Jump to content

Adam Broomberg

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Draft:Adam Broomberg)
Adam Broomberg
Portrait of Adam Broomberg
Born (1970-11-11) 11 November 1970 (age 54)
Johannesburg, South Africa
Years active1986–present
Known forArtist and human rights defender[1][better source needed]

Adam Broomberg (born November 11, 1970) is a South African artist, art educator, and activist currently based in Berlin, Germany. He is the co-founder and coordinator of the NGO Artists + Allies x Hebron alongside the Palestinian activist Issa Amro.[2]

Broomberg's work often explores themes of conflict, power, and the representation of truth in contemporary society. He is known for challenging existing power structures and using art as a means of fostering social change. His practice has been described as both provocative and thought-provoking, encouraging viewers to critically examine their perspectives and confront uncomfortable truths.[3]

Early life and education

[edit]

Adam Broomberg was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and grew up during the Apartheid era, a time of intense racial segregation and political unrest. This politically charged environment profoundly influenced his worldview and later artistic practice. Growing up in a society defined by systemic inequality and oppression shaped his awareness of social injustices and fueled his commitment to challenging dominant narratives through his work.[4]

Broomberg attended the University of Cape Town for his initial studies before completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art at the University of Witwatersrand in 1998.[5]

His education in South Africa during the post-apartheid transition further informed his critical perspective on power dynamics and representation, themes that would become central to his artistic practice.[6]

Teaching and academic career

[edit]

Broomberg has held various academic positions and continues to teach internationally.

From 2015 to 2021, he was a professor of photography at the Hochschule für bildende Künste (HFBK) in Hamburg, Germany. However, his tenure ended due to his outspoken support for Palestinian rights, a stance that sparked controversy and led to his dismissal.[7]

Broomberg is also a faculty member of the Photography & Society program at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK) in The Hague, a course he co-designed to address the intersection of visual culture and social issues. His commitment to education extends beyond formal academia; he frequently leads workshops and lectures at international institutions, emphasizing art's role in fostering critical thinking and activism.[8]

Collaboration with Oliver Chanarin

[edit]
Main article: Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin

In the early 2000s, Adam Broomberg formed a creative partnership with fellow artist Oliver Chanarin, who was born in London in 1971.[9] Together, they became known as the artistic duo **Broomberg & Chanarin**. Their work is celebrated for its intellectual rigor, technical innovation, and its ability to provoke meaningful dialogue about contemporary issues.

Their most notable achievement was winning the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize in 2013 for their publication War Primer 2, a critical reworking of Bertolt Brecht’s original War Primer.[10]

Their collaborations spanned over two decades, producing several critically acclaimed projects, exhibitions, and publications. Their work has been displayed in prestigious institutions, including Tate Modern, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the Victoria and Albert Museum.[11]

In 2021, they concluded their partnership with a retrospective exhibition in Barcelona, marking what they described as a "creative suicide".[12]

Activism

[edit]

Founding of Linx

[edit]

At the age of 16, Adam Broomberg co-founded a political organisation called \"Linx\" in South Africa alongside other young students, including Yaël Farber. The group aimed to conscientise young white South Africans about the realities of Apartheid and foster political awareness among the youth.

Polaroid and apartheid + Kodak and race

[edit]

In 2013, Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin \"spent a month in South Africa\" to highlight the racial bias in photographic technology during the Apartheid era. They used decades-old film engineered primarily for white faces to create their work.[13] They employed Polaroid's vintage ID-2 camera, which included a \"boost\" button to increase the flash intensity, allowing it to photograph black people for the notorious passbooks, or \"dompas,\" used by the state to control their movements.

Spirit is a Bone

[edit]

Another collaborative project with Oliver Chanarin, Spirit is a Bone, critiques facial recognition technology, particularly in Russia. The project examines how photographed faces, stripped of context and interaction, become mere digital equivalents of death masks, highlighting the dehumanizing effects of such technologies.[14]

Baby It's Cold Outside

[edit]

In 2016, ahead of the Brexit referendum, Broomberg and Chanarin designed and sold ethically made t-shirts bearing the slogan \"Baby It’s Cold Outside.\"[15] The slogan, a reference to the 1940s eponymous Christmas song, served as a protest against a potential exit from the European Union. Reflecting on his global identity, Broomberg said, \"My family escaped Europe before the Holocaust, I grew up in Africa, I learnt to be an artist in Italy, and I’ve lived in England for 20 years. I feel at home in the world.”[16]

Hands off our Revolution

[edit]

In 2016, Broomberg criticised the art market for continuing \"business as usual\" following the election of Donald Trump. To counter modern fascism, he created \"Hands off our Revolution,\" a collaborative web-based art project involving artists, thinkers, and researchers.[17] The project’s manifesto stated, “This time, the threat, in the form of Donald Trump’s ‘whitelash’ fascism, is not just apparent in the United States. Trump’s election has emboldened the right wing throughout the world.”

Artists + Allies x Hebron

[edit]

Founded by Broomberg, this initiative focuses on the surveillance methods used by Israeli authorities to monitor Palestinians in and around Hebron. Often dubbed \"Facebook for Palestinians,\" this surveillance relies heavily on facial recognition technology.[18] The initiative repurposed this technology in a project called \"Counter-Surveillance: H2,\" which aimed to protect the olive harvest instead of surveilling Palestinian communities.[19][better source needed]

Row with Stefan Hensel

[edit]

In February 2023, Broomberg defended himself in an article in Die Zeit[20] against allegations of antisemitism made by Stefan Hensel, Hamburg's commissioner against antisemitism.[21] Broomberg expressed fears for his safety in Germany and defended his support for the BDS movement.

Support for BDS

[edit]

In 2021, Broomberg spoke out in an article in taz[22] against the Hochschule für bildende Künste Hamburg (HFBK), which ended its collaboration with him after he identified the ongoing Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories as \"apartheid.\" He also called on artists to boycott the Zabludowicz Art Trust, citing its alleged funding from Israeli arms industries.[23][24]

Berlin Arrest

[edit]

In May 2023, Broomberg was arrested by German police at a Jewish-led Nakba commemoration in Berlin.[25]

Exhibitions

[edit]

2021

[edit]
  • The Late Estate Broomberg & Chanarin, Fabra i Coats Centre d'Art Contemporani, Barcelona, Spain[26]

2019

[edit]

2018

[edit]

2017

[edit]

2016

[edit]

2015

[edit]

Publications

[edit]

2015

[edit]
  • Humans and Other Animals (monograph), Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, Tate Publishing. ISBN 978-1-849763-67-7
  • Spirit is a Bone (monograph), Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin, MACK, London, UK. ISBN 978-1-910164-18-1.

Selected solo work and exhibitions

[edit]

In addition to his collaborative projects, Broomberg has worked and has exhibited internationally. His photographs often evoke a sense of intimacy and vulnerability, encouraging viewers to confront uncomfortable truths and question established norms.[citation needed] His solo exhibitions have been held in galleries and institutions worldwide, including the Tate Modern in London, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. His work is included in the collections of institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Art Institute of Chicago. Listed below are the most recent:[41]

  • (2022) Adam Broomberg "Glitter in My Wounds" @ Signs and Symbols, New York, USA[42]
  • (2021) Matthew Krouse, Kunsthallo, London, UK[43]
  • (2020) Bureaucracy of Angels (online), signs and symbols, New York, USA[44]

Selected bibliography

[edit]

2024

[edit]
  • Anchor in the Landscape (book), with Rafael Gonzalez, MACK books ISBN 978-1-915743-55-5

2023

[edit]
  • Vitamin C+: Collage in Contemporary Art (book), edited by Rebecca Morrill, Phaidon Press: London & New York ISBN 978-1-838665-57-9
  • Rubin, Birgitta, "Fantasieggande vårprogram på Magasin III" (Imaginative spring program at Magasin III), Dagens Nyheter, March 1

2022

[edit]
  • Ruka, Elīna, "The (art) world of Adam Broomberg," FK Magazine, October 6
  • Phearse, Terrence, "Adam Broomberg: Rare and Bare", Musée Magazine, Issue No. 27, June 2022 signs and symbols | New York, New York | www.signsandsymbols.art
  • Sanchez, Gabriel H., "The Camera Bag: Great Photography to See Now", PhotoSpark, January 25
  • Glitter in My Wounds, signs and symbols, New York, New York ISBN 978-1-913620-36-3
  • Capone, Emily, ”EXHIBITION REVIEW: Adam Broomberg with CAConrad and Gersande Spelsberg” Musée Magazine, January 12

2021

[edit]
  • Glitter in My Wounds (monograph), Adam Broomberg + CAConrad + Gersande Spelsberg, MACK, London, UK. ISBN 978-1-913620-36-3

2017

[edit]
  • Benjamin und Brecht: Thinking in Extremes (catalog), Akademie der Künste
  • Co-Art: Artists on Creative Collaboration (book), Ellen Mara De Wachter, Phaidon. ISBN 978-0-714872-88-9
  • Das Gesicht: Bilder, Medien, Format (catalog), Deutsche Hygiene-Museum, Dresden
  • In/Visible War: The Culture of War in Twenty-First-Century America (book), Rutgers University Press
  • Photography And Collaboration: From Conceptual Art To Crowdsourcing (book), Daniel Palmer, Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350008-31-1
  • Yokohama Triennale: Islands (catalog), Constellations & Galapagos

2016

[edit]
  • Emanations: The Art of the Cameraless Photograph (book), Geoffrey Batchen, The Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and DelMonico Books – Prestel. ISBN 978-3-791355-04-7
  • Il y a de l'autre (catalog), Julie Jones and Agnés Geoffrey, RM/JUMEX
  • Watched: Surveillance, Art and Photography (catalog), Cornerhouse Publications

2015

[edit]
  • Art & Religion in the 21st Century (book), Aaron Rosen, Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500293-03-4
  • Art in the Age of... (catalog), Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art
  • COLORS: A Book About a Magazine About the Rest of the World (book), Damiani / Fabrica. ISBN 978-8-862084-24-6
  • Perspectives on Place: Theory and Practice in Landscape Photography (book), J.A.P Alexander, Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1-472533-89-0
  • Rudiments (catalog), Centre for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle

Awards and recognition

[edit]

Throughout his career, Broomberg has received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the field of contemporary art.

2018

[edit]
  • Photo Text Book Award at the Arles Photo Festival, Arles, France (together w. Chanarin)[45]

2014

[edit]
  • Infinity Award, International Center of Photography, New York, New York (together w. Chanarin)[46]

2013

[edit]
  • Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, The Photographers Gallery, London, UK (together w. Chanarin)[47]

2004

[edit]
  • Vic Odden Award, Royal Photographic Society, Bath, UK (together w. Chanarin)[48]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Broomberg, Adam. "Adam Broomberg". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  2. ^ "Counter-Surveillance in H2: A project by Artists + Allies × Hebron". artistsandallies.art. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  3. ^ "Adam Broomberg's Artistic Practice". Art Critique. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  4. ^ "Apartheid's Impact on South African Artists". Art History Review. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  5. ^ "Adam Broomberg Biography". Adam Broomberg Official Website. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  6. ^ Smith, Jane (2010). "Art in Transition: The Post-Apartheid Generation". South African Art Quarterly. 12: 45–50. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  7. ^ Door, Lukas (2021-06-04). "Kunsthochschule trennt sich von Dozenten: Kunst als Kampfplatz". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  8. ^ "Adam Broomberg at KABK". Royal Academy of Art. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  9. ^ "About". Oliver Frank Chanarin. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  10. ^ "DB 2013 Winner | DBPP 2013 | The Photographers' Gallery". 2015-07-02. Archived from the original on 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  11. ^ Buck, Louisa (2021-02-17). "After more than two decades together, artist duo Broomberg and Chanarin commit 'creative suicide'". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  12. ^ O'Toole, Sean. "An obituary, of sorts, for the 'death' of artist duo Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin - 1854 Photography". British Journal of Photography. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  13. ^ Smith, David (2013-01-25). "'Racism' of early colour photography explored in art exhibition". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  14. ^ "Spirit is a Bone". Photomonitor. 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  15. ^ Higgie, Jennifer (2016-06-20). "Should We Stay or Should We Go?". Frieze. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  16. ^ "The t-shirts and people supporting #VoteRemain this summer". Dazed. 2016-06-06. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  17. ^ "Adam Broomberg: Hands off our Revolution". Good Trouble. 2016-12-23. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference \":0\" was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ "Palestinians, artists and allies turn Israeli surveillance tech round to protect olive groves". SKWAWKBOX. 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  20. ^ Twickel, Christoph (2023-02-07). "\"Ich mache mir Sorgen um meine Sicherheit in Deutschland\"". Die Zeit. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  21. ^ "German official targets Jewish artist over alleged anti-Semitism for criticising Israel Occupation". MEMO. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  22. ^ Cite error: The named reference \":2\" was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  23. ^ palestine, redacteur media. "Plus de 600 artistes et organisations appellent au boycott du Zabludowicz Art Trust en raison de ses liens avec Israël". Agence Media Palestine (in French). Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  24. ^ Liscia, Valentina Di (2021-05-18). "600+ Artists and Organizations Urge Boycott of Zabludowicz Art Trust Over Israel Ties". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
  25. ^ Shamir, Jonathan Di (2023-05-24). "Berlin Police Claim pro-Palestine Chant Is Banned at Jewish-led Nakba Day Rally". Haaretz. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  26. ^ "Spring Is Here: Brilliant Things To Do This March". AnOther. 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  27. ^ "Woe From Wit - Exhibition at synthesis gallery in Berlin". ArtRabbit. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  28. ^ "Photography Exhibition - Broomberg & Chanarin. Divine violence". The Eye of Photography Magazine. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  29. ^ "fig-futures, WEEK 3 / BROOMBERG & CHANARIN, 25 – 29 September 2018". Kettle's Yard. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  30. ^ "Nogueras Blanchard". Nogueras Blanchard. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  31. ^ "No Heroes Outside: Broomberg & Chanarin's 'Bandage the knife not the wound'". ArtThrob. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  32. ^ "Single Exhibition – ‌Broomberg & Chanarin – Not for Publication and Sale in Iran – Ag Galerie". Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  33. ^ "The Bureaucracy of Angels". Art on the Underground. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  34. ^ "Broomberg & Chanarin: Trace Evidence | Exhibitions". Lisson Gallery. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  35. ^ Christoph (2016-10-03). "Don't Start With The Good Old Things But The Bad New Ones". Another Something. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  36. ^ "Broomberg & Chanarin - Every Piece of Dust on Freud's Couch". Freud Museum London. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  37. ^ "Broomberg & Chanarin: Rudiments | Exhibitions". Lisson Gallery. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  38. ^ "People in Trouble Laughing Pushed to the Ground". Belfast Exposed. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  39. ^ "To Photograph the Details of a Dark Horse in Low Light". Aperture. 2013-04-19. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  40. ^ "Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin: Divine Violence at Goodman Gallery". Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  41. ^ "Adam Broomberg, artist". signs and symbols. Retrieved 2023-07-21.
  42. ^ "Adam Broomberg, with CAConrad and Gersande Spelsberg: Glitter in My wounds, an exhibition at signs and symbols". signs and symbols. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  43. ^ "The new exhibition by Adam Broomberg at kunsthallo London – OpenCall Magazine". opencallmag.com. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  44. ^ "Broomberg & Chanarin: The Bureaucracy of Angels, an online video exhibition". signs and symbols. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  45. ^ "HFBK: 2018/07/16: Photo Text Book Award für Broomberg & Chanarin". hfbk-hamburg.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  46. ^ "Past Recipients". International Center of Photography. 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  47. ^ "DB 2013 Winner". The Photographers' Gallery. 2013-06-10. Archived from the original on 2015-07-02. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  48. ^ "Vic Odden Award - RPS". 2023-09-25. Archived from the original on 2015-06-15. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Adam_Broomberg&oldid=1267946404"