John Bock


John Bock 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 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 and the documenta 11 in Kassel. 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 .

2013
Im Modder der Summenmutation, Bundeskunsthalle, Bonn, Germany
Der Pappenheimer, Kunstverein Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
ll Palazzo Enciclopedico - 55th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia 2013, Venice,
Italy
2012
Into the Quasi-Me-Hill, DESTE Foundation for Contemporary Art, Barneys Madison Avenue, New York, NY
Lecker Puste, Métamatics Research Initiative, performance at The Watermill Center, Watermill, NY
2011
Lost-Egg in the Desert, Jumex Foundation, Mexico City, Mexico
OHR-WALACHEI, Klosterfelde Gallery, Berlin, Germany
Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin, Germany
Lichterloh / roh, Regen Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2010
John Bock, Anton Kern Gallery, New York, NY
Nöle, Centro de Arte Contemporáneo de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
FischGrätenMelkStand, Temporäre Kunsthalle, Berlin, Germany
Curve-Vehicle incl. π-Man-, The Curve, Barbican Centre, London, UK
2009
Lecture / Fashion Show The greased bendsteering in the luggage gets tangled up with the white shirt at HKW, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Germany
John Bock films, www.tank.tv
"No Time No Screws", Eleni Koroneou Gallery, Athens
2008
Film Retrospective, curated by XYZ, Mikrokosmos Cinema, Athens, Greece PARA - SCHIZO ensnarled, IAS, Arts Council Korea, Seoul, Korea Palms, REDCAT, Los Angeles, USA Bendix Harms Lebenslieben, Anton Kern, New York, USA The Hamsterwheel, Malmö Konsthall, Sweden Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art, Barbican Art Gallery, London, UK
Laughing in a Foreign Language, Hayward Gallery, London, UK
Inside Beyond, GióMARCONI, Milan, Italy
2007
Beyond the Country, Lewis Glucksman Gallery University College Cork, Ireland
Artists as Collectors, Heidelberger Kunstverein, Heidelberg, Germany
The High Desert Test Sites, organized by Andrea Zittel, Shaun Caley Regen, Lisa Anne Auerbach, John Connely and Andy Stillpass, Los Angeles
The Harder You Look, Eleni Koroneou Gallery, Athens
John Bock, Sadie Coles HQ, London
John Bock, Regen Projects, Los Angeles
Fit to Print: printed media in recent collage, Gagosian Gallery, New York
Soufflé, eine Massenausstellung, Kunstraum Innsbruck
2006
John Bock – Mit Schisslaveng, Anton Kern Gallery, New York
Zero Hero, The Moore Loft, Miami,
Anstoss Berlin, Kunst Macht Welt, Haus am Waldsee, Berlin
Dada’s Boys, The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh
John Bock’s Medusa im Tam Tam Club, Staatsoper unter den Linden, Berlin
John Bock: Lütte mit Rucola, Klosterfelde, Berlin
The Hugo Boss Prize 2006, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York
Nöle, Schauspielhaus, Zürich
– Surrogat, Netherlands Media Art Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2005
A-Buba, Stella Lohaus Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
John Bock, Frac Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Marseille, France
Skipholt, Kling & Bang, Reykjavik
PestKOP im black rebel motorcycle club, Hamburger Bahnhof Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Hamburg, Germany
Girls on Film, curated by Kirsty Bell, Zwirner and Wirth Gallery, New York
The Addiction, Gagosian Gallery, Berlin
Abnormal, Nyehaus, New York
Dionysiac, Fondation Cartier Pour L’Art Contemporain, Paris
LI Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy
8th Biennale d’Art Contemporaian de Lyon, Lyon, Paris
Rough Diamond, Program, London
Reykjavík Arts Festival 2005, Reykjavík Art Museum, Reykjavík
2004
Works from the Boros Collection, Museum für Neue Kunst, Karlsruhe
John Bock, Nicola Trussardi Foundation, Milan, Italy
Klutterkammer, ICA, London
Manifesta 5, European Biennial of Contemporary Art, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
2003
John Bock, Gió Marconi, Milan, Italy
2001
Im Dilemma der ExistoEntropie, Bonner Kunstverein, Bonn, Germany
MultiplexQuasiSiena – “le repubbliche dell’ arte germania”, Palazzo delle Papese,
Freestyle: Werke aus der Sammlung Boros, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany
Centro d’Arte Contemporanea, Siena, Italy
Eleni Koroneu, Athens
Dionysische Monologicus – Gelüste eines Schwachomaten
“Aller Anfang ist Merz – von Kurt Schwitters bis heute”, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany
Ma’am prosciutto crudo, HM Klosterfelde, Hamburg, Germany
MEECHbuildings – “playing among the ruins”, RCA Galleries, London
“New Settlements”, Jacob Fabricius, Copenhagen
John Bock, Sadie Coles HQ, London
2000
1 = 2 + Kleinodtod, Berlin
ArtemisiaSoqJod ? Meechwimper lummerig, HM Klosterfelde, Berlin, MEECHbuilding, Berlin
Paramoderne = Rokokkogobrot., “Zeitwenden – Rückblick & Ausblick”, Vienna
MienGribbohmWien – la forma del mondo – la fine del mondo, PAC Milan, Italy
Schon bezahlt, schon Dir, “RE_public”, Grazer Kunst Verein at the EXPO 2000, Hannover, Germany
Dionysische Monologicus – Gelüste eines Schwachomaten.
Multiple Quasi-Maybe-Me-Be updown, recent works
Jacob Frabricius, Copenhagen
Captain Sheriff Schippert Dröge, Gesellschaft für Aktuelle Kunst, Bremen
Pizza Kiwi Nazionale, Auckland, New Zealand
Schon bezahlt, schon Dir, Steirischer Herbst, Graz, Austria
ArtemisiaSoqJod ? Meechwimper lummerig, “hypermental -
Wahnhafte Wirklichkeit 1950–2000. Salvador
Dalí to Jeff Koons, Kunsthaus Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Ma’am prosciutto crudo, OK – Zentrum für Gegenwartskunst, Linz, Austria
1999
Berlin Biennal, Heu in der Kadernwelle, Berlin
$ 1.000.000 Knödel Kisses, pfüti, Galerie der Stadt Schwaz, Austria, Nov.
Rasputin ist Mütterchel, Marstall, Munich, Feb.
Regardez le Diskjockey Long John Silver, Eleni Koroneu, Athens
Maybe-Me-Be-Microworld, Anton Kern, New York
SoonSonicShySONSupernovaSide UP, group exhibition with Siegrun Appelt and Matthew Antezzo, Charim Klocker, Vienna
Lombardi Bängli, Kunsthalle Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Memme muss schlafen opening exhibition of S.M.A.K., Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Gent, Belgium
opt. APE trouvé Moving 50 Diagram, Giò Marconi, Milan, Italy
ApproximationRezipientenbedürfniscomaUrUltraUseMaterialMiniMax, 48th Biennale, Venice
MolkeMeHindVehikel Klosterfelde, Statement ArtBasel
Quasi-Ich-Isoquantenschar-Kammer “Nachbar”
Galerie Krinziger / Benger Park, Bregenz, Austria
Paramoderne = Rokokkogobrot “Kraftwerk Berlin”
Kunstmuseum Aarhus, Denmark
Existo – Tour 99 “ars viva – Gernzgänge”, Casino LuxembourgDer Försterfall im Hirschfall oder das Loch der positiven Vernunft
Austellungsraum Schnitt, Cologne, Germany
Der Fall des reinen Tausches in der Edgeworth – Box
“home and away”, Kunstverein Hannover
Von der Kunst bis zum Warten + drinnen Jungtiere
“Education. Information, communication and didactics in contemporary fine art.” Steirischer Herbst, Graz, Austria
NaiAristotelesOchi – Nichtsabsolut
The Athens School. German art today”. Technopolis, Athens
MolkeMeHindVehikel “Children of Berlin”, P.S.1, New York
Lombardi Bängli – “German Open 1999 – Contemporary Art in
Germany”, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg
Paramoderne = Rokokkogobrot “Zeitwenden – Rückblick & Audblick”
Kunstmuseum Bonn
Koppel op Kop. ars viva 1999-2000, Kunstverein Freiburg
Yes Sir No Sir, Stella Lohaus, Antwerp
1998
Meechfieber im Paradoxonmodderkarton, HM Klosterfelde, Hamburg, Germany
BommelbabyfaceNelson, Laurids & Mattheus, Karlsruhe, Germany
Kunst und Papier auf dem Laufsteg , Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin
Silageproppen verstopft den Streptopenfluss im Love-Time-Mluiplikator, Ausstellungsraum Offenbach, 7 Aug.
MienGribbohmWien, Vienna secession
Regardez le Diskjockey Long John Silver
“El Niño”, Museum am Abteiberg, Mönchengladbach, Aug.
LiquiditätsAuraAromaPortfolio, Sept.
1997
Die molekulare Heimsuchung des Herrn 0,47, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Molloch, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Das Gängelband der Kunstwohlfahrt, Klosterfelde, Berlin
Rasputin ist Mütterchen, Performatrix, KX, Hamburg, Germany
Am Tüddelband der Liebeselastizität, Element, Berlin
1996
Gribbohm, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Die Dreckschleuder, Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
Die dynamische Nacht des Titerus, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Der heilige Anwalt in Antwerpen, Lokaal 05, Antwerp, Belgium
Der Onkel im Koffer, Maastricht, Belgium
1995
Das Kunstwerk des 21. Jahrhunderts, Friedensallee 12, Hamburg, Germany
Das Feld, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Der Fremde in der 4. Etage, Das Trojanische Schiff, Hamburg, Germany
1994
Kunstkarton, Kunsthaus, Hamburg, Germany
Heilung Nr. 4, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Törtchen der Leidenschaft, Westwerk, Hamburg, Germany
1993
Haschkeks, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Drei Räume, not executed
Der kleine Rezipient und der grosse Rezipient, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Komparativer Kunstfähigkeitsvorteil, Friedensallee 12, Hamburg, Germany
Die Kunstwohlfahrtsmaschine, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
4 x Rezipientenmodelle, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Elephant, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
1992
Wie werde ich breühmt?, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Paul Eluard Gesichtskorrektur, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Jackson – Action, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Kunst – Mädchen – Erfolg – Tod, Hochschule für bildende Kunst, Hamburg, Germany
Mord und Robotermalerei, Pudelsclub Hamburg, Germany

Lectures