Thomas Trevor (curator)


Thomas Trevor is a British art curator and writer on contemporary art. Trevor is Associate Professor of Contemporary Art and Curation at the University of Exeter.
He was previously Artistic Director of The Atlantic Project, in Plymouth, UK, Guest Curator at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, Artistic Director of the 4th Dojima River Biennale in Osaka, Japan, curatorial consultant to the 1st ARoS Triennial in Aarhus, Denmark, Guest Curator at the Devi Art Foundation in Delhi, India, Director of Arnolfini in Bristol, UK, Associate Curator of the Art Fund International collection and Director of Spacex in Exeter, UK. Before that he was an independent curator based in London, initiating projects for institutions such as Camden Arts Centre, the Freud Museum and InIVA. Since the 1990s, Trevor has curated more than 100 exhibitions, placing a particular emphasis upon experimental, interdisciplinary practice and context-led projects. Solo exhibitions include Cosima von Bonin, Matti Braun, Angus Fairhurst, Jutta Koether, Joelle Tuerlinckx, and Lois Weinberger. Group exhibitions include The Visible & the Invisible, the Home Series, Port City, Far West, Museum Show, No Borders and Version Control.

Biography

Trevor studied Fine Art at the Ruskin, University of Oxford and Goldsmiths College, University of London. As an artist based in London, in the 1990s, he participated in various group exhibitions, such as East Country Yard Show, with contemporaries including Liam Gillick, Michael Landy, Sarah Lucas and Gillian Wearing. In 1996 he co-curated a multi-site project, The Visible & the Invisible: representing the body in contemporary art & society, produced by InIVA, that took place in non-art locations around Euston, London, including first UK presentations by Tania Bruguera and Doris Salcedo, along with site-specific installations by Louise Bourgeois, Bruce Nauman, Yoko Ono, Donald Rodney and others.
At Spacex, from June 1999, Trevor curated more than 50 exhibitions and "off-site" projects, placing a particular emphasis upon socially-engaged, context-based work. Multi-site projects included Patterns, with Samta Benyahia and Zineb Sedira, and Homeland, presenting site-specific work by 44 artists in 8 different everyday locations. He also curated projects for the Liverpool Biennial; Generator, Hortus and, later, Far West Metro ; and for Frieze Art Fair .
From October 2005 Trevor was Director of Arnolfini, overseeing a visual arts-led multidisciplinary programme of exhibitions, performance, dance, music and film, with a public programme of talks, seminars and learning & participation activities. In 2011, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, Sir Nicholas Serota described Arnolfini as "one of a handful of the most significant contemporary cultural centres in Europe". Long-term context-led projects in the city of Bristol include Maria Thereza Alves' Ballast Seed Garden and Suzanne Lacy's University of Local Knowledge.
Trevor left Arnolfini in October 2013, after 8 years, to focus on developing curatorial projects internationally. The first of these, Black Sun, opened at the Devi Art Foundation, in Delhi, India, in November 2013.
Trevor's recent curatorial projects include The Atlantic Project "After The Future", a large-scale context-led project across the city of Plymouth, in the autumn of 2018, featuring site-specific installations by twenty artists from twelve countries, "Music for Museums", a series of performances, films and sound interventions taking place throughout the Whitechapel Gallery, London, during the autumn of 2015, and "Take Me To The River" for the 4th Dojima River Biennale, in Osaka, opening in July 2015, with artists from eight countries showing alongside established and emerging Japanese practitioners. Other projects in 2015 include John Akomfrah's Vertigo Sea, commissioned for the 56th Venice Biennale, and a large-scale architectural commission by Do Ho Suh for the Art Fund International collection at Bristol Museum. In 2014 Trevor was a member of the Advisory Committee to the Gwangju Biennale and a member of the jury for the Korea Artists Prize at the national Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul.
Trevor was conferred a Doctorate of Letters at the University of Exeter in July 2014. He has lectured widely, including talks in Aarhus, Beijing, Beirut, Bridgetown, Faenza, Seoul, Tehran, Venice, Yokohama and Zurich. In 2012 he was a visiting lecturer on the Gwangju Biennale International Curators Course, and in 2013 he gave the 4th ARKO lecture in Seoul, South Korea. He has written numerous articles and produced more than 40 publications. He founded the Concept Store journal in 2008.

Exhibitions

2018
2017
  • SUPERFLEX: FREE BEER version 6.0 , 2 October ongoing, launched at Tate Modern, London.
  • A Good Neighbour, 22 September-16 November 2017, The Atlantic Project, Plymouth, UK. Artists: Elmgreen & Dragset with Lukas Wassmann
2015
2013
  • Black Sun, 9 November 2013 – 27 April 2014, Devi Art Foundation, Delhi. Artists: Ayisha Abraham, Ashish Avikunthak, Matti Braun, James Lee Byars, Maya Deren, Zarina Hashmi, Runa Islam, Nasreen Mohamedi, Lisa Oppenheim, The Otolith Group, Tejal Shah, Alexandre Singh
  • Joelle Tuerlinckx: Word in Progress, 7 December 2013 – 16 March 2014, Arnolfini, Bristol
  • Jutta Koether: Seasons and Sacraments, 4 May–7 July 2013, Arnolfini
  • Version Control, 26 January–14 April 2013, Arnolfini. Artists: AP News, Giles Bailey, Gretchen Bender, Bernadette Corporation, Gerry Bibby, Ruth Buchanan, Antoine Catala, Nicolas Ceccaldi, Simon Denny, Tim Etchells, Loretta Fahrenholz, Felix Gmelin, Grand Openings, Andy Holden & David Conroy, Louise Hervé & Chloé Maillet, Morag Keil, Oliver Laric, Louise Lawler, Tobias Madison & Emanuel Rossetti, Eva & Franco Mattes, Melvin Moti, Rabih Mroué, Ken Okiishi, Amalia Pica, Seth Price and Nora Schultz
2012
  • No Borders, 15 December 2012 – 2 June 2013, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. Artists: Ai Weiwei, Walid Raad, Haegue Yang, Akram Zaatari, Yto Barrada, Hala Elkoussy, Shilpa Gupta, Amar Kanwar, Tala Madani, Zwelethu Mthethwa, Imran Qu’reshi and Shahzia Sikander
  • Matti Braun: Gost Log, 3 October 2012 – 6 January 2013, Arnolfini
2011
2010
  • YoHa/Harwood, Wright & Yokokoji: Coal Fired Computers/Tantalum Memorial, 25 September–21 November 2010, Arnolfini
  • Caroline Bergvall & Ciaran Maher: Say Parsley, 8 May–4 July 2010, Arnolfini
  • Louise Bourgeois & Otto Zitko: Me, Myself and I, 24 April–4 July 2010, Arnolfini
2009
  • Ocean Earth: Situation Room, 21 November 2009 – 17 January 2010, Arnolfini. Artists: Peter Fend, Catherine Griffiths, Kevin Gannon, Heidi Mardon, Eve Vaterlaus
  • Barbara Steveni: Beyond the Acid-Free, Artist Placement Group Revisited, 21 November 2009 – 17 January 2010, Arnolfini
  • Ursula Biemann: Black Sea Files, 12 September – 8 November 2009, Arnolfini, in collaboration with Bldmuseet, Umea, Sweden
  • Suzanne Lacy: University of Local Knowledge, September 2009 on-going, a collaboration between Arnolfini, Knowle West Media Centre and residents of Knowle West, Bristol
  • Angus Fairhurst, 31 January – 29 March 2009, Arnolfini, then touring to Waddesdon Manor, M - Museum Leuven, Westfalischer Kunstverein / Landesmuseum
2008
  • Supertoys: on toys, play and affective machines, 22 November 2008 – 18 January 2009, Arnolfini. Artists: Chris Cunningham, Dunne & Raby, Natalie Jeremijenko, Kahve Society, Philippe Parreno, Unmask Group. Exhibition design: nOffice
  • Far West, 28 June–31 August 2008, Arnolfini, then touring to Turner Contemporary, plus off-site project Far West Metro in Bristol Mall and at A Foundation, as part of the Liverpool Biennial. Artists: Xu Bing, David Blandy, Liu Ding, Cao Fei, Pierre Huyghe & Philippe Parreno, Unmask Group, Gunilla Klingberg, Surasi Kusolwong, Michael Lin, Yoko Ono, SOI Project, Seven Samurai, Janek Simon and Support Structure. Exhibition design: nOffice
2007
2006
  • Lois & Franziska Weinberger: Home Voodoo, 9 December 2006 – 4 February 2007, Arnolfini
  • Melanie Jackson: Road Angel, 9 December 2006 – 28 January 2007, Arnolfini
2005
2004
  • Hortus: botany and empire, September–November 2004, Spacex and Old Haymarket/National Wildflower Centre as part of the Liverpool Biennial. Artists: Maria Thereza Alves, Caroline Bergvall & Ciaran Maher, Susan Boafo, Jyll Bradley, Stuart Brisley, Peter Fend, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, Helena Goldwater, Andrew Lawson, Vong Phaophanit, Lois & Franziska Weinberger
  • Peter Fend: Reverse Global Warming, July–September 2004, Spacex
  • Homeland: in and out of Middle England, April–June 2004, scattered site project across Exeter. Artists: Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Tariq Alvi, Oladélé Bamgboyé, Grayson Perry, Rosalind Nashashibi, Ansuman Biswas, Jem Finer, Jyll Bradley, Lisa Cheung and Michael Curran, plus guests
  • William Kentridge, February–April 2004, Spacex
2003
  • Shizuka Yokomizo: Distance, December 2003–January 2004, Spacex, toured to Chapter, Cardiff and Site Gallery, Sheffield
  • Oladélé Bamgboyé: Introspect, October–November 2003, Spacex
  • Luke Fowler: What you see is where you’re at, July–September 2003, Spacex
  • Flock, March–April 2003, Spacex, toured to Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne. Artists: Jyll Bradley with Exeter Flower Club, Marcus Coates, Andrew Dodds, John Levack Drever, Jussi Heikkila, Rona Lee, Rachel Lowe, Harriet MacDougall, Quack-project, Sophy Rickett, Katy Shepherd, Hans Waanders
2002
  • Generator, May–June 2002, Spacex, toured to Wood Street, as part of the Liverpool Biennial, and Firstsite, Colchester. Artists: Mark Bowden, Stuart Brisley, Angus Fairhurst, Alex Finlay, Tim Head, Jeff Instone, Zoë Irvine, Sol LeWitt, limbomedia, Alex McLean, Netochka Nezvanova, Yoko Ono, Organogenesis, Colin Sackett, Cornelia Sollfrank, STAR & monkeys from Paignton Zoo, Joanna Walsh, Adrian Ward
2001
  • Patterns, November 2001–February 2002, multi-site project across Exeter, including Exeter Cathedral, Exeter Mosque, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter and Spacex. Artists: Zineb Sedira, Samta Benyahia, Ismail Fajer, Geoffrey Preston
  • Caroline Bergvall and Ciarán Maher: Say "Parsley", November 2001, Spacex 2.
  • Sea Change, September–October 2001, Spacex 2. Artists: Peter Fend, Dennis Oppenheim, George Chaikin, Steve Hughes, Mike Lawson-Smith, Samantha Lavender, John F. Simon, Taro Suzuki
  • Angus Fairhurst: This Does Not Last More Than One Second, April–June 2001, Spacex. Performance: L*******S: Angus Fairhurst, with Pierre Bismuth, Joe Strummer, Keith Allen
  • Gavin Renwick: HOME, the outpost of progress, January–April 2001, Spacex, and at Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter
2000
  • Jayne Parker: Foxfire Eins, December 2000–January 2001, Spacex, toured to John Hansard Gallery and Aldeburgh Festival. Performance: World premiere of Christopher Fox’s composition, Inner, performed by Anton Lukoszevieze
  • Sigalit Landau: Somnambulin, August–September 2000, Spacex & performance, East Devon, toured to Saitama Museum of Modern Art
  • Lois Weinberger: Edge of the City, June–August 2000, Spacex & off-site, Exeter, plus exhibitions at Camden Arts Centre and the Freud Museum, London
  • Everything needs time, May–June 2000, Spacex and Honiton Festival. Artists: Berlinda de Bruyckere, Peter Buggenhout, Bettie van Haaster, Nico Parlevliet, Maria Roosen, Keiko Sato, Johan Tahon, Fiona Tan
  • Bettina Semmer: Painting Factory, March–April 2000, Spacex
  • Homing: projects for Kosovo, January–March 2000, Spacex. Artists: Christine & Irene Hohenbuchler with Martin Feiersinger, Gunther Steiner, Kunstwerkstatt Lienz, Architecture for Humanity with Mike Lawless, LDA Architects, Art Therapy Initiative
1999
  • Hermione Wiltshire: and when I got there, October–November 1999, Spacex, toured to Djanogly Art Gallery, University of Nottingham
1996

Selected writings and publications

Everything and Nothing: the Pre-History of Zero in Joelle Tuerlinckx: Wor in Progress, published by Walther Konig, Cologne, 2013, with Arnolfini, Haus der Kunst, Munich, and Wiels, BrusselsBlind Spot in Black Sun, published by Ridinghouse, London, 2013, with Arnolfini and Devi Art Foundation, DelhiThe Three Ecologies in Lois Weinberger, published by Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2013, with SMAK, Ghent, edited by Philippe van CauterenFree Time in Cosima von Bonin, The Lazy Susan Series, Rotterdam – Bristol – Genève – Köln, published by Museum Ludwig and DuMont, Köln, 2011, with Witte de With, Arnolfini and MAMCO Otto Zitko: Me, Myself and I, published by Jovis, Berlin 2011, edited by Tom Trevor and Ingeburg WurzerA Space for Ideas in Neil Cummings: Self-Portrait Arnolfini, published by Arnolfini, Bristol, 2011, edited by Neil Cummings, Tom Trevor and Julian WarrenThe Green Man in Lois Weinberger, published by Musée d'Art Moderne, Saint-Etienne, and Silvana Editoriale, Milan 2011, edited by Lóránd HegyiSomnanbulin: A Short Journey Through Middle England in Sigalit Landau, published by Kunst-Werke, Berlin, and Hatje Cantz, Ostfildern, 2008, edited by Gabriele Horn and Ruth RonenIntroduction in Port City: On Mobility and Exchange, published by Arnolfini, Bristol, 2007, edited by Tom Trevor