The Kunsthal Rotterdam presents the first Dutch solo exhibition of the British artist Thomas J Price (1981, London). With work in various media, including sculpture, performance, photography and animation, he continuously pushes the boundaries of material, scale and presentation. The artist focuses on central themes such as representation and how we associate and perceive power within society. In a major overview, the Kunsthal will show various work from Price's two-decade career, from his early performance Licked (2001) to recent sculptures such as A Place Beyond (2022).
A number of central questions are present in Price's large-scale figurative sculptures: Who gets recognition in society? Who gets the chance to be seen? Who is represented? With his work, Price embodies everyday, fictional characters. He confronts the viewer with prejudices surrounding representation and identity, using the social characteristics and cues on which we base them. The impressive sculptures are created through a mix of digital technology and traditional sculpting techniques.
In his performance 'Licked' we see Price licking a gallery wall for three days. The artist conceived it as an expression of presence in absence, of being in a space without being seen. Although this is the only performance piece that Price has created, it remains a major influence on his multidisciplinary work and thinking. The exhibition covers all disciplines from his oeuvre, including photography, painting and animation.
Thomas J. Price
Thomas J Price is one of the most important contemporary British artists of his time. He studied at the Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art in London. In 2023, his solo presentation 'Beyond Measure' was on view at the Hauser & Wirth gallery in Los Angeles. Until May 2024, 'Thomas Price at the V&A' can be seen at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. From November 2023, Price will participate in the National Gallery of Victoria Triennial in Melbourne, Australia. Last summer, his almost four-meter-high sculpture 'Moments Contained', a gift from Droom en Daad to the city, was unveiled on the square in front of Rotterdam Central Station.
