Kenneth Feingold
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Kenneth Feingold (USA, 1952 - ) is a contemporary artist. He has been exhibiting his work in drawing, film, video, objects, and installations since 1974. His work was the subject of a mid-career survey exhibition at Ace Gallery, Los Angeles (Oct 2005 - February 2006). Among the numerous awards and honors Feingold has received, the most recent include a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship (2004)and a Rockefeller Foundation Media Arts Fellowship (2003) . He has taught at Princeton University and Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science, among others. His works have been shown at the Museum of Modern Art, NY; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; Tate Gallery, Liverpool, the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, and many other museums.
After first studying at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, he received his B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in "Post-Studio Art" from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), Valencia, California. He has traveled widely, living for extended periods of time in India, Japan, and Argentina and working for shorter periods in many other countries. He lives in New York City and is represented by ACE Gallery, New York/Los Angeles.
his website: http://www.kenfeingold.com
[edit] Chronology
1952
born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1956
family moves to New York
1970
attends Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio
studies and works with Paul Sharits; makes experimental 16mm films and film installations
works at The Film-Makers' Cooperative in New York
1971-75
moves to San Francisco, later transfers to CalArts and moves to Los Angeles
studies at CalArts in Art Department with John Baldessari, Allan Kaprow, David Antin and in Film Department with Pat O'Neill
works as teaching and studio assistant for John Baldessari (continues until 1976)
solo exhibition of 16mm films at Millennium Film Workshop, New York
inclusion of films in “Text & Image” and “Stills” group exhibitions at Whitney Museum of American Art, NY
solo exhibition of sculptures and video at Gallery A-402, CalArts, Valencia
solo exhibition of drawings at Claire S. Copley Gallery, Los Angeles
inclusion of three videotapes in "Southland Video Anthology”, Long Beach Museum of Art
1976
receives MFA from Cal Arts
moves back to New York
works as studio assistant for Vito Acconci
1977
accepts teaching position at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, moves to Minneapolis
film screening at The Kitchen, New York
first article on his work published: “Six Films by Ken Feingold” by David James published in Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art (LAICA) Journal, LA
1978-81
survey of 16mm films at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
exhibition in Project Room at Artists' Space, New York
solo exhibition of “Sexual Jokes” video installation at the Whitney Museum of American Art
receives National Endowment for the Arts Visual Art Fellowship
develops new body of sculptures and installation works
1982-83
sabbatical from teaching
travels extensively recording film in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka
exhibits video works in Whitney Museum of American Art Biennial and
Anthology Film Archives, New York
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
The Kitchen, NY
L.A.C.E. Gallery, Los Angeles
video works first represented by Electronic Arts Intermix, New York
1984
travels for exhibitions in Europe, visits Cairo to develop video project
video works show at
Centro Cultural Candido Mendes, Rio de Janeiro
Museo Palazzo Fortuny, Venice
Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Bologna
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
Long Beach Museum of Art, California
MonteVideo, Amsterdam
first represented in Europe by Galerie Rene Coelho, Amsterdam
1985-86
moves back to New York
“Signs No. 1-15” in group exhibition “Signs” at The New Museum of Contemporary Art, NY
video included in Whitney Museum of American Art 1985 Biennial Exhibition, NY and at Institute for Art and Urban Resources (P.S.1), NY;
guest artist at The American Center, Paris
The Museum of Modern Art, NY "Video Viewpoints: Ken Feingold"
Museum of Modern At, NY acquires video works for its Film Study Collection
receives funding from New York State Council on the Arts, The Contemporary Art Television(CAT) Fund, and The McKnight Foundation Fellowship for Artists
travels for almost one year to record video in Hong Kong, SIngapore, Japan, Indonesia and extended video work in remote areas of India and Thailand
1987 – 88
video work show at
The Kitchen, New York
Netherlands Theater Institute, Theater Tape Festival, Amsterdam
L.A.C.E. Gallery, Los Angeles
The Kijkhuis, WorldWide Video Festival, The Hague
MonteVideo, Amsterdam
Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; Tenth Anniversary Exhibition
Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
Aarhus Museum of Art, Copenhagen
Festival International du Nouveau Cinema et de la Video, Montreal
Newport Harbor Art Museum, California "Skeptical Beliefs”
Fukui Fine Arts Museum, "International Biennale", Fukui, Japan
Long Beach Museum of Art, California
invited to present talk in the permanent collection gallery of the Museum of Modern Art, NY for series "Contemporary Art in Context", lectures on “Infinity in Duchamp and Giorgio de Chirico”
receives National Endowment for the Arts Media Arts Fellowship and The Bush Foundation Fellowship for Artists
receives Fellowships from New York Foundation for the Arts, The Jerome Foundation, Checkerboard Foundation
exhibits video installation “The Lost Soul” at The Asia Society, New York
returns to India, records extensive series of interviews with Tibetan philosophers living in exile in India; completes “Distance of the Outsider” series of video works, a three-year project
1989
video work included in
Whitney Museum of American Art 1989 Biennial Exhibition and
National Gallery of Canada
Whitney Museum of American Art, "Image World: Meta-Media"
American Museum of the Moving Image, NY, "Video as Language"
installation “The Lost Soul” shown at The Kijkhuis, World Wide Video Festival, The Hague
receives US/Japan Friendship Commission Creative Artists Exchange Fellowship (through National Endowment for the Arts Media Arts)
extended travels in Argentina and Uruguay, returns semi-annually through 2005
begins teaching at Princeton University, Visual Arts Program, teaches there on and off through 1994
1990
lives in Japan for six months on fellowship, travels widely
exhibits video work at
Image Forum, Tokyo; Festival of Experimental Film & Video, "The Work of Ken Feingold"
Nagoya City Art Museum, Nagoya, Japan "Ken Feingold", Retrospective video screening
Museum of Modern Art, NY; "Dream"
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires; "Video Art Internacional"
drawings shown at Leopold Hoesch Museum, Duren, Germany; "Paper as Knowledge"
1991-92
Feingold’s first interactive artwork “The Surprising Spiral” completed and is exhibited at Kunsthalle Dominikannerkirche, "European Media Art Festival", Osnabrück, Germany
Galerie René Coelho / MonteVideo; Amsterdam
145 Hudson Street, New York
ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karslruhe, Germany; "Bitte Berühren (Please Touch)"
Kunsthallen Brandts Klædefabrik, "Installations: Ken Feingold & Thiery Kuntzel” Odense, Denmark
OTSO Gallery, Helsinki
creates first interactive works with talking puppet heads and begins artworks using them connected to the Internet
video work shown at
Bonn Kunstverein, BonnVideonale (winner of Videonale-Preis for tape "Un Chien Délicieux")
Berlin Video Festival
Simon Watson Gallery, NY, "The Body"
Museum of Modern Art, NY; "Fact/Fiction"
Tibet Film Festival, "Tibet in Times Square" (video for Sony "Jumbotron" TV), NYC
L.A.C.E. Gallery, Los Angeles, "Perception/Misperception"
Stadtmuseum Graz, “Steirischer Herbst ‘91/ Körper & Körper”, Graz, Austria
receives funding from New York State Council on the Arts
ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karslruhe acquires interactive installation “The Surprising Spiral” for its permanent collection
1993-96
works included in exhibitions at
The Museum of Modern Art, NY; "Between Word and Image"
Institut Valencia d’Art Moderno (IVAM), Valencia, Spain; "Demontage: Film, Video / Appropriation, Recycling" (travels Spain, Portugal, Holland);
WDR (national TV broadcast), Germany; "Ken Feingold's Un Chien Délicieux"
Gallery Puskinskaya, Saint Petersburg
International Center of Photography, NY; "Iterations"
Bonn Kunstverein; Bonn Videonalle
Biennale de Art Contemporain de Lyon;
Interactive Media Festival, Los Angeles
Mary Anthony Galleries, New York, "Synesthesia"
Postmasters Gallery, New York, “Can You Digit?”
Centro de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
teaches for one year at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science, School of Art
begins teaching at School of Visual Arts, NY, Graduate Computer Art Dept. (stays through 1998)
Feingold’s first web projects “REKD”, “JCJ Junkman”
artintact3 (ZKM Karlsruhe) publishes “SurReal Time Interaction or How to Talk to a Dummy in a Magnetic Mirror?” by Erkki Huhtamo – first essay surveying Feingold’s interactive andmedia artworks to date.
1997-98
receives commission to create and exhibit interactive installation “Interior” for InterCommunication Center, Tokyo, “ICC Biennale ‘97”
awarded DNP Internet ‘97 Interactive Award; Dai Nippon Printing, Tokyo
installation works exhibited at
Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg, “Interact! Key Works of Interactive Art”
Postmasters Gallery, New York, “Password Ferdydurke”
ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe, “SurroGate”
National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, “Visual Extension - Fantasy and Reality”
video works shown in
Documenta X; “Beware! In Playing the Phantom You Become One”, Kassel
Kunsthalle Düsseldorf, “Glut/Fest”
David Zwirner Gallery, New York, “Video Library”
lectures on his works at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; “Technology in the Nineties”
residency at ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe Germany;
Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, commissions interactive work “Head”
maintains studio in Buenos Aires; develops his first interactive conversation works
1999-2000
shows installations at
ZKM Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe, “net_condition”
Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki; “Alien Intelligence” (”Head” acquired for permanent collection);
Kapelica Gallery, Ljubljana; “Cyborg I”
Beall Center for Art & Technology, UC Irvine; “SHIFT-CTRL: Computers, Games & Art”;
video works shown at
Arsenal, Berlin; “The Skin of the Film”
Museum of Modern Art, NY; “Video Time”
awarded prize by Fundación Telefónica; Vida 3.0 (Life 3.0), Madrid
2001-02
Postmasters Gallery, New York, solo exhibition
installations in exhibitions:
Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, Duisburg, “Under the Skin”
Neue Galerie Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz “In the Field of Letters”
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, “Devices of Wonder”
Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo, “Contaminados”; San Jose, Costa Rica
Postmasters Gallery, New York; “Joy and Revolution”
Itaú Cultural, São Paulo, “exposição emoção art.ficial”
Seoul Museum of Art, “media city seoul 2002”
guest artist at The Royal University College of Fine Arts, Stockholm
receives commission from Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT), Liverpool
sculpture “If/Then” included in Whitney Museum of American Art, “2002 Biennial Exhibition”
three installations/sculptures included in 47th Corcoran Biennial; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C, "Fantasy Underfoot"
2003-04
receives Rockefeller Media Arts Fellowship
receives John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship
installation shown at Tate Liverpool in “Art, Lies, and Videotape: Exposing Performance”
three new cinematic sculptures in solo exhibition at the Grossman Gallery, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
screen-based video and computer works shown at Berkeley Art Museum, Pacific Film Archive
Postmasters Gallery, New York; “Hot Summer Cool”
Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, Shropshire, UK
Smart Project Space “Smart Cinema”; Amsterdam
exhibits “Sinking Feeling” at ACE Gallery, L.A.
2005
Survey Exhibition of works 1972-2005 at Ace Gallery L.A
The following is an excerpt from an interview with Ken feingold conducted by Matthew Gambler On october 19,2004 for Big Red & Shiny.com which illuminates the artist atraction to his current focus in anamatronics the full inter view can be found at http://www.bigredandshiny.com/cgi-bin/retrieve.pl?section=article&issue=issue12&article=GAMBER_INTERVIEW_WITH_KEN_8251156
KF: Well, I was very interested in speaking characters that weren’t fixed in their speech. I worked a little bit with actors, and worked a little bit with putting words into people’s mouths through overdubbing and things like that with videotape. Also, I had done some interactive things where you could change the sequence of playback of scenes. But, I wanted to get to where there was a more variable way to put language into the work that wasn’t written in advance, but that was attached to a human being, or something like a human being. It started with a piece that I did in 1993, with these little robots that were all connected together over the Internet. They had video camera in each of their heads and the idea was that you could connect from anywhere in the world and use the robot as your puppet and talk to people who were connected to the other puppet. It became clear rather quickly that there was a time zone problem, or there was just an interest level problem. So, I wanted to make robots that could know if there was someone connected to them or not, and if not, have software drive their conversational abilities. Otherwise, the piece wouldn’t really work if you were the only one there; I started thinking about what the precedents were in computing for doing that.
I got very interested in something that is referred to as the Eliza effect, which is this notion that even if you make a very simple, predictable kind of computer program, people will still suspend their sense of disbelief and try to talk to it, and try to project a personality into it. (Joseph Weizenbaum made an early conversational program he called Eliza). People would continue conversations way beyond where they would reasonably realize it’s just a program, there’s nobody there. That interested me very much and I started to make pieces that you could have conversations with. I found that the conversations that the visitors in the gallery were having were more of what those visitors were interested than what I wanted to put into the piece. I wanted to give these characters personalities, yet I didn’t want them to be able to talk about just anything at all, open-ended. I wanted them to try to steer the conversation. It was never as interesting for somebody just walking into the piece as it was for people to see me talking with it. And since I didn’t want them to be performance pieces that depended on me, I started to make pieces that had more than one character, so they could talk to each other. At that point, I decided to push the viewer participation out and start to make more dramatic interactions between the characters in the work. I started to think about them more as scenes where the parameters were described and the general topic of the conversation was described, but I wanted to allow the variability within it, so that when someone new came to hear what was said, it was somewhat different every time. And yet, not so different that it was a different work. Now, how do you make something that someone could see for one minute or two minutes and get the nature of the work, or something where somebody that would stay for 30 minutes or 3 hours or have it in their house and still continue to be fresh in some way and reveal new things about itself? That brought me into more complicated kind of programming that required examining, on a deeper level, a nature of thought in relation to language was and how to reorganize thoughts around the familiar language of habitual speech.
MG: Though the puppets are animatronic, and very technologically present, the lineage to the sculpted body of the ventriloquist dummy is still very clear. In addition to the language exchange, there is the level of finish, which is to establish the setting though never fully renders the space that presents the action.
KF: Yes, absolutely. They don’t have animatronic realism the way that some of the Disney things might, where there’s many, many different muscle movements in the face. Here the jaw just opens and closes like a ventriloquist puppet. It’s done to foreground the artificiality of it. People see all kinds of things in it, because people want to identify with them. I think it’s that identification that I like to employ to make the work function. For example in the piece, “You”, people really relate to that because they identify with the characters, not because they ultra realistic, but because they are realistic enough to get them in to point where them into the mental territory of where it is. I see them as cinematic. I think about them literally as cinematic sculptures.
But, there’s a quality of sculpture that they have which is materially specific. They aren’t abstract things, nor are they things in themselves that just “ are what they are”. They are particular things. They are things rather than sculptures. “In Animal Vegetable and Mineralness of Everything”, that thing which is the sculpture is the object of discussion. They don’t recognize things that aren’t things, and all the parts and pieces of the works are made up of things, they aren’t invented forms. So, for me those things have signification that are culturally bound to things that people can name. Therefore, they can be can made meaningful because they are familiar and they collide and that’s what works within the space of cinema, you get all this stuff in the frame and you can say well this is a room and that is a desk and there is a person sitting there and that is a bed and that is a lamp and those things through their familiarity start to make the narrative work. So, I am relying on certain interpretations through a shared grammar of familiar objects and that is something I think which cinema and theatre both use. The reason that I don’t think about them so much as theatre is that I am not using that separation between the stage and the audience the way that theatre does. Some people have tried to break that down, but still when you think about theatre, even if it is not proscenium stage, you still think about the notion of onstage and offstage in a way. And these works, as you said, when you went to the space, you are in the space of the work. The work commands the space that it’s in and you don’t know if you’re activating it or you’re participating in it or where to situate your physical body in relation to it. So, in a way, it is like the mental space of being in a movie. You’re there voyeuristically. Sometimes in more Brechthian kind of cinema, you feel yourself heavily sitting in the chair, aware of your position as a voyeur in the audience, but most cinema that you really are taken into, you lose that sense of voyeur situated in space. You are projecting you’re mind into the scene somewhere.
