Messerschmidt, The Danish People’s Party and Ms. Yildiz Akdogan of the Network for Turkey in EU.
2005-06
Exit NIFCA I & II, by Morten Goll, Christian hillesøe and Joachim Hamou. Interviews with high official of the Danish Department of Culture, with the Minister of Culture, Mr. Brian Mikkelsen, with the media coach Mr. Axel Boisen and the artist-representative of NIFCA, Åsa Sonjasdotter about the restructuring of the Nordic Council’s cultural activities.
2005:
606, a debate program on Danishness, in which the Danes and the ”foreigners” have changed roles.
more people mediate the visit of George W. Bush.
Deadline, a review of a play performed at Vestre Fængsel (A prison in Copenhagen.)
Represented in Collections of
2002:
Rockstar Beck Hansen, Los Angeles
Curator and art dealer Madeleine Hofmann, Los Angeles
2001:
Attorney at law David Lafaille, Los Angeles
Selected bibliography
2007:
Interview on tv-tv by Martin Hvas Borello, Information, 02.04.07.
2006:
Offentlig research om feminisme, edited by Kari-Mette Josefsen, Louise harbo, Sonja Strange and Dagmar Krøyer. ISBN nr: 87-991550-0-1.
Morten Goll: On provincialism, Socialurin, 28.10.06, Faroe Islands.
Interview in Turbulens,
www.turbulens.net:http://www.turbulens.net/temaer/kapitalismeoghumanisme/
dunstenfrakunsten/modetmeddenanden/
2005:
Raising the Platform – Goll & Nielsen on site-specificity, interrogation and the social consecuenses of the encounter. FUSE magazine, vol 27, # 4.
2003:
Morten Goll and Jesper Goll, ” Democracy is a good idea, on political art and activism, on idealism and pragmatism”, RE/AKTION, Copenhagen, 2003
2002:
Michel Henri, ”Morten Goll, Kunstner yder krisehjælp!”, in the Danish art magazine Kunst, July 2002
2001:
Tone O. Nielsen & Morten Goll, “Welcome”, The Evening School Program, published by Goll & Nielsen, ISBN # 87-985889-1-5, Malmö, Sweden, 2001
Morten Goll, “On the nature of site-specificity”,
http://www.omstilling-netstafet.dk/english/frameset-eng.html, published by Omstilling, Nordic Art Project, Denmark, 2001
Annette Brodersen, “Living it Up”, nu: the nordic art review, vol. III No. 6/01, Stockholm, Sweden, 2001
1999:
Karsten R.S. Ifversen, “Slørenes sitren”, Politiken, February 11
Ole Nørlyng, “Opdelte virkeligheder”, Berlingske Tidende, January 21
Vibeke Kruse, “Tidens flimrende spejlbilleder”, Vejle Amts Folkeblad, January 8
Terry R. Myers, “City of Paint”, On Location, published by Tone O. Nielsen and Morten Goll, Los Angeles, 1999
one O. Nielsen and Morten Goll, ”On location”, On Location, published by Tone O. Nielsen and Morten Goll, Los Angeles, 1999
1997:
Staffan Boije af Gennäs, “Ritz”, “Hijack” and “Degeneration to Beauty”, 130, Morten Goll,1997, May
P. M. Hornung, “9 + 10 + 111 = 130″, Politiken, May 30, Copenhagen
Morten Goll, “Det Dekadentes Potentiale”, Øjeblikket, Tidskrift for Visuelle Kulturer, # 34,
7. årg., Copenhagen
1996:
Maj Misfeldt, “Djævleøens hemmeligheder”, Berlingske Tidende, February 28
Kasper Nefer Olsen, “Byrummets dynamik”, Kristeligt Dagblad, Feb. 28
Morten Goll, “Exposed, deflowered – about time, fascism, kitsch and the gaze”, catalog text in “When the Shit Hits the Fan – Scandinavian Art in Recent Time” and
http://www.artnode.dk
1995:
Anne Ring Petersen, “Drømmespejle”, Berlingske Tidende, June 16
Kasper Nefer Olsen, “Et dyb af genskin”, Kristeligt Dagblad, June
Karsten R. S. Ifversen, “Byen set gennem spejle”, Politiken, June 19
Morten Goll, “Det oplyste Bestie”, Månedskrift for kunst og kunstrelateret materiale, nr 14. Nov 1995, Copenhagen and Philosophia, Tidsskrift for filosofi, årg. 24 1-2, 1995, Forlaget Philosophia, Århus Universitet, Århus.
Other activities
2008-10:
Concept and organization of The Asylum Dialog Tank: a social design workshop with participants from The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art and residents at the Asylum Camps Avnstrup, Sandholm and Kongelunden, with the aim of defining how life can be improved inside and outside the camps. Co-facilitators: Tone Olaf Nielsen and Joachim Hamou. The project is supported by The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and The Danish Red Cross.
Contribution to Danmark Indsamlingen in support of the children of Africa
see www.mortengoll.org
2007:
Consultant for Ekstrakt (www.ekstrakt.dk), in connection with the production of a city development project, Nørrebro, Copenhagen.
2004-06
Member of the jury of Kunstnernes Påskeudstilling, Århus Kunstbygning
Educator in Fine Arts at Ærø Kunsthøjskole, Ærø, Denmark
Instructor at Fyns Kunstakademi.
Instructor at Århus Kunstakademi.
2003-06
Member of the jury of Kunstnernes Efterårsudstilling, Den frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen
2001-02
Artist-in-residence at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles
2001-07
Lecturing with Goll & Nielsen on The Evening School at below mentioned institutions:
UCLA Graduate Fine Arts Department, Los Angeles
Otis College of Art and Design Graduate Fine Arts Department, Los Angeles
Art Center Graduate Fine Arts Department, Los Angeles
CalArts Graduate Fine Arts Department, Valencia
UCSD Fine Arts Department, San Diego
Lecturing with Goll & Nielsen on their artistic-curatorial practice at
Malmö Art Academy, Malmö, Sweden
Mercer Union A Centre for Contemporary Art, Toronto
Besides this Goll has given lectures about his own practice, about art and activism, and about the critical potential of the TV media at various Danish Art Schools including The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Krogerup Højskole, Danmarks Sociale Forum, Holbæk Kunsthøjskkole, Ærø Kunsthøjskole, Daghøjskolen Vera, Det Fynske Kunstakademi, and more.
2001:
Mural, Permanent installation in the home of John Tonø, Roskilde, Denmark
1997-02
Lived and worked in Los Angeles and New York.
1998-99
24 Illustrations (painting) for the Danish monthly magazine Ud & Se, DSB
1994-96
Exhibition co-organizer of the Intercambio project
1993-95
Study sojourn in Barcelona, Spain
Selected grants
2009:
The OAK Foundation
2008:
LO’s Kultur of Projektpulje
3F
Production Grant from the Danish Arts Council
2007:
Travel Grant from the Danish Arts Council
Production Grant from the Danish Arts Council
Support for the production of www.mortengoll.org from Danish Arts Council
2004:
Travel grant from the Danish Arts Council for a research trip to Toronto in connection with Goll & Nielsens Mercer Union project in Toronto, Canada
2003:
Grant from the Danish Arts Council for collaborative project with Joachim Hamou
Travel grant from the Danish Arts Council in connection with the presentation of above mentioned project.
2001:
Ragnvald og Ida Blix’ Fond
2000:
Statens Kunstfond (Danish State Art Foundation)
Danish Contemporary Art Foundation (DCA)
1999:
Katalogstøtte, Center for Dansk Billedkunst
Betty and Monte Factor Scholarship, Otis College
Financial Aid Award, Otis College
Krista og Viggo Petersens Fond
Dir. J. P. Lund og Vilhelmine Bugge’s Legat
Ragnvald og Ida Blix’ Fond
1998:
Grosserer L.F. Fogths Fond
Beckett Foundation
Danish Contemporary Art Foundation (DCA)
Financial Aid Award, Otis College of Art & Design
1997:
Fulbright Scholarship, Danish-American Fulbright Commission
Statens Kunstfond (Danish State Art Foundation)
Danish Contemporary Art Foundation (DCA)
Knud Højgårds Fond
1995:
Henry Heerup´s Grant