the artist as Miss Margate,
age 6
a r t i s t
CV
Born: 11 August 1962
EDUCATION:
1990 Matriculated from the system
1981-84 Bachelor of Arts degree (Psychology, Eng. Lit.), University of the Witwatersrand
1985-87 Forced conscription in the South African Defence Force
1985 Ruth Prowse School of Art, Woodstock, Cape Town
Forced Conscription SADF 1987
AWARDS
VITA Art Now, Joint Second Quarter Award Winner, 1993
Momentum Life Award, 1993
FNB VITA Award Winner, 1998
Nov 2003 - Jan 2004 - awarded the Ampersand Foundation Fellowship, New York City
COLLECTIONS
Pop(e) Art, South African Broadcasting Corporation Collection
Johannesburg Art Gallery. Permanent Collection, BITTER SUITE (1993)
University of South Africa, Pretoria, LET THE VOICE OF THE YOUTH BE HEARD (1993)
Sandton Municipal Collection, SEAT FOR THE RICH ON THE LAP OF THE POOR, (1993), South Africa
Telkom Corporate Collection, untitled, (1995) South Africa
Gencor Corporate Collection, SEBENZA (1993), S.A..
Gauteng Legislative Collection, A PAGE FROM THE NATIONAL COMIC BOOK (1996), South Africa
METTLE MERCHANT Bank, Corporate Collection, South Africa, BALD GLAMOUR (1999)
Numerous private collections in South Africa, Australia, Europe and the United States
EXHIBITIONS
September -December 2004 :
Personal Affects, group show of 17 south african artists ...installation in Museum for African Art, New York City, plus installation at Cathedral Church of St John the Divine, New York City
2000
Feb Distinguished Identities: State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York
 self-portrait |
Feb NOBODY LOVES A FAIRY WHEN SHE'S 40, Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg
July EMERGENCE, GROUP SHOW, National tour
Sep POSTCARDS FROM SOUTH AFRICA, Axis Gallery, Soho, New York
1998
May-June MATERIAL BOY, solo exhibition at Galerie Dudelange-Ville, Luxemborg
July LIVING ART, FNB VITA Award exhibition, Sandton Civic Gallery
Sep BODY POLITICS exhibition, Wits University
Oct BUT ME, I'M SITTING PRETTY, solo exhibition Galerie Mikado, Luxemborg
1997
Feb-Mar CAMP CONCENTRATION, solo exhibition at Hanel Gallery, Cape Town
April Kempton Park Group show
Sep Johannesburg Fort, INSTALLATION
Sep EROTIC MINIATURES, Thompson Gallery, Johannesburg
Nov LIFETIMES; ART FROM SOUTH AFRICA, Munich, Germany
1996
 Untitled (detail) 1996 Screenprint on fabric Collection Joao Ferreira |
March-June COLOURS, Kunst aus Sud-Afrika, Haus der Kulturen Der Welt, Berlin, Germany
July Natal Society of Arts, Durban
Sep First South African Qualitative Research Conference, National Centre for Occupational Health, Jhb
1995
Feb-Mar Africus Biennale, INSIDE OUT, installation, Johannesburg Art Gallery
Feb TAP Gallery, Sydney, Australia
May Gay and Lesbian Art Theory course, University Of New South Wales
INSTALLATION, Arthaus, Newtown, Australia
1994
Feb STATE OF THE ART, Everard Read Contemporary,
March-June VITA ART NOW, JOHANNESBURG Art Gallery
Sep THE TOILET OF ADVENTURE, Installation, Civic Centre Art Gallery, Johannesburg
1993
June UNEASY CHAIRS AND BITTER SUITE, Everard Read Contemporary, Jhb
Nov EROTICA FOR HOME AND GARDEN, Newtown Gallery, Johannesburg
1992
Feb Johannesburg Mayoral Arts Ball, table-setting installation
June PROCESSED IMAGE, Newtown Gallery, Johannesburg
Oct QUEER ART, Group show, FIG Gallery
1991
Jan CAPE TOWN TRIENNALE, 7 city tour
Dec URBAN ARTEFACT, Newtown Gallery, Jhb
1990
March Natal Society of Arts Group show, Durban
1989
Jan SOLO SHOW, Zona Gallery, Jhb
Aug THE LIVING ROOM, solo, Gallery on the Market, Jhb
Sep PORN/PAWN, FIG Gallery, group show, Jhb
Dec Natal Society of the Arts, group show, Durban
1988
July ALICE IN PRETORIA, Market Gallery, Jhb
PUBLIC INTERVENTION/PERFORMANCE ART
2008
Jan - CLEANING TIME (VIENNA) Spier Art Competition and Exhibition, Cape, South Africa
Jan - Under Pain of Death, installation plus performance, Austrian Cultural Forum, New York City, USA
Feb - Dancing Inside Out, L'Arsenic Theatre, Lausanne, Switzerland
Feb - Maid In South Africa, IMAGES OFF, V-Tape, Toronto, Canada
March - Dancing Inside Out, First Live Art Festival of India, residency at KHOJ, New Delhi, India
March - Chandelier, Espinal, Le Mans, France
March - Fuck off and die, Installation, Chapelle Fromentin, La Rochelle, France
April - Video presentation evening in lieu of perf (injury), TROUBLE festival, Les Halles, Brussels, Belgium
May - Maid In South Africa, The Enterprise of Art, Pallazzo Delle Arte, Naples, Italy
June - Dancing Inside Out, Court Toujours fest, Poitiers, France
June - CLEANING TIME (VIENNA) Spier Art Competition and Exhibition, Johannesburg Art Gallery, South Africa
Aug - Maid In South Africa, Rencontres Internationales, Madrid, Spain
Sept - Maid In South Africa, Rencontres Internationales, Berlin, Germany
Oct - Chandelier, Radical Drag, SAW Gallery, Ottowa, Canada
Oct - Dancing Inside Out, Maid In South Africa, taste, Queer Zagreb, Croatia
Nov - Three Solos/Trois Soli, Festival D'Automne, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
2007
Jan - Dancing Inside Out, Rencontres du Court, Poitiers, France
March - First Jewish Theatre Festival of Austria, Vienna - invited, then uninvited once there
March - CLEANING TIME (VIENNA) - public intervention, Heldenplatz, Austria
May - 10th Biennale Bandits Images, various works, Bourges, France
June - Maid In South Africa, Rencontres Internationales, Paris, France
Nov - Chandelier, Mettre en Scene, Quimper, France
Dec - Chandelier, Rightfully Yours, Barnicke Gallery, Toronto, Canada
2006
Feb - Dancing Inside Out, Kunsthalle Vienna project Space, ten performances plus exhibition/installation/videos
Feb - Taste, Museum of Contemporary Art, Honolulu, USA plus exhibition Personal Affects
April - Uninvited, Exhibition of various video-works, BARD Centre for Curatorial Studies, New York, USA
June - Tradition, Les Intranquilles festival, Les Subsistances, Lyon, France
June - Chandelier, Latitudes Contemporaines Festival, Lille France
Sept - I Wouldn't Be Seen Dead In That! Festival D'Automne, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Oct - I Wouldn't Be Seen Dead In That! Theatre Garonne, Toulouse, France
Oct - Chandelier, Theatre garonne, Toulouse, France
Nov - Chandelier, Dressing the Contemporary, PROGR, Bern, Swizerland
Dec - Dancing Inside Out, Montevideo, Marseilles, France
Dec/Jan Save the Last Dance for Me, Scenographies Urbaine, Kinshasa, Dem Rep of Congo (residency of one month)
2005
Feb - Dancing Inside Out, Johannesburg Dance Umbrella, South Africa
Feb - Hard Core Queer, Chapelle Fromentin, La Rochelle, France
March - I Wouldn't Be Seen dead In That! Scene National, Dieppe, France
April - I Wouldn't Be Seen Dead In That! Le Vivat, Armentierres, France
June - Dancing Inside Out, Maid In South Africa, Taste, Latitudes Contemporaines, Lille, France
Oct - Dancing Inside Out, International Biennale of Dance of Ceara, Fortalezza, Brazil
Oct - Dancing Inside Out, Panorama festival of Dance, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Oct - Chandelier, Palamino Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Nov - Dancing Inside Out, performance plus video evening, Porte MC2a, Bordeaux, France
Nov - It Is What It Is, David Exhibition, Johannesburg, South Africa - censored, cancelled by organisers
2004
Jan - Chandelier, Les Subsistence, Lyon
Jan - Limping into the African Rennaisance, plus Chandelier, African Art Centre, Bordeaux
March - Mauvais Genre Alain Buffard, Chapelle Fromentin, La Rochelle
April - I Wouldn't be Seen Dead in That!, Les Susbsistence, Lyon
April - residency at Les Subsistence, creation and performance of Dancing Inside Out
June - Les Subsistence, Les Intranquilles, Dancing Inside Out
June 25 - Sorry I'm late! public intervention, Museum of Deportation and Resistance, Lyon- arrested by the French National Police
July - Estonia, Dancing Inside Out, This One Got Away
Aug - Warning Hazardous Area workshop, Ballet Atlantique/Régine Chopinot, Berlin
Sep - Free Jew is Cheap at Twice the Price, Museum for African Art, New York City
Sep - Chandelier performance,(suspension and projection) Cathedral Church of St John the Divine, New York City
Nov - Warning Hazardous Area workshop,Ballet Atlantique/Régine Chopinot, Les Subsistence, Lyon
2003
I Wouldn't be Seen Dead in That! - Aix-en-Provence
July - Estonia, Taste and Chandelier Feb - "I wouldn't be seen dead in that!" - Chapelle Fromentin, La Rochelle, France - collaboration with Ballet Atlantique/Régine Chopinot
Feb - "I wouldn't be seen dead in that!" - FNB Dance Umbrella, Johannesburg, South Africa - collaboration with Ballet Atlantique/Régine Chopinot
2002
March - CHANDELIER, FNB VITA Dance Umbrella, Johannesburg, South Africa
April - Video Ground Zero, V Tape, Canada
performance & video presentation Toronto(Buddies in Bad Times), Ottowa - ARC Conference
May - CHANDELIER, PLAYTIME Festival, Newtown, Jhb, South Africa
June - Danses du Loin, Performance Festival (Kenya, France, Vietnam, South Africa) - Port de Peche, La Rochelle, France
June - In Transit, International Performance Festival, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin - performances, public interventions (Rathaus, reichstag)
Nov - WHARF, Rencontres Video Art Plastique 16 - Centre d'art contemporain de Basse-Normandie, Caen, France
2001
Sep - CHANDELIER - intervention at demolition of squatter camp, Newtown
Sep - BROKEN BIRD (10 min digital artwork) - Jhb Art Gallery, danced by Elu
2000
Jan - Limping into the African Renaissance - public road, eSigangeni, Swaziland, with Nomsa Dhlamini
Feb - LIMPING INTO THE AFRICAN RENAISSANCE - FNB VITA Dance Umbrella, Wits Theatre, Jhb
Feb - Shit Day at 702, radio interview/performance
April - Limping into the African Renaissance, Sandton Civic Gallery
May - ART AND BODY, UNISA Art Gallery, Pretoria
Aug - MANDELA/RABBI/QUEEN, Book Shop, Hyde Park Centre
Aug - JOMBA Dance Festival, University of Natal, Sneddon Theatre
Aug - TRADITION, NSA Art Gallery, Durban
Sep - ELEPHANT STYLE, Sebokeng, Miss Glow Vaal
Oct - KUDU DANCE, Standard Bank Art Gallery, Chagall opening
1999
Jan - BOEREDRAG - Church Square, Pretoria
Feb - CRAWLING to register - Independent Electoral Commission, Johannesburg
Feb - CRAWLING TO Miniland and 702 radio
Feb - FLYING - Johannesburg Zoo
Feb - FLY - Hyde Park shopping centre - refused entry
Feb - FLY - Goodman Gallery window, ]an Smuts Ave
Feb - NOBODY LOVES A FAIRY WHEN SHE'S 40 - Goodman Gallery
I'LL WALK WITH GOD - Goodman Gallery
April - CRAWLING - Leonardo da Vinci opening, Pretoria Art Museum
FREEDOM DAY performance, Club Zoo, Jhb
May - THE TREK SONG - Dusty Closets exhb, Carfax, Jhb
TRADITION
June - VOTING - Crawling in horns, Independent Electoral Commission, polling day, Jhb
July - FASHION MULE - Greyville Race Course, Durban
Aug - DOG and ONCE UPON A HIGH HEEL - Nico Malan Confluences International Dance Conference, Cape Town
Aug - NOBODY LOVES A FAIRY WHEN SHE'S 40 and
TRADITION - Baxter Theatre,Cape Town Dance Umbrella
Aug - CRAWLING - British Airways flight Cape Town to Jhb
Aug - TASTE, University of Cape Town, Campus Canteen Intervention Six week
ART THERAPY Course, leading to the work TASTE
Sep - INTERSECTION/HIJACK - Public intervention at various Traffic intersections, Jhb - danced by Elu
Sep - TASTE - Wits University Fine Art Dept
Sep - CRAWLING - Gay Pride March, Jhb City Centre streets
Sep - INTERSECTION/HIJACK - Sebokeng zone 12, judging Miss GLOW Vaal
Oct - BANNED from the Durban Dance Umbrella
Nov - TASTE - Carfax, Jhb
Nov - INTERSECTION/HIJACK - North West Fashion Technikon, Mabopane, Gauteng
Dec - TASTE - Civic Art Gallery,Babel Tower exhb - to open
Dec - LIMPING INTO THE AFRICAN RENAISSANCE - Dec 31 At llp.m. - traditional homestead, eSigangeni, Swaziland
1998
Jan - PATRIOTIC DRAG - Fort Klapperkop, AWB Rally, Pretoria Removed by force
Feb - HOW TO RECEIVE A CHEQUE - VITA nominations, Sandton Civic Gallery, Jhb
Feb - FACIST PIG - Electric workshop, Jhb and African Window Gallery, Pretoria
March - DOG and ONCE UPON A HIGH HEEL - Jhb Dance Umbrella, Wits Theatre
April - DOG and PIECES OF YOU - Joao Ferreira Fine Art, Cape Town
May - DOG and UGLY GIRL - Galerie Dudelange, Luxembourg
May - DOG - Goldfield's Kennel Club, Jhb
May - DOG - Sandton Square, Jhb
June - PENETRATED VIRGIN - Bridal show, Killarney Mall, Jhb Removed
June - JEW - Walk for Life, Jhb Zoo
June - UGLY GIRL AT RUGBY - SA vs Wales, Loftus Versveld, Pretoria
JEW AT BREE STREET TAXI RANK - Johannesburg CBD
June - JEW AT THE MALL - Rosebank Mall and Mutual Square, Jhb
June - JEW AT THE ZOO - Run for Wildlife, Jhb Zoo
July - DOG, UGLY GIRL, FAGGOT, JEW - Durban Art Gallery
July - BLOOD - Durban July, Newmarket Race Course
July - FAGGOT and UGLY GIRL - Club 330, Point Rd, Durban
July - DOG, UGLY GIRL, FAGGOT, JEW - Sandton Civic Gallery Johannesburg - VITA AWARD
Aug - FASHION MULE/FLY - Sandton Square Fashion Week
Aug - PATRONAGE - Nokia Corporate Office Park, Jhb
Sep - UGLY GIRL and DOG - Body Politics Conference, Wits, Jhb
Sep - UGLY GIRL vs MUGABE - Gay Pride, Pieter Roos Park, Hillbrow, Jhb
Sep - GAY COUPLE VISA - Zimbabwe Embassy, Pretoria
Sep - FLY - Kine Centre, CBD, Jhb
Oct - FLY - Galerie Mikado, Luxembourg
Oct - DOG and ONCE UPON A HIGH HEEL - Dance Umbrella Playhouse Theatre, Durban
Oct - CRAWLING - Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Jhb
Nov - CRAWLING - Standard Bank Gallery, CBD, Jhb
Nov - GOOD MOURNING - Bryanston Catholic Church and WestPark Cemetry, Jhb
Dec - SIMON NKOLI MEMORIAL - St Mary's Cathedral, Jhb City
Dec - MISS FNB and FATHER XMAS - Fourways Crossing, Jhb
Dec - MISS FNB and FATHER XMAS - Eastgate Mail, Jhb
Dec - MENORAH at CHANUKAH - Lubavitch Public Event, Sandton Square, Jhb
1997
Feb - THEORY OF THE QUEER AS A DUMB DRAG - Hanel Gallery, Cape Town
March - MONSTER SHOPPER - Eastgate Mail, Jhb - repeatedly
April - THEORY OF THE QUEER AS A SLUT - Kempton Park
June - I WAS FUCKED UP MY ART - Sandton Civic Gallery
Sep - DILDO-DRAG - Body Politics Conference, Durban
Sep - THE ART OF KISSING - Arts Alive, Jhb with Elu
Sep - DAGGA IS AN ALARMING PROBLEM - Jhb Biennale
Sep - DAGGA IS AN ALARMING PROBLEM - Rosebank Mall
Nov - THE ART OF KISSING - Jhb Supreme Court, CBD, Elu
Nov - BRIDAL DRAG - Supreme Court, Decriminalisation of Gay sex hearing
Nov - NATURAL ANGEL - Krush exhb, Troyeville, Jhb
Dec - DIVORCEE DRAG - Hyde Park Shopping Centre - Removed by police
RESIDENCY
In June 2002 Steven Cohen and Elu took up a one-year choreographic research residency with Ballet Atlantique/Régine Chopinot in La Rochelle, France.
This led to the multimedia work "I wouldn't be seen dead in that!" (for 6 dancers, 55 min) which premiered in La Rochelle, France - 7, 8, 9 Feb 2003, and was shown in Johannesburg, South Africa, 26, 28 Feb 2003
WEBSITE
Opened October 2000 - sponsored by artslink.co.za
Contact: 011 614-3729 email:stevencohen@artslink.co.za