Neal
White is an interdisciplinary artist who grew up in Greater London’s suburban sprawl. His artwork has for many years developed in an expanding field of contemporary art practice as it intersects with science and its uncharted and often unchecked implications for the future of culture, society and our environment. These projects explore conceptual and epistemological borders, from invasive aesthetics and self-experimentation (Lets Experiment with Ourselves, 2003) through to current projects exploring light impacts as anthropogenic noise (light pollution) on urban nocturnal ecologies (2022- various ongoing). This work is explored through the immaterial, temporal and spatial dimensions of art practice, that reflects our own social and embodied experiences of the world as we are increasingly distanced from our natural environment.
Background
Following on from an MA in Digital Art, White co-founded one of the UKs first art & technology collectives; SODA in 1997 (to 2002). Developing projects for Cubitt, City Racing, Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Science Museum, London etc, he then focused his digital / research-led approach to the intersection of computing and genetics, as well as science moral and ethical challenges at The Natural History Museum, London and performances of The Void 2003-5. With an increasing focus on critical art practices, he established Office of Experiments during this period (2004) in order to create a distributed artist/studio that engaged with collaborative approaches to art making across disciplines, a recognition of the shift toward experimentation outside of the studio / lab - and in parallel with art moving outwards into social contexts. Around 2002 , he also met British artists John Latham, and Barbara Steveni (co-founders of Artist Placement Group) who had a strong influence on his interest in conceptual art, ‘event structures’ and social engagement that underpins his practice to this day. He later became a Director of O+I (formerly APG, 2007-9), that preceded his strategic role in the launch of the Incidental Unit in 2016 with Steveni, O’Connell and others. Now based at Flat time House in London, Lathams former home, it was considered by Steveni as the contemporary form of APG .
Neal White PhD, started as an educator in Digital Arts in 2003 at Ravensbourne School of Art & Design, and Bournmeouth University and Chelsea College of Art (UAL). He has worked as an artist and part time academic for most of his career, and was made a Professor of Media Art at The Media School in Bournemouth in 2014. He is currently a Professor at University of Westminster, where since 2017 he has also been co-Director of the research centre CREAM with Professor May Adadol Ingawanij. They are founding members of Ecological Futurisms collective.
White was recently an artist / co-curator of Perfect Nature in Amsterdam 2022, and co-curator of the Soil Assembly first realised at Kochi Muziris Biennale 2023, with Meena Vari of Srishti Manipal Institute of Art & Design (IN) Ewen Chardronnet, Makery (FR) and Maya Minder, Hacketeria (CH). He is also currently a a member of the Board of Trustees for SPACE Studios, London.
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Selected recent project / exhibition history includes;
Glazen Huis, Amstelpark, Amsterdam (2022), Central Pavillion of Venice Biennale of Architecture, Italy (Collaboration with Monsoon Assembages 2021), Kunsthall Trondheim, Norway (Collaboration with Diann Bauer, Jols Thoms of Deep Field Project 2020), Fargfabriken, Stockholm, Sweden (Collaboration with Tina O’Connell 2017), Henry Moore Institute, UK (2005, 2016), Royal College of Art, UK (Collaboration with Tina O’Connell 2016), Objectif Exhibitions, Antwerp, Belgium (2015), Portikus, Stadehlschule, Frankfurt, Germany (2014-15), Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK (2014), TULCA, Galway, Ireland (Collaboration with Tina O’Connell 2013), Chelsea Space, London, UK (2010), John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, UK (2008-9), Camden Roundhouse, London, UK (2006), Natural History Museum, London, UK (2003), Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden (With Soda 1999) Lux Galllery, London, UK (With Soda 1998), Gasworks, London, UK (With Soda 1998).
Funded by amongst others;
Biennale de Venezia (IT), Mondriaan Fund (NL), Arts Council of England, Henry Moore Institute and Henry Moore Foundation, The Wellcome Trust (all UK) and Center for Land Use Interpretation (USA), amongst many others in Europe. Selected works are in the collection of the The Henry Moore Insitute and Leeds Gallery Sculpture Collection.
Contact ︎contact form
Links to academic publications, talks etc. are accessible via neal white’s profile at CREAM.
Full Exhibition list and artist CV available on request - please use contact form.
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Notes from the Field - Front Page
Space on Earth Station 2004-6
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Camden Roundhouse, 2006. A project developed in collaboration with Danish architects N55, this space station was conceived as an exploratory platform to investigate our own planet and our impact on it. Using forms developed by Peter Jon Pearce (Structure in nature is a strategy for design) and with a critical view of the attempts to escape Earth and reach Mars, putting space over and above planetary health, we experimented with micro-economies, ecologies and low impact living. The space ‘on earth’ station included units for humans, birds, bees and plants, and hosted projects by artists across UK / Europe selected from an open call. It was produced in London and Copenhagen, and was open to the public for 6 days in September 2006. Supported by Arts Catalyst, London.
Previous
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In the depths of Star City, Moscow 2005.In 2005, I was asked to join a trip being led by Arts Catalyst to the training centre for Cosmonauts. All of the others on this trip, including Otolith group were intent on a zero gravity flight, I was tagging along as I was researching the possibility of remaking a scene cut from Kubricks classic 2001 AD (of an art class). Whilst inside the closed military facility of Star City, I had an unexpected encounter. Whilst others in the group were undergoing training - learning how to put on a parachute in case the parabolic flight they were all going on failed, I was left alone in a corridor. A small round light suddenly illuminated, followed by others. When I approach one of these lights, I discovered it was a porthole window, and far below me in the centre of the building, in what turned out to be a vast and very deep swimming pool, was a full scale model of the MIR space station. Soon after, at the same levels as I was standing, divers entered the pool wearing neutral bouyancy kit. A vast play space for rehearsing a gravity free environment, and a moment more surreal than 2001 AD.
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Asymmetic Power Protest (Unauthorised access). Dugway Proving Grounds / UTT- a documented protest using a nomadic structure on the edges of the largest US Military Bombing Range. (UTT) - Utah. 2007. The custom made mobile structure (F-Utility Vehicle) and placards with equations (machine decipherable) used in war games, and military planning that address zero-sum scenarios are elements of a work that address the asymmeties of power in democracies. Undertaken whilst in residence; Center for Land Use Interpretation, Wendover, Utah, funded by Henry Moore Foundation.
Background
Following on from an MA in Digital Art, White co-founded one of the UKs first art & technology collectives; SODA in 1997 (to 2002). Developing projects for Cubitt, City Racing, Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, Science Museum, London etc, he then focused his digital / research-led approach to the intersection of computing and genetics, as well as science moral and ethical challenges at The Natural History Museum, London and performances of The Void 2003-5. With an increasing focus on critical art practices, he established Office of Experiments during this period (2004) in order to create a distributed artist/studio that engaged with collaborative approaches to art making across disciplines, a recognition of the shift toward experimentation outside of the studio / lab - and in parallel with art moving outwards into social contexts. Around 2002 , he also met British artists John Latham, and Barbara Steveni (co-founders of Artist Placement Group) who had a strong influence on his interest in conceptual art, ‘event structures’ and social engagement that underpins his practice to this day. He later became a Director of O+I (formerly APG, 2007-9), that preceded his strategic role in the launch of the Incidental Unit in 2016 with Steveni, O’Connell and others. Now based at Flat time House in London, Lathams former home, it was considered by Steveni as the contemporary form of APG .
Neal White PhD, started as an educator in Digital Arts in 2003 at Ravensbourne School of Art & Design, and Bournmeouth University and Chelsea College of Art (UAL). He has worked as an artist and part time academic for most of his career, and was made a Professor of Media Art at The Media School in Bournemouth in 2014. He is currently a Professor at University of Westminster, where since 2017 he has also been co-Director of the research centre CREAM with Professor May Adadol Ingawanij. They are founding members of Ecological Futurisms collective.
White was recently an artist / co-curator of Perfect Nature in Amsterdam 2022, and co-curator of the Soil Assembly first realised at Kochi Muziris Biennale 2023, with Meena Vari of Srishti Manipal Institute of Art & Design (IN) Ewen Chardronnet, Makery (FR) and Maya Minder, Hacketeria (CH). He is also currently a a member of the Board of Trustees for SPACE Studios, London.
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Selected recent project / exhibition history includes;
Glazen Huis, Amstelpark, Amsterdam (2022), Central Pavillion of Venice Biennale of Architecture, Italy (Collaboration with Monsoon Assembages 2021), Kunsthall Trondheim, Norway (Collaboration with Diann Bauer, Jols Thoms of Deep Field Project 2020), Fargfabriken, Stockholm, Sweden (Collaboration with Tina O’Connell 2017), Henry Moore Institute, UK (2005, 2016), Royal College of Art, UK (Collaboration with Tina O’Connell 2016), Objectif Exhibitions, Antwerp, Belgium (2015), Portikus, Stadehlschule, Frankfurt, Germany (2014-15), Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK (2014), TULCA, Galway, Ireland (Collaboration with Tina O’Connell 2013), Chelsea Space, London, UK (2010), John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, UK (2008-9), Camden Roundhouse, London, UK (2006), Natural History Museum, London, UK (2003), Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden (With Soda 1999) Lux Galllery, London, UK (With Soda 1998), Gasworks, London, UK (With Soda 1998).
Funded by amongst others;
Biennale de Venezia (IT), Mondriaan Fund (NL), Arts Council of England, Henry Moore Institute and Henry Moore Foundation, The Wellcome Trust (all UK) and Center for Land Use Interpretation (USA), amongst many others in Europe. Selected works are in the collection of the The Henry Moore Insitute and Leeds Gallery Sculpture Collection.
Contact ︎contact form
Links to academic publications, talks etc. are accessible via neal white’s profile at CREAM.
Full Exhibition list and artist CV available on request - please use contact form.
--
Notes from the Field - Front Page
Space on Earth Station 2004-6
Camden Roundhouse, 2006. A project developed in collaboration with Danish architects N55, this space station was conceived as an exploratory platform to investigate our own planet and our impact on it. Using forms developed by Peter Jon Pearce (Structure in nature is a strategy for design) and with a critical view of the attempts to escape Earth and reach Mars, putting space over and above planetary health, we experimented with micro-economies, ecologies and low impact living. The space ‘on earth’ station included units for humans, birds, bees and plants, and hosted projects by artists across UK / Europe selected from an open call. It was produced in London and Copenhagen, and was open to the public for 6 days in September 2006. Supported by Arts Catalyst, London.
In the depths of Star City, Moscow 2005.In 2005, I was asked to join a trip being led by Arts Catalyst to the training centre for Cosmonauts. All of the others on this trip, including Otolith group were intent on a zero gravity flight, I was tagging along as I was researching the possibility of remaking a scene cut from Kubricks classic 2001 AD (of an art class). Whilst inside the closed military facility of Star City, I had an unexpected encounter. Whilst others in the group were undergoing training - learning how to put on a parachute in case the parabolic flight they were all going on failed, I was left alone in a corridor. A small round light suddenly illuminated, followed by others. When I approach one of these lights, I discovered it was a porthole window, and far below me in the centre of the building, in what turned out to be a vast and very deep swimming pool, was a full scale model of the MIR space station. Soon after, at the same levels as I was standing, divers entered the pool wearing neutral bouyancy kit. A vast play space for rehearsing a gravity free environment, and a moment more surreal than 2001 AD.
Asymmetic Power Protest (Unauthorised access). Dugway Proving Grounds / UTT- a documented protest using a nomadic structure on the edges of the largest US Military Bombing Range. (UTT) - Utah. 2007. The custom made mobile structure (F-Utility Vehicle) and placards with equations (machine decipherable) used in war games, and military planning that address zero-sum scenarios are elements of a work that address the asymmeties of power in democracies. Undertaken whilst in residence; Center for Land Use Interpretation, Wendover, Utah, funded by Henry Moore Foundation.