Manuel Vason’s artistic practice explores the relationship between photography and performance, presence and representation. He considers the capturing of a moment as an act of creation, as a ritual towards the illusion of immortality and as an exchange between who is in front and who is behind the camera. The collaborative nature of his practice shapes a unique hybrid art form and forms new vocabularies. His collaborations to date have become some of the most iconic images of performance and his work has been published and presented internationally.
+ info en www.ManuelVason.com / www.ArtCollaboration.co.uk /
Artistic Statement
“I see my practice as a constant battle against the impossibility of reaching ‘presence’.
For years I have been trying hard to bridge photography and performance, and everyday I live the illusion of having fulfilled my ambition.
In the core of my practice lies an exchange; between myself and another artist, between the work and the viewer. I see myself reflected in all the artists I have met, collaborated and fallen in love with…Can art be a relationship?
Working with different minds and bodies allows me to discover every day something new about my own mind and body.
I’ve always wanted to be a sculptor although I’ve been using photography as my main medium.
Surface is my material.
Surface is my biggest enemy.
Maybe curiosity is eating me up inside, but so far it tastes pretty good.
…”
Publications:
Exposures (Manuel Vason, Lois Keidan, Ron Athey, Black Dog Publishing, London, 2002)
Encounters – Performance, photography, collaboration (Manuel Vason, Arnolfini Gallery Ltd, Bristol, 2007).
His work also featured in the publication Franko B: Oh Lover Boy (Gray Watson, Manuel Vason, Sarah Wilson, Black Dog Publishing, London, 2001) Since 1999 his work has been published on L’Uomo, Vogue, ID, Dazed and Confused, Flash Art, Art Review, Frieze, Art Forum, Contemporary, Tate Magazine etc., Dossier, Dance Theatre Journal and Stradda.
International Presence: his work has been published on L’Uomo, Vogue, ID, Dazed and Confused, Flash Art, Art Review, Frieze, Art Forum, Contemporary, Tate Magazine etc., Dossier, Dance Theatre Journal and Stradda. His artwork has been has presented nationally across the UK and internationally at Tate Liverpool, Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in London, Whitechapel Gallery in London, The Nunnery Gallery in London, National Review of Live Art in Glasgow, Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, Liverpool Biennial, Centre d’Art Contemporain in Geneva Switzerland, VB Museum (Finland), Museo delle Papesse (Italy), John Hansard Gallery in Southampton, Thessaloniki Performance Art Festival in Greece, Oi Futuro Gallery and Panorama Festival in Rio de Janeiro Brazil, Performance Space in Sydney Australia, Teatro Solis in Montevideo Uruguay.
More information on: www.ManuelVason.com / www.ArtCollaboration.co.uk