ANDREW GILBERT, GB

Andrew Gilbert (1980, Edinburgh) in his drawings and installations combines his studies of Primitivism in Modern Art, military history and a rich personal language of symbols and characters (such as “Andrew Emperor of Africa” or “Holy Brocoli”). He examines the representations of exotic cliches, and propaganda techniques used to demonize the eternal foreign Other. His work refers to the Western “Colonial Exhibitions”, military museums dioramas and ethnographic museums presentations, and draws parallels between the 19th Century Imperial conquests and present day Military Occupations. In doing so he questions who is really “primitive” and critiques the Western Historical narrative and contemporary nostalgia for Empire that led to, for example, Brexit and the rise of nationalism across Europe today. All of this is combined with absurdist humour and often grotesque violence. Andrew Gilbert, who currently lives and works in Berlin, has visited four times in recent years South Africa to study the battlefields of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War, the Boer War and the military campaigns of Shaka Zulu. The artist exhibited his works in several international (Europe, South Africa, Japan) private and public venues, as the London Tate Modern.

Education

1997 - 2002: M.A: (Hons) Fine Art - University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art

Solo Exhibitions (selection)

2020

• Andrew Gilbert - The Rise and Fall of Emperor Andrew's Instant Coffee Plantation, Kunstverein Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen, German

2019

• The Royal Botanical Drawings of Emperor Andrew, Ten Haaf Projects, Amsterdam

2018

• The Glorious Opening of Emperor Andrew's Museum, Sperling, Munich

• Andrew Gilbert solo presentation, Sunday Fair, London, with Sperling Und willst du nicht mein Brueder sein, so schlag ich dir den Schaedel ein - with Martin Neumeier, Botschaft, Berlin

2017

• Andrew Gilbert and Sam Durant, Last Tango, Zurich

• The Sun Will Never Set on the British Empire - The Beast Awakens, Ten Haaf Projects, Amsterdam

• Andrew's Glorious Occupation of Exotic Bavaria, Filsers, Mainburg
  Into the Valley of Death - Rode the Six Hundred, Galerie Kai Erdmann, Hamburg

2016

• Solo Presentation, ABC Kunst Messe, Berlin, with Sperling Shaka Zulu the Musical - Directed by Andrew, Sperling, Munich Ulundi Is Jerusalem Andrew Is Emperor Brocoli Is Holy, Overbeck - Gesellschaft Museum / St Petri Kirche, Luebeck

• Emperor Andrew Meets His Waterloo, Superdeals, Brussels

2015

• Trophies of the Savages - Idols of Civilisation, Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa

• The Life of Baby Afghan Squirrel, Sperling, Munich

• European Tribal War Idols, Waterloo 1815, Gallery Polad - Hardouin, Paris Je suis...Brocoli!, Jagla Ausstellungsraum, Koeln

• Andrew's Exotic and Erotic Massage Parlour, Sightfenster, Koeln

2014

• Fiori e Soldati - with M. Galliani, Studio d'Arte Raffaelli, Trento Sacred Soil and Bloody Ground, Galerie Kai Erdmann, Hamburg Forte Comune 1914/2014 - with Michelangelo Galliani, Forte Strino Military Museum, Vermiglio

• Andrew Gilbert at Settlement Projects, Leith Late 14, Edinburgh The Glorious Return of Emperor Andrew, Summerhall, Edinburgh

2013

• Andrew's Glorious Army Crosses the Alps, Studio d'Arte Raffaelli, Trento The Battle of Blood River, Ten Haaf Projects, Amsterdam

• Andrew Gilbert and Akiyoshi Mishima, Nanzuka, Tokyo
  Les Maitres Fous - Starring Andrew and Emil Nolde, Gallery Polad - Hardouin, Paris

• North European Primitivism - Andrew, Gislerbertus, Nolde, Rogier van der Weyden, Galerie Andreas Hoehne, Munich

2012

• Colonial Exhibition – Culloden 1746, Power Galerie, Hamburg

• The Sacred Ambush Is Full of the Sound of Parrots Screaming’ - with Anna Parkina, SVIT,Prague

• Solo Presentation, NADA Art, Cologne, with Power Galerie

• Solo Presentation, NADA, New York, with Ten Haaf Projects

2011

• Trophies of the Savages, Galerie 207, Prague

• The Lost Art of Convalescence - with Lucy Stein, Gimpel Fils, London

• Hallucinatory Mahdis and Aeons - with David Tibet, Nationalmuseum, Berlin

• The Erotic Adventures of Andrew in the Sudan,1895, Galerie Andreas Hoehne, Munich

• Der Heiliger Krieg - with Tomas Roubal, Kino Kytka, Prague

• Austerlitz – The Fate of Empires,Ten Haaf Projects, Amsterdam 

• Andrew Emperor of Africa, Galerie Polad - Hardouin, Paris

2010

• Andrew’s Death in Afghanistan, 1842, Power Galerie, Hamburg

• Veronika Landa and Andrew Gilbert, MeetFactory International Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague

• Andrew’s Honeymoon in India,1857, Gallery Kabinet T, Zlin, Czech Republic Cut out Her Eyes – Cut off His Penis - with Lucy Stein, Forgotten Bar, Berlin

2009

• The Zulu Queen Stood as Jerusalem Fell, Ten Haaf Projects, Amsterdam

2008

• Black Magic White Power, Galerie Andreas Hoehne, Munich

• Fix Bayonets and Die Like British Soldiers Die!, Galerie Eva Bracke, Berlin

2007

• Solo Presentation, Jam Art Fair, Mallorca, with Galerie Eva Bracke To Wipe the Blade-Zulu, Galerie Eva Bracke, Berlin

2006

• Vezalay to Ulundi, Galerie Na Bydilku, Brno, Czech Republic

2005

• The Fall of the Pagan Idols, curated by Caroline Nathusius, Kjubh Kunstverein, Köln

• The Dance around the Golden Calves, Galerie Antik, Berlin

2004

• The Tempation of John Knox, Forever and a Day Buero, Berlin Vezelay to Jerusalem, Galerie Na Bydilku, Brno, Czech Republic

2003

• Deutsch Afrikanische Freundschaft, Autocenter, Berlin

• The False Miracles of Mohammed, Galerie Nomadenoase, Hamburg

Group Exhibitions (selection)

2023

• Alptraum, Polarraum, Hamburg, Germany

• Pop Life, Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2022

• Beyond Homogeneity, Syker Vorwerk - Zentrum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Syke, Germany

2021

• Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Galerie Peter Gaugy, Vienna, Austria

• Salon der Gegenwart 2021, salondergegenwart, Hamburg, Germany 

2019

• The Fate of Empires, Studio d’Arte Raffaelli + Cellar Contemporary, Trento

• Deset - Works from the Richard Adam Collection, The House of the Arts Ostrava, Ostrava, CZ

• Another Country Part 4, Thurso City Gallery, Thurso, Scotland

• Another Country Part 5, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness, Scotland

• What the Night Brings, Phantom Projects Contemporary, Ateliers La Bitche, Nantes, France

2018

• Another Country Part 3, City Arts Centre, Edinburgh, Scotland

• Another Country Part 1, St John's University Art Center, Minnesota, U.S.A En quete de Graal, Ceres Franco Collection Museum, Montolieu, France Group Exhibition, Galerie Kai Erdmann, Hamburg

• Das Raubkunstkabinett, Theater Acker Stadt Palast, Berlin
  Save PR17, PR17, Berlin

• Val di Non. Sguardi sulla Grande Guerra, Casa De Gentili, San Zeno, Italia

2017

• The Beauty of Difference, Rohkunstbau 2017, Lieberose Castle, Lieberose

• Takes Two to Tango, Sperling, Munich

• Berlin Klondyke, UGM Studio, Maribor, Slovenia

• New Adventures of Vexillogoly - Part 3, Kunstverein Amrum

2016

• Artist and Empire, National Gallery of Singapore, Singapore

• Drawing on Drawing, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh

• Bootleg Trienalle, Atlantic House, Cape Town, South Africa

• Post Colonial Contemporary, curated by John Zarobell, Incline Gallery, San Francisco

2015

• Artist and Empire, Tate Britain, London, England

• European Tribal Wars - with D. Wood and S. Kaminiski, Bavarian Army Museum, Ingolstadt

• State of Mankind, Draw a Line, Berlin

• Alptraum, Visual Voice Gallery, Montreal Canada

• Salon International de Bobanisme, Salon Boban Andjelkovic, Munich House of Pain, curated by Veit Loers, Galerie Petra Martinetz, Koeln Berlin Klondyke, Salon Dahlmann, Berlin

• Tales of Darkness, Sunaparanta, Goa Centre for Arts, India 

• PigDogandMonkeyfestos, curated by S.Doyle and M.Mallinson, Phoenix Gallery, Exeter, England

• A Man Walks into a Bar, Me Collectors Room, Berlin

• Alptraum, Salon de Liria, Goa, India

2014

• VIII Bienale d'Arte Giovani, MAM, Gazoldo degli Ippoliti

• 3 Carrots - 1 Tea Pot - Biber, Braun, Gilbert' Salon, Tom Biber, Berlin

• A Man Walks into a Bar, Mainsburg

• Seemed like a Good Idea at the Time, Sperling, Munich

• In Furs, Kuenstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin

• PigDogandMonkeyfestos, curated by S. Doyle and M. Mallinson, Airspace Gallery, Stoke on Trent, England

• Alptraum, UGM Maribor Art Gallery, Maribor, Slovenia

• Hauptstadt, Galerie Kai Erdmann, Berlin

• Half Devil Half Child, Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa

2013

• SVIT, Svit Praha, Praha

• Lord of the Flies, Wannieck Gallery of Modern Art, Brno

• Apokalyptik als Wiederstand - Collection Tom Biber, Bavarian Army Museum, Ingolstadt

• Imaginaere Loesungen - part 1, by F. Hufnagel, Kosmetik Salon, Berlin

• The Hecklers, curated by C. Lewisohn, The New Art Gallery Walsall, Walsall, England

• Dawn of the Hermetics - part 2, Wonderloch Kellerland, Berlin

• The Best Haircuts in History, curated by C. Lewisohn, We are Cuts, London Visionen, Marta Heford, Herford

• 1.per.sing., curated by Johannes Sperling, b – 05, Montabaur

• Hamburger Bahnhof, curated by O. Zybok, Power Galerie, Hamburg

• Images for Images - Artists for Tichy - Tichy for Artists, curated by Zdenek Felix, GASK Gallery of central Bohemia, Czech Republic

• The Beautyful Ones, curated by Storm Janse van Rensburg, Nolan Judin, Berlin

• Waar ken ick u van?, LUMC Gallery, Leiden

• Berlin – Klondyke, Werkschauhalle, Leipzig

• Das Allerletze Prof. Winkler Stipendium, Kunstverein Weyden

• The Legend of the Shelves, Autocenter, Berlin

• Dawn of the Hermetics, Kosmetiksalon, Berlin

• Primitve Cabaret – A spiritual Voodoo confrontation, Polad – Hardouin, Paris

2012

• LAmerika-China, Phoenixhalle, Hamburg

• Fliegen, Kuenstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin

• Home Is where the Peppers Grow, Autocenter, Berlin

• Convoi Berlin, curated by J. Sperling, Biksady Gallery, Budapest 

• Berlin–Klondyke, Neuer Pfannenhofener Kunstverein

• Thingsplace, by John Brown, Superclub, Edinburgh

• L’amour herouiqe, Muba Eugene Leroy, Tourcoing

• Necessarily True, Garage, Rotterdam

• Berlin Status (1), Kuenstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin

• The International Bongo Bongo Brigade – The Hair in the Cannibal-Prophetic Soup of Dr Emil Holub, NTK Gallery, Prague

• A Votre Decharge, Chateau de Servieres, Marseille

2011

• Berlin Klondyke, L.A. Art Centre, Los Angeles

• Gastspiel Paris Munich Teil 2, Galerie Van de Loo Projekte, Munich 

• Verbrechen und Bild, Kuenstlerverein Walkmuehle

• The Magic Sexy Temple of Wonderloch, Wonderloch Kellerland, Berlin 

• Dormition, Contra Gallery, Slovenia

• Rosskur und Stalldrang bei den Wolfs, Atetier N.A. Wolf, Berlin

• Berlin Klondike 2011, The Odd Gallery, Dawson City, Canada

• Pure Freude, curated by Jonny Mullen, Nationalmuseum, Berlin 

• Moraltarantula 5, Hamburg

• Charlottenburg Diktator, curated by C. Malycha, Babbettes Bar, Berlin Lady Paranoia and Mr Killer, Gallery Polad – Hardouin, Paris

• The International Bongo Bongo Brigade Meet the Haffners, Haffner Galerie, Innsbruck

• The Raising of Lazarus, Nationalmuseum, Berlin

• Best of Invites, Wonderloch Kellerland, Berlin

• Flashback, Gallery Polad – Hardouin, Paris

2010

• Wherever They Fell, Wilkinson Gallery, curated by Anna Parkina, London

• Powerhouse, Power Galerie, Hamburg

• Transcendenz ink, Autocenter, Berlin

• Richtigen Zeit am Richtigen Ort, curated by C. Nathusius, Temporary Gallery, Cologne

• White Stallions, Fischer und Fischer Galerie, Berlin

• Moraltarantula 4, Hamburg

• Schwarzgold, Schloss Beesenstedt, Beesenstedt bei Halle

• Zipor, Galerie Lichtpunk – Ambacher Contemporary, Munich Lontana, Centre for Contemporary Art, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

• International Bongo Bongo Brigade, curated by the Holy Brocoli from India, MeetFactory, Prague

• International Bongo Bongo Brigade – Queen Loser, Silwex House, London Paranoid, De Nederlandische Cacao Fabrik, Helmond, Netherlands Easy Jetsetters, curated by Lucy Stein, Forgotten Bar, Berlin

• 6th Biennale for Contemporary Art, Salle des Calandres, Eragny, France 

• Bushwick Schlacht, Fortress of Solitude, New York

• Domestic Violence, Studio N.A. Wolff, Berlin

• Early Works, Wonderloch Kellerland, Berlin

• The Product of Exchange, Sudhaus, Berlin/Texas Firehouse, New York 

• Obscene, Wiensalon, Berlin

• Riders, Gallery Polad – Hardouin, Paris

2009

• Der Muede Tod, Kai 10 Raum fuer Kunst, Dusseldorf Zeigen, Temporary Kunsthalle Berlin, Berlin

• Les portes du Paradis, Galerie Eva Bracke, Berlin

• Free Nelson Mandela, Spor Klublu, Berlin

• George Says: No Martini, No Party, Apartement, Berlin Am Anfang war das Ende, Galerie in Ballhaus Ost, BerlinTjorg Douglas Beer presents...,Forgotten Bar, Berlin Friendly Fire, PR17, Berlin

• Transcendendenz Ink, Forgotten Bar, Berlin Moraltarantula II, Hamburg

• Borderline Pleasures, Galerie Michael Janssen, Berlin The lovers of Lutz Braun, Galerie Antik, Berlin

2008

• Moving Walls, Museum of New Art, Detroit

• Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, WhitelacesLivingRoom Gallery, Berlin A4 Editions, Five Years Gallery, London

• Sovereign European Art Prize Exhibition, Somerset House, London

• Oil Prices Reach Sky High, Ferenbalm Gurbue Station, Karlsruhe Ecstatic Stairs, Die Aenderei, Munich

• Porridge Wogs, Five Years Gallery, curated by Cedar Lewisohn, London 

• Madonna und Wir, curated by C. Nathusius, Galerie Christian Nagel, Berlin

• Eins zu Eins Ruegen, Park Gut Kartzitz, Ruegen

2007

• Autocenter 1, Autocenter, Berlin

• Ben Cottrell, Andrew Gilbert, Andreas Hofer, Forever and a day Buero, Berlin

• Irresistible Magazine, curated by Cedar Lewisohn, Tate Modern, London 

• Return to Forever, Forever and a day buero, Berlin

• La Boum III, Breslau / Warschau, PolandNiveaualarm, Kunstraum Innsbruck, Austria

• Ketzer und Co. The Golden City, Galerie Jiri Svestka, Prague

2006

• Bellevue, curated by C. Nathusius, Galerie Eva Winkeler, Frankfurt La Boum II, Galerie Sie und Höke, Düsseldorf

• Psycho. Zeitgenössiche Positionen zwischen Seelenheil und Apokalypse, Kunstverein Mönchengladbach

• Ketzer und Co, Haus der Kunst, Brno, Czech Republic

• Horizont, Forever and a Day Büro, Kunsthaus Bethanien Berlin

2005

• Schwarz, Brot, Gold, Kunstverein Oldenburg

• Viewing Club, Berlin/Hamburg /London

• Palace of the Zulu-Queen, Kunsthalle Pankow, Berlin Professor Winkler Stipendium, Berlin

2004

• Commando Henry Ford, Neuro Cafe, Stuttgart

• Works on Paper, Forever and a Day Büro, Berlin

• The Banana Tree, with A. Hofer, A. Sourkova, Neue Bahnhofstrasse 5, Berlin

2003

• Heckel und seine drei Scheisshaufen, with A. Butzer and M. Selg Neue Bahnhofstrasse 5, Berlin

• Illegale Kunstwerke auf Papier, PR 17, Berlin

• Ghadafi ́s Ascension, Neue Bahnhofstrasse 5, Berlin

2002

• Friede, Freude, Freiheit, Galerie Maschenmode/Guido Baudach, Berlin 

• Express, curated by O. Lanz, Schoenhauser Allee, Berlin

• Northern Exposure, Isle of Uist Art Center, Scotland

Publications

• Andrew Is Emperor, Brocoli Is Holy, Ulundi Is Jerusalem, Kerber Verlag, 2017 

• The Life of Baby Afghan Squirrel, SPERLING / Taube Verlag, Munich,2015 

• European Tribal Wars, Bavarian Army Museum. Kettler Verlag, 2015

• Forte Comune - 1914 – 2014, Forte Strino Military Museum, Vermiglio, 2014 

• Andrew's Glorious Army Crosses the Alps, Studio d'Arte Raffaelli, Trento, 2013

• Andrew Gilbert / Colonial Exhibition – Culloden 1746, Power Galerie, Hamburg, 2012

• Andrew Emperor of Africa, Kerber Verlag, 2011

• Andrew You Must Kill Your Enemies before They Kill You, Q.H.S.O.I.Q.O.C.M.S., Berlin, 2011

• Andrew Gilbert / Colonial Exhibition – Culloden 1746, Power Galerie, Hamburg, 2012

• The 17th Lancers in the Anglo Zulu War, 1879, Possible Press, Berlin

Residencies

2016

• Superdeals , Brussels

2010

• Goethe Institute Artist in Residency, Meetfactory International Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague

Lectures

2017

• The Beauty of Difference. Representations of the Exotic Enemy in historical and contemporary propaganda, Schloss Lieberose / Heinrich Bohl Stiftung

2013

• Holy Brocoli and North European Primtivism, Edinburgh College of Art

2011

• Artists Who Drink Alcohol Should Be Killed, Academy for Applied Arts, Prague

2010

• Vezelay to Ulundi – from the First Crusade to the Anglo Zulu War, Camberwell College of Art, London