MICHAËL BORREMANS

° 1963, Geraardsbergen (Belgium)
Lives and works in Gent (Belgium)

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Michaël Borremans
The films, paintings, and drawings by Belgian artist Michaël Borremans (°1963) overwhelm the viewer through the use of deceleration, precision and vortex. His seductive works contain timeless images of inner drive and external force, of the latent pressure involved in being human. Behind a veil of stylistic perfection, the artist simulates common rituals of interpretation and meaning. His intensely atmospheric images are puzzles involving political and psychological patterns of perceiving the world, which oscillate in a camouflaging, fragile way between inexorable realism and nebulous distance.
 
Borremans has been working with Zeno X from 2000 onwards. A solo exhibition of his drawings opened October 2004 at the Museum Für Gegenwartskunst in Basel (CH). This show travelled to S.M.A.K., Gent (BE) and Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio (US). The painting show "The Performance"was held at S.M.A.K. Gent (B), toured to the Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, London (GB) and The Royal Hibernian Academy, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin (IR) during 2005. In 2006 Borremans had a solo show at La Maison Rouge in Paris (FR) and his video projects were shown at De Appel in Amsterdam (NL) and the Centre of Visual Arts in Coimbra (PT) in 2007. In 2008 he had a solo show at Zeno X Gallery and at Gallery Koyanagi in Tokyo (JP), and received the Overbeck Preis 2008 from the Overbeck Gesellschaft in Lübeck (DE) which was accompanied by a solo exhibition. 2009 started with a solo show at David Zwirner Gallery (US), titled after his newest film ‘Taking Turns' and a solo exhibition opened in April at the Kestner Gesellschaft in Hannover (DE). At the beginning of 2010 the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver (US) will host a small solo show of Michaël.
 
SOLO EXHIBITIONS BACK TO TOP
2011 'Michaël Borremans', Mücsarnok / Kunsthalle Budapest (HU), (May 8 - June 30), (cat)
  'Michaël Borremans', Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart (DE), (February 12 - May 1), (cat)
2010 'Michaël Borremans', Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo (NO), (December 3 - January 16, 2011), (cat)
  Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp (BE), (October 8 - November 9)
  'Commission for the Belgian Queen', Royal Palace, Brussels (BE), (July 26 - September 5)
  'Michaël Borremans', Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver (US), (January 29 - May 23)
2009 'Automat', Kestner Gesellschaft, Hannover (DE), (April 10 - June 21), (cat)
  'Taking Turns', David Zwirner, New York (US), (February 24 - March 28)
2008 'Ausstellung zum Overbeck Preis für Bildende Kunst der Gemeinützigen 2008', Overbeck Gesellschaft Lübeck (DE), (November 16 - January 11, 2009)
  'Earthlight Room', Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo (JP), (October 30 - January, 2009)
  'Painted Fruit', Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp (BE), (April 26 - May 31, 2008)
  'Veldwerk', Centro de Artes Visuais, Coimbra (PT), (January 21 - April 20)
2007 'Veldwerk', De Appel, Amsterdam (NL), (September 7 - October 14)
2006 La Maison Rouge - Fondation Antoine de Galbert, Paris (FR), (June 8 - September 24)
'Horse Hunting', David Zwirner Gallery, New York (US), (March 7 - April 1)
2005 'The Performance', The Royal Hibernian Academy, Gallagher Gallery, Dublin (IR), (July 14 - September 4), (cat)
'Hallucination and Reality', The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland (US), (May 22 - September 4), (cat)
'The Performance ', Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, London (UK), (May 3 - June 30), (cat)
'An Unintended Performance', S.M.A.K., Gent (BE), (February 5 - April 10), (cat)
2004 'Zeichnungen', Museum Für Gegenwartskunst, Basel (CH), (October 16 - January 9, 2005), (cat)
'Four Fairies', Kunsthalle Bremerhaven, Bremerhaven (DE), (June 26 - August 15)
'Fisherman's Luck', Zeno X Storage - Borgerhout, Antwerp (BE), (March 27 - May 1)
2003 'Trickland', David Zwirner Gallery, New York (US), (February 13 - March 8)
2002 'Young and Innocent', Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp (BE), (January 24 - March 2)
2000 Vereniging van het SMAK, Ghent (BE), (March 17 - April 23)
1999 'The Fetish Paintings', Croxhapoxruimte, Ghent (BE)
1998 'The Mind and it's Limit's', In den Bouw, Kalken (BE)
1997 Huize St.-Jacobus, Ghent (BE), (23 February - 16 March)
'Cerebral Office', Voorkamer, Lier (BE), (December 21 - February 1)
1996 Croxhapoxruimte, Ghent (BE)
 
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
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2010 'Compass in Hand: Selections from the Judith Rotschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection', Institut Valencià d’Art Modern, Valencia (ES), (October 28 - January 16, 2011)
  'UnSpooling - Artists & Cinema', Cornerhouse, Manchester (GB), (October 2 - January 9, 2011)
  'Coup de ville. Een chambres d’amis voor de 21ste eeuw', Sint-Niklaas (BE), (September 12 - October 24)
  'Invisible Shadow - Images of Uncertainty', Marta, Herford (DE), (September 4 - November 7)
  'Still/moving', Israel Museum, Jerusalem (IL), (July 26 - April, 2011)
  'False Recognition. 14th Vilnius Painting Triennal', Center of Contemporary Art, Vilnius (LT), (June 18 - August 15)
  'Until Now: Collecting the New (1960-2010)', Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis (US), (April 16 - August 1)
2009 'Benches & Binoculars', Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (US), (November 21 - August 15, 2010)
  "The end of the line: attitudes in drawing", The Fruitmarket, Edinburgh (UK), (November 14 - January 10, 2010), (cat)
  "Slow Paintings", Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen (DE), (November 11 - February 14, 2010)
  "Automatic Cities: The Architectural Imaginary in Contemporary Art", Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (US), (September 25 - January 31, 2010), (cat)
  "The end of the line: attitudes in drawing", City Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol (UK), (September 4 - October 25), (cat)
  "Contour 2009. 4th Biennal of Moving Image", stadscentrum, Mechelen (BE)
  "FADING", Museum van Elsene, Elsene (BE), (June 25 - September 13), (cat)
  "In-finitum", Palazzo Fortuny, Venice (IT), (June 6 - November 9), (cat)
  "Mapping the Studio", Palazzo Grassi, Venice (IT), (June 6 - December 31 2010), (cat)
  "Private Universes", Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas (US), (May 24 - August 30)
  "The end of the line: attitudes in drawing", The Bluecoat, Liverpool (UK), (May 22 - July 19), (cat)
  "Compass in Hand: Selections from the Judith Rotschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection", MOMA, New York (US), (April 22 - July 27)
  "JEUGDZONDE. Over opus één en opus min één.", LLS 387, Antwerp (BE), (March 19 - May 30)
"The end of the line: attitudes in drawing", Institute of Modern Art, Middlesbrough (UK), (February 27 - May 10), (cat)
2008 "The Eternal Flame", Kunsthaus Baselland, Basel (CH), (August 10 - October 5)
  "Memories of Tomorrow: Works from the UBS Art Collection", Shanghai Art Museum, Shangai (CN), (June 6 - July 20, 2008)
  "Eclipse - Art in a Dark Age", Moderna Museet, Stockholm (SE), (May 31 - August 24, 2008)
  "PopEye: The art of music / The music of art", Oude Gevangenis, Hasselt (BE), (May 7 - June 15, 2008)
  "Locked-in", Casino Luxembourg, Luxembourg (LU), (April 19 - June 29, 2008)
  "Women portraits", Overbeck Gesellschaft, Lübeck (DE), (March 30 - May 11, 2008)
  "The Hands of Art", Martha Herford Museum, Herford (DE), (March 26 - June 1, 2008 )
  "Size Matters: XS - Recent Small-Scale Paintings", Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN (US), (March 28 - August 24, 2008)
  "Collecting Collections: Highlights from the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles", MOCA, Los Angeles (US), (February 9 - May 19, 2008)
  "The Hands of Art", S.M.A.K., Gent (BE), (January 28 - March 16)
2007 "Gashoven 07: zonevreemd", CC Het Gasthuis, Aarschot (BE), (September 7 - 30)
"As I Am You Will Be: The Skeleton in Modern Art", Cheim & Read, New York, NY (US), (September 20 - November 10)
"Size Matters: XS - Recent Small-Scale Paintings", Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, Peekskill, NY (US), (June 9 - November 10)
"Artempo: Where time becomes art", Palazzo Fortuny, Venice (IT), (June 8 - November 5)
  "Old School", Hauser and Wirth, London (GB), (May 11 - June 5)
  "Hammer Contemporary Collection - Part II", Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (US), (April 19 - August 5)
  "Comfort/Discomfort", Stedelijk Museum, 's Hertogenbosch (NL), (April 7 - June 17)
  "Works on paper", Zeno X Gallery & Zeno X Storage, Antwerp (BE), (January 17 - February 17)
2006 "Brainbox - Unit 4", Croxhapox, Gent (BE), (October 26 - November 5)
"25 years Zeno X Gallery", Zeno X Gallery & Zeno X Storage, Antwerp (BE), (October 17 - December 2)
"MUTE", Hofstraat 2, Antwerp (BE), (September 24 - October 8)
"Leeftijdgenoten", Roger Roveelmuseum, Machelen-aan-de-Leie (BE), (September 3 - November 19)
"A Brighter Day", James Cohan Gallery, New York (US), (June 2 - July 20)
"Back to the Figure/Zurück zur Figur", Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Munich (DE), (June 2 - August 13) (cat.)
"reverence', The Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art, New York, NY (US), (May 20 - April 2007)
"Michaël Borremans, Fernando Bryce, Dan Perjovschi. Drawings", Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart (DE), (March 31 - June 5)
"Of Mice and Men - Berlin Biennale", Berlin (DE), (March 25 - May 28)
"New Acquisitions", SF MOMA, San Francisco (US), (February - 2007)
"Collectiepresentatie - nieuwe aanwinsten", S.M.A.K., Gent (BE), (January 27 - April 2)
ARS 06 exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art KIASMA, Helsinki (FI), (January 20 - August 27)
2005 "Pijn", Museum Dr. Guislain, Ghent (BE), (October 8 - April 30, 2006)
"Drawings from the Modern, 1975-2005", MOMA, New York, NY (US), (September 14 - January 6, 2006) (cat)
"Slow Art: Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Flandern und den Niederlandent", Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf (DE), (July 16 - November 6)
"(...) the duck was still alive", Abbaye Saint-André, Centre d'Art Contemporain, Meymac (FR), (July 9 - October 30 2005)
"STRATA. Difference and Repitition", Fondazione Davide Halevim, Milan (IT), (May 26 - July 2)
"Visionair België, c'est arrivé près de chez nous", Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussel (BE), (February 18 - May 15)
2004 "Drafting Deceit", Apexart, New York (US), (Nov. 17 - Dec. 22)
Manifesta 5, European Biennale of Contemporary Art, San Sebastian (ES), (11 June - 30 September), (cat)
"Zie Tekening", Project Voorkamer, Stedelijk Museum Wuyts-Van Campen & Baron Caroly, Lier (BE), (February 20 - May 2)
2003 "Comme des Garçons", seven exhibitions on various locations (Moscow, Zürich, Belin, Milan, Madrid, London, New York), (September - February 2004), (cat)
"Neue werke im Kupferstichkabinett", Offentliche Kunstsammlung Basel, Basel (CH), (July 5 - August 17)
"Gelijk het leven is", 50 jaar Belgische en Internationale kunst uit de collectie, S.M.A.K., Ghent (BE), (June 28 - September 14)
Art 34 Basel, presented by Zeno X Gallery, Basel (CH), (June 18 - June 23)
"Apparitions", Musée des beaux-arts de Tourcoing, Tourcoing (FR), (March 19 - April 19)
2002 "Pertaining to Painting", Austin Museum of Art, Austin, Texas (US), (November 23 - February 2 2003), (cat)
"Pertaining to Painting", Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas (US), (June 28 - September 29), (cat)
Art 33 Basel, presented by Zeno X Gallery, Basel (CH), (June 12 - June 17)
"The House of Fiction", Sammlung Hauser & Wirth, St. Gallen (CH), (May 5 - October 13), (cat)
The Armory Show 2002, pres. by Zeno X Gallery, New York (US), (February 22 - February 25)
2001 "Works on paper", Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp (BE), (December 8 - January 22 2002)
Art 32 Basel, presented by Zeno X Gallery, Basel (CH), (June 13 - June 18)
The Armory Show 2001, presented by Zeno X Gallery, New York (US), (February 23 - February 26)
2000 "Was Rubens een dribbelaar?", Cultureel Centrum, Berchem (BE), (May 15 - June 24)
1999 "(With) Drawings into 2000", Van Laere Contemporary Art, Antwerp (BE)
1998 Kunstsalon van Gent, Sint-Pietersabdij, Ghent (BE)
1997 "Alom & Hiernevens", Zwartzustersklooster (Project van Voorkamer VZW), Lier (BE)
"Schilderkunst-Hedendaags-Belgisch", Croxhapox, Ghent (BE), (Nov. 8 - Dec. 21)
 
PUBLICATIONS BACK TO TOP
   
2009 Michaël Borremans - Paintings
Edited by Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern (DE) - text by GROVE Jeffrey
  Fading - 40 Belgische Hedendaagse Kunstenaars
Edited by Snoecks, Ghent (BE) texts by LEBLANC Claire, VANDERSTICHELEN Sven, ELIAS Willem, SWINNEN Johan
  Michaël Borremans - Automat
Edited by Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern (DE) - texts by GERMANN Martin, REUST Rudolf
  Mapping the studio - Artists from the François Pinault Collection
Edited by Palazzo Grassi and Mondadori Electa - texts by PINAULT François, VEAUTE Monique, GINGERAS Alison M., BONAMI Francesco
  The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection - Catalogue Raisonné
Edited by The Museum of Modern Art, New York (USA) - texts by RATTEMEYER Christian, LOWRY Glenn D., SCHOLIS Brian, TUMLIR Jan, HERMES Manfred, GRAW Isabelle, HERBERT Martin, GERSON Scott
  In-Finitum
Edited by Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia and Axel Vervoordt, Venice (IT) - texts by DE WOLF Eddi, NORBERT jOCKS Heinz, POLI Francesco, ROMANELLI Giandomenico, MIKO Tatsuro, , VERVOORDT Axel, VAN HOUT Nico
  The End of the Line - Attitudes in Drawing - A Hayward Touring exhibition
Edited by Hayward Publishing, Southbank Centre, London (GB) - texts by DILLON Brian, HARBISON Isobel
2008 Michaël Borremans - Whistling a Happy Tune - Drawings / Tekeningen
Edited by Ludion, Ghent (BE) - texts by GROVE Jeffrey D., AMY Michaël
  Insights - Works from the art collections of EU central banks
Edited by European Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main (DE) - texts by TRICHET Jean-Claude, SCHAT Viola Hildebrand
  Michaël Borremans - Weight
Edited by Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern (DE) - texts by GIONI Massimiliano, MICHAUD Philippe-Alain, SARDO Delfim
  Locked in - The spirit of model-making
Edited by Casino Luxembourg - Forum d’art contemporain, Luxembourg (LU) - texts by BERK Anne, BOJAN Maria Rus, BOSQUET Oscarine, CORBETTA Caroline, GHIU Bogdan, HARDY Philippe, LEYDIER Richard, NEIL Jane
  Eclipse - Art in a dark age / Eklips - Konst I en mörk tid
Edited by Steidl / Moderna Museet, Stockholm (SE) - texts by NITTVE Lars, PETERSENS Magnus Af
  Ad Absurdum - Energies of the Absurd from Modernism till today
Marta Herford and Kerber Verlag, Bielefeld (DE)
2007 MoMA Highlights since 1980
MoMA, New York, NY (US)
  Ziek - Tussen lichaam en geest
Edited by Lannoo, Tielt (BE) - text by BRACKE Dirk
  50 jaar Vrienden van het S.M.A.K.
Edited by VdH books, Brussels (BE) - text by SCHUTYSER Dirk
2006 Michaël Borremans - Horse Hunting
David Zwirner, New York (US)
  Von Mausen und Menschen - Of Mice and Men - 4 berlin biennale für zeitgenössische kunst
KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin (DE) - curated by Maurizio Cattelan, Massimiliano Gioni and Ali Subotnick
  ARS 06 - Toden tuntu Sense of the Real
Museum of contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki (FI)
  Cultuurprijzen Vlaanderen 2005
Flagey, Brussels (BE)
2005 Vitamin D - New Perspectives in Drawing
Edited by Phaidon Press
  Michaël Borremans - The Performance
texts by Patrick Murphy, Ziba de Weck and Hans Rudolf Reust, Hatje Cantz Publishers
  La Belgique Visionaire België: C'est arrivé près de chez nous
Edited by Bozar Books, Brussels, Het Paleis voro Schone Kunsten, Brussels (BE)
  Slow Art: Zeigenössische Kunst aus Flandern und den Niederlanden
Museum Kuns Palast, Düsseldorf (DE)
  Drawing from the Modern 1975-2005
The Museum of Modern Art MOMA, New York (US)
  Pijn/ La douleur/ Pain
Museum Dr. Guislain, Gent (BE)
  Contemporary Art in Belgium 2006
Edited by Best Of Publishing, Brussels (BE)
2004 Michaël Borremans - Zeichnungen / Tekeningen / Drawings
Kunstmuseum Basel - Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König Koln, 2004
  Stripped Bare - Der entblösste Körper in der zeitgenössischen Kunst und Fotografie
Herausgegeben von Marianne Karabelnik, mit Werken aus der Sammlung Thomas Koerfer, Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2004, p. 71
  With All Due Intent
Manifesta 5 San Sebastian catalogue, 2004, pp. 228-231
  Not Afraid: Rubell Family Collection
Phaidon Press, London and New York, 2004, pp. 224-225
  MOCA 25th Anniversary Art Auction
Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, California (US)
2003 Comme des Garçons
Edited by Comme des Garçons, 2003
2002 Open Days
Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo (NL), Edited by ROMA Publications
  Pertaining to Painting
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (US)
  The House of Fiction
Samlung Hauser & Wirth in der Lokremise, St.Gallen (CH), text by Michaela Unterdörfer / Umberto Eco
  Art 33 Basel
Messe Basel, Basel (CH)
  Michaël Borremans
Edited by Vereniging van het SMAK, (text by Ann Demeester)
  The Armory Show
Pier 88 & 90, New York (US)
 
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS BACK TO TOP
   
  Art Institute of Chicago (US)
  Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (US)
  County Museum of Art, Los Angeles (US)
  Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX (US)
  High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA (US)
  Hudson Valley for Contemporary Art, New York (US)
  Musée d'art moderne de la ville de Paris, Paris (FR)
  Museum of Contemporary Art LA, Los Angeles (US)
  Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (US)
  Museum of Modern Art MOMA, New York (US)
  Museum of Modern Art of San Francisco (US)
  National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (CN)
  Offentliche Kunstsammlung Basel (CH)
  Rubell Family Collection, Miami (US)
  Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst S.M.A.K, Ghent (BE)
  San Francisco Museum of Art, San Francisco, CA (US)
  The Israel Museum, Jerusalem (IL)
  UCLA Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (US)
  Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford (US)
  Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota (US)