David Elliott
Encyclopedia
David Elliott is a British
-born art gallery
and museum
curator
and writer about modern and contemporary art.
After studying history
at the University of Durham
, and History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art
Elliott worked as an exhibitions officer at the Arts Council of Great Britain
, after which he served as director of the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford from 1976 to 1996. Elliott's programme at Oxford included exhibitions of art from Latin America, Asia, South Africa
, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
Elliott was then Director of the Moderna Museet
(Museum of Modern Art) in Stockholm
from 1996 to 2001. From 1998 to 2004, he was President of CIMAM [the International Committee of ICOM for Museums of Modern and Contemporary Art]. In the 1990's, he curated a big exhibition 'Art and Power" exploring the relationship of Art with the totalitarian regimes in Europe in the first half of the 20th century. The exhibition was shown in various museums across the world.
Between 2001 and 2006 Elliott was the director of Tokyo
's Mori Art Museum
, a large privately-endowed museum devoted to contemporary - particularly Asian - art, architecture and design. During 2007 he was the first Director of Istanbul Modern
and in 2008 was Rudolf Arnheim Guest Professor in the History of Art at the Humboldt University, Berlin and Guest Professor in Museum Studies at the Chinese University in Hong Kong. From 2008 to 2010, he was Artistic Director for the 17th Biennale of Sydney
, 'THE BEAUTY OF DISTANCE: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age' which took place 12 May - 1 August 2010. In 2009, he delivered the Toshiba Lecture Series, 'Rethinking Art after the Age of "Enlightenment"', at the British Museum in London.
His exhibition 'Bye Bye Kitty!!! Between heaven and hell in contemporary Japanese art,' opened at Japan Society, New York in March 2011 and 'Between Heaven & Earth. Contemporary Art from the Centre of Asia' is on show at Calvert 22 London until 12 November 2011. He is currently Artistic Director of the 1st Kiev International Biennial of Contemporary Art entitles 'The Best of Times, The Worst of Times. Rebirth and Apocalypse in Contemporary Art' that will open in May 2012 and is advising the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charitable Trust on the artistic development and programming of the Central Police Station Heritage site (CPS) in Hong Kong. Since 2010 he has been Chairman of the Board of the Triangle Art Network at Gasworks in London.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
and writer about modern and contemporary art.
After studying history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at the University of Durham
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
, and History of Art at the Courtauld Institute of Art
Courtauld Institute of Art
The Courtauld Institute of Art is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art. The Courtauld is one of the premier centres for the teaching of art history in the world; it was the only History of Art department in the UK to be awarded a top...
Elliott worked as an exhibitions officer at the Arts Council of Great Britain
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
, after which he served as director of the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford from 1976 to 1996. Elliott's programme at Oxford included exhibitions of art from Latin America, Asia, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
Elliott was then Director of the Moderna Museet
Moderna Museet
Moderna museet, the Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Sweden, is a state museum located on the island of Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm, that was first opened in 1958. Its first manager was Pontus Hultén...
(Museum of Modern Art) in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
from 1996 to 2001. From 1998 to 2004, he was President of CIMAM [the International Committee of ICOM for Museums of Modern and Contemporary Art]. In the 1990's, he curated a big exhibition 'Art and Power" exploring the relationship of Art with the totalitarian regimes in Europe in the first half of the 20th century. The exhibition was shown in various museums across the world.
Between 2001 and 2006 Elliott was the director of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
's Mori Art Museum
Mori Art Museum
The Mori Art Museum is a contemporary art museum founded by the real estate developer Minoru Mori in the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in the Roppongi Hills complex both of which he built in Tokyo, Japan....
, a large privately-endowed museum devoted to contemporary - particularly Asian - art, architecture and design. During 2007 he was the first Director of Istanbul Modern
Istanbul Modern
The Istanbul Modern Art Museum, aka Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, is a museum of contemporary art in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey, inaugurated on December 11, 2004, prominently featuring the work of Turkish artists...
and in 2008 was Rudolf Arnheim Guest Professor in the History of Art at the Humboldt University, Berlin and Guest Professor in Museum Studies at the Chinese University in Hong Kong. From 2008 to 2010, he was Artistic Director for the 17th Biennale of Sydney
Biennale of Sydney
The Biennale of Sydney is an international festival of contemporary art, held every two years in Sydney, Australia. It is the largest and best-attended contemporary visual arts event in the country...
, 'THE BEAUTY OF DISTANCE: Songs of Survival in a Precarious Age' which took place 12 May - 1 August 2010. In 2009, he delivered the Toshiba Lecture Series, 'Rethinking Art after the Age of "Enlightenment"', at the British Museum in London.
His exhibition 'Bye Bye Kitty!!! Between heaven and hell in contemporary Japanese art,' opened at Japan Society, New York in March 2011 and 'Between Heaven & Earth. Contemporary Art from the Centre of Asia' is on show at Calvert 22 London until 12 November 2011. He is currently Artistic Director of the 1st Kiev International Biennial of Contemporary Art entitles 'The Best of Times, The Worst of Times. Rebirth and Apocalypse in Contemporary Art' that will open in May 2012 and is advising the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charitable Trust on the artistic development and programming of the Central Police Station Heritage site (CPS) in Hong Kong. Since 2010 he has been Chairman of the Board of the Triangle Art Network at Gasworks in London.