Susan Philipsz
Encyclopedia
Susan Philipsz is a Scottish artist who won the 2010 Turner Prize. In her youth, she sang with her sisters in a Catholic church choir in Maryhill
. She studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee
from 1989–1993 and then at the University of Ulster
in Belfast
in 1993-4. She was a Director of Catalyst Arts in Belfast for several years. Philipsz is represented by Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
in New York, Ellen de Bruijne Projects in Amsterdam and Isabella Bortolozzi Galerie, Berlin. She currently lives and works in Berlin
.
Originally a sculptor, she is best known for her sound installations. She records herself singing a cappella
versions of songs which are replayed over a public address system in the gallery or other installation.
Her 1998, work "Filter", consisting of versions of songs by Nirvana
, Marianne Faithfull
, Radiohead
and The Velvet Underground
, has been played at a bus station and at a Tesco supermarket. Her 1999 work "The Internationale" consists of a solo acapella version of the revolutionary song
. She sings the Irish ballad "The Lass of Aughrim" in her 2000 work "The Dead". In her 2003 work, "Sunset Song", she sings the male and female parts of the 19th-century American folk ballad Banks of the Ohio
, with the volume level changing according to light levels. She used a vibraphone
for her 2009 piece, "You are not alone", commissioned for the Radcliffe Observatory
in Oxford. In 2010, she was commissioned by the Glasgow International Festival
. Her piece, "Lowlands", was three versions of what she called a 16th-century Scottish lament, Lowlands Away. It was played under three bridges over the River Clyde
in Glasgow - George V Bridge
, the Caledonian railway bridge, and Glasgow Bridge
. "Lowlands", was subsequently exhibited at Tate Britain, winning her the 2010 Turner Prize
.
Philipsz has exhibited at the Melbourne International Biennial 1999
, Manifesta 3
in Ljubljana
in 2000, the Tirana Biennial in 2001, at Triennal of British Art at Tate Britain
in 2003, the 16th Biennale of Sydney
in 2008, and at the 55th Carnegie International
in 2009. She gave a solo exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
in 2008. She was commissioned to create a work for the rotunda at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
in New York
in 2010.
In 2011, Philipsz was commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
to create a sound installation. This piece titled We Shall Be All draws from Chicago’s labor history, specifically the 1886 Haymarket Affair and the International Workers of the World (IWW), also known as the Wobblies. Also part of her 2011 exhibition at the MCA was a presentation of her work The Internationlale in the building’s atrium. In addition to her MCA exhibition, she presented her 2002 work Pledge at the Jane Addams
Hull House
Museum located on the University of Illinois at Chicago
campus.
She was nominated for the Beck's Futures
award in 2003. and won the 2010 Turner Prize for a sound installation that features her singing three versions of a Scottish lament. She received the £25,000 prize at a ceremony at Tate Britain that was disrupted by protests over the British Government's educational cuts.
Philipsz is one of six sisters. Philipsz's father is Burmese. His family's life was "pulled apart by the war," and he came to the UK in his twenties.
Maryhill
Maryhill is an area of the City of Glasgow in Scotland. Maryhill is a former burgh. The population of Maryhill is about 52,000. Maryhill stretches over along Maryhill Road...
. She studied at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
from 1989–1993 and then at the University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in 1993-4. She was a Director of Catalyst Arts in Belfast for several years. Philipsz is represented by Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
Tanya Bonakdar Gallery is an art gallery located in Chelsea in New York City founded by Tanya Bonakdar. Since its inception in 1994, the gallery has maintained a consistent and rigorous program in the exhibition of new work by contemporary artists in all media, including painting, sculpture,...
in New York, Ellen de Bruijne Projects in Amsterdam and Isabella Bortolozzi Galerie, Berlin. She currently lives and works in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Originally a sculptor, she is best known for her sound installations. She records herself singing a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
versions of songs which are replayed over a public address system in the gallery or other installation.
Her 1998, work "Filter", consisting of versions of songs by Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
, Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
and The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
, has been played at a bus station and at a Tesco supermarket. Her 1999 work "The Internationale" consists of a solo acapella version of the revolutionary song
The Internationale
The Internationale is a famous socialist, communist, social-democratic and anarchist anthem.The Internationale became the anthem of international socialism, and gained particular fame under the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1944, when it was that communist state's de facto central anthem...
. She sings the Irish ballad "The Lass of Aughrim" in her 2000 work "The Dead". In her 2003 work, "Sunset Song", she sings the male and female parts of the 19th-century American folk ballad Banks of the Ohio
Banks of the Ohio
"Banks of the Ohio" is a 19th century murder ballad, written by unknown authors, in which "Willie" invites his young lover for a walk during which she rejects his marriage proposal. Once they are alone on the river bank, he murders the young woman....
, with the volume level changing according to light levels. She used a vibraphone
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
for her 2009 piece, "You are not alone", commissioned for the Radcliffe Observatory
Radcliffe Observatory
Radcliffe Observatory was the astronomical observatory of Oxford University from 1773 until 1934, when the Radcliffe Trustees sold it and erected a new observatory in Pretoria, South Africa. It is a grade I listed building.- History :...
in Oxford. In 2010, she was commissioned by the Glasgow International Festival
Glasgow Festivals
Glasgow Festivals include festivals for art, film, comedy, folk music and jazz. Glasgow also hosts an annual queer arts festival in November.Unlike the Edinburgh Festival , Glasgow's festivals are spread evenly across the year, therefore ensuring a continuous annual programme of events.-Past...
. Her piece, "Lowlands", was three versions of what she called a 16th-century Scottish lament, Lowlands Away. It was played under three bridges over the River Clyde
River Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
in Glasgow - George V Bridge
George V Bridge
George V Bridge or King George V Bridge may refer to a number of different bridges named after the British king:*Keadby Bridge across the River Trent in Lincolnshire, England...
, the Caledonian railway bridge, and Glasgow Bridge
Glasgow Bridge, Glasgow
The Glasgow Bridge spans the River Clyde in Glasgow. It is at the bottom of Jamaica Street, near Central Station, and is colloquially known as the Jamaica Bridge....
. "Lowlands", was subsequently exhibited at Tate Britain, winning her the 2010 Turner Prize
Turner Prize
The Turner Prize, named after the painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under the age of 50. Awarding the prize is organised by the Tate gallery and staged at Tate Britain. Since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised...
.
Philipsz has exhibited at the Melbourne International Biennial 1999
Melbourne International Biennial 1999
Melbourne International Biennial 1999"Signs of Life" 14 May - 27 June 1999The Melbourne International Biennial was a cultural initiative of the City of Melbourne in partnership with Arts Victoria, Department of Premier and Cabinet and the Ian Potter Museum of Art, the University of...
, Manifesta 3
Manifesta
Manifesta, the , is a European pan-regional contemporary cultural biennale, described in 2010 by the as "stunning in its scope and uncompromisingly experimental in its approach".-Manifesta History:...
in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
in 2000, the Tirana Biennial in 2001, at Triennal of British Art at Tate Britain
Tate Britain
Tate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner.-History:It...
in 2003, the 16th 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...
in 2008, and at the 55th Carnegie International
Carnegie International
The Carnegie International is the oldest North American exhibition of contemporary art from around the globe. It was first organized at the behest of industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie on November 5, 1896 in Pittsburgh. Carnegie established the International to educate and inspire the...
in 2009. She gave a solo exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
Institute of Contemporary Arts
The Institute of Contemporary Arts is an artistic and cultural centre on The Mall in London, just off Trafalgar Square. It is located within Nash House, part of Carlton House Terrace, near the Duke of York Steps and Admiralty Arch...
in 2008. She was commissioned to create a work for the rotunda at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is a well-known museum located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States. It is the permanent home to a renowned collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, early Modern, and contemporary art and also features special exhibitions...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 2010.
In 2011, Philipsz was commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is a contemporary art museum near Water Tower Place in downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The museum, which was established in 1967, is one of the world's largest contemporary art venues...
to create a sound installation. This piece titled We Shall Be All draws from Chicago’s labor history, specifically the 1886 Haymarket Affair and the International Workers of the World (IWW), also known as the Wobblies. Also part of her 2011 exhibition at the MCA was a presentation of her work The Internationlale in the building’s atrium. In addition to her MCA exhibition, she presented her 2002 work Pledge at the Jane Addams
Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
Hull House
Hull House
Hull House is a settlement house in the United States that was co-founded in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr. Located in the Near West Side of , Hull House opened its doors to the recently arrived European immigrants. By 1911, Hull House had grown to 13 buildings. In 1912 the Hull...
Museum located on the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
campus.
She was nominated for the Beck's Futures
Beck's Futures
Beck's Futures was a British art prize founded by London's Institute of Contemporary Arts and sponsored by Beck's beer given to contemporary artists....
award in 2003. and won the 2010 Turner Prize for a sound installation that features her singing three versions of a Scottish lament. She received the £25,000 prize at a ceremony at Tate Britain that was disrupted by protests over the British Government's educational cuts.
Philipsz is one of six sisters. Philipsz's father is Burmese. His family's life was "pulled apart by the war," and he came to the UK in his twenties.
External links
- Tate: Turner Prize 2010: Susan Philipsz The artist talks about her work Lowlands that won her the 2010 Turner Prize. 22 October 2010