husain_whale_vomit_worth_its_weight_in_gold_2013.jpg


Whale vomit worth its weight in gold, 2013,
newspaper, glass shards, 23 x 165 x 96.5 cm
facade 1 and 2.jpg


facade (1), facade (2), 2013,
silk dye handpainted on silk,
63.5 x 63.5 cm, 89 x 89 cm
Collapsables Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.jpg


Collapsables/Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, 2013,
dowels, springs, ribbon, digital prints,
212 x 100 x 75 cm
Pandy Ramada's Bendable Displex.jpg


Pandy Ramada's Bendable Displex, 2013,
standing plastic screens, zip ties, laminate,
variable dimensions
Vorbemerkung.jpg


Vorbemerkung (Preliminary Remark), 2013,
felt, display stand, 190.5 x 51 x 51 cm
continued.jpg


continued, 2009,
ink on paper, 42.5 x 34.5 cm each
Parade.jpg


Parade, 2013,
11 minute HD video, stereo sound,
edition of 5
husain_cruise_collection_004sm_2012.jpg


Cruise Collection 003sm, 2012,
watercolour on paper, 21.5 x 30.5 cm
husain_cruise_collection_008sm_2012.jpg


Cruise Collection 004sm, 2012,
watercolour on paper, 21.6 x 30.5 cm
husain_cruise_collection_0011sm_2012.jpg


Cruise Collection 008sm, 2012,
watercolour on paper, 21.6 x 30.5 cm
husain_cruise_collection_003sm_2012.jpg


Cruise Collection 0011sm, 2012,
watercolour on paper, 21.6 x 30.5 cm
husain_dear_whats_your_2.jpg


Dear What's Your Face, 2010, edition of 3,
black and white video and installation
husain_dear_whats_your_face_n3_2010.jpg


Dear What's Your Face, 2010, edition of 3,
black and white video and installation
husain_cushy_number_installation_2010.jpg


Cushy Number, 2010
husain_scarf_herbal_2010.jpg


Scarf (Herbal), 2010,
silk dye hand painted on silk, 63.5 x 63.5 cm
husain_scarf_ober_morlen_2010.jpg


Scarf (Ober Mörlen), 2010,
silk dye hand painted on silk, 63.5 x 63.5 cm
husain_scarf_dear_your_name_here_2010.jpg


Scarf (Dear [Your Name Here]), 2010,
silk dye hand painted on silk, 63.5 x 63.5 cm
husain_backdrop_1.jpg


Backdrop (Debutante Ball), Study 1, 2007,
ink on paper, 56 x 76 cm
husain_backdrop_2.jpg


Backdrop (Debutante Ball), Study 2, 2007,
ink on paper, 56 x 76 cm
husain_backdrop_debutante_ball_study_3_2007.jpg


Backdrop (Debutante Ball), Study 3, 2007,
ink on paper, 56 x 76 cm

Oliver Husain

Addressing a dialogue between images and objecthood, Oliver Husain’s projects often begin with a portrait of a person or place. He uses a wide range of cinematic languages and visual codes—such as dance, puppetry, and animation—to disassemble and subvert fixed readings of the original material. Translated into cinema and gallery spaces, his installations, performances and film projects set up narratives that charm or fold the viewers into questioning their role as a spectator or subject.
1969
Born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
1991
Fine Arts at University of Baroda,
   Gujarat, India
1994
Bachelor of Arts (Film, Vordiplom),
   HfG Offenbach, Germany
1998
MFA (Diplom), Media Art,
   HfG Offenbach, Germany

Selected Solo Exhibitions and Public Projects

2023

lenticoolers with Malik McKoy, Susan Hobbs Gallery, Toronto

about the exhibition
2022

Literal Umbrella, Clages, Cologne, Germany

2018

Watermelons, Clages, Cologne, Germany

French Exit, Susan Hobbs Gallery, Toronto

about the exhibition

Roving, Remai Modern, Saskatoon

Were Here, Republic Gallery, Vancouver

2016

Isla Santa Maria 3D, Gallery TPW, Toronto; Western Front, Vancouver 

you are the gracious toe-twirled stumbler, Clages, Cologne, Germany  

2015

beside the point, Susan Hobbs Gallery, Toronto  
about the exhibition

2013
Gebimsel, Susan Hobbs Gallery, Toronto
   about the exhibition
Pandy Ramada’s Bendable Displex,
   Gallery TPW, Toronto
2012
Moth Maze, Nuit Blanche, Toronto
2010
Cushy Number, Susan Hobbs Gallery,
   Toronto
   about the exhibition
Hovering Proxies, Art Gallery of York
   University, Toronto
2007
Two Half Reasons One Night Only,
   Gallery TPW, Toronto
2002
Q, Gallery Michael Neff, Frankfurt
2001
Lavawoche Krustenwoche, (with DaGroup),
   Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt

Selected Group Exhibitions

2020

Taking A Stand, Stamps Gallery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2016

Form Follows Fiction: Art and Artists in Toronto, Art Museum at the University of Toronto, Toronto

Enough Romance: Let's Fuck, Gabriele Senn Galerie, Vienna

Showroom, Art Museum, University of Toronto, Toronto

2015

Depth of Perception, Oakville Galleries, Oakville

2013
Simple Present, Future Anterior: a 20th
   Anniversary Show, Susan Hobbs Gallery, 
   Toronto
Spectacular Sangeet, Surrey Art Gallery,
   Surrey
Qual und Wahl, Kunstverein Wolfsburg,
   Wolfsburg
2012
Twinning Artists—Twinning Cities: AVALON
   (Bangalore and Toronto), Onsite at OCAD
   University, Toronto
Inside Out and From The Ground Up,
   MOCA Cleveland, Cleveland
Lichter Art Award, Lichter Film Festival,
   Turmpalast, Frankfurt
2011
Blowing on a Hairy Shoulder/ Grief Hunters,
   ICA Philadelphia
Location Dislocation, Jackman Humanities
   Institute, Toronto
2010
10 Years Ruang Rupa, Galeri Nasional,
   Jakarta, Indonesia
Everything Must Go, Art Toronto 2010:
   The 11th Toronto International Art
   Fair, Toronto
2009
LIVE! FILM! Jack Smith, arsenal and
   Hebbel am Ufer, Berlin
Imagine, there, Aspace, Toronto
2008
Where are we here?, Shenzhen Architectural
   Biennial, Shenzhen
e-flux Video Rental, Fundação Calouste
   Gulbenkian, Lisbon; Centre culturel
   Suisse, Paris
2006
We can do this now, The Power Plant,
   Toronto
Impossible India, Frankfurter Kunstverein,
   Frankfurt; Gallery Jan Mot, Brussels
The Galleries Show, Extra City, Antwerp
2005
Ron&Leo, Gallery 64zero3, Christchurch,
   New Zealand
Q, Para Site, Hong Kong, China
2004
Formalismus. Moderne Kunst, heute,
   Kunstverein Hamburg, Hamburg
2003
Wonderland, Art space, Auckland,
   New Zealand
2001
ich schau dir in die augen, Fridericianum,
   Kassel
temporary occupations, Halle für Kunst,
   Lüneburg
2000
Man muß ganz schön viel lernen, um hier zu
   funktionieren, Frankfurter Kunstverein,
   Frankfurt
1998
Video Virtuale / Foto Fictionale, Museum
   Ludwig, Cologne

Performances

2013
They Already Knew, Gallery TPW, Toronto
2011
Ye Olde Rope (with Claus Richter and Sergej
   Jensen), Portikus, Frankfurt
2010
Revenge of the Theory Persons (with
   Kathleen Smith), Images Festival, Toronto
The Glimmering Grotto (with Bojana Stancic
   and Alex Wolfson), The Department,
   Toronto
2009
The Plural Juror, Toronto Free Gallery,
   Toronto
2005
Unstillbare Gier, (with DaGroup), migros
   Museum, Zürich
Toughe Park Worry Blase, (with DaGroup),
   Listen, Art Basel
2004
Die Bann Bennifer Schatulle, (with DaGroup),
   Kunstverein Braunschweig
Squirrel Prism, (with DaGroup), Kunstverein
   Hamburg, Hamburg
2001
Lavawoche Krustenwoche, (with DaGroup),
   Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt
2000
Maliposa, (with DaGroup), Museum
   Fridericianum, Kassel
Contra–Falls, (with DaGroup), Galerie
   5years, London
1999
Der Faktor Fregatte, (with DaGroup),
   home&away Festival, Kunstverein,
   Hannover

Solo Screenings and Retrospectives

2015

Work Permit, Pleasure Dome, Toronto

2011
Experimenta Festival, Bangalore
2010
Ibrahim Theater, International House,
   Philadelphia
Galerie Sans Nom, Moncton, New Brunswick
2008
Anthology Film Archive, New York
The Flaherty Seminar, Colgate, New York
Arsenal Cinema, Berlin
Available Light, SAW Gallery, Ottawa
2007
The Power Plant, Toronto
2006
Pleasuredome & Goethe Institute, Toronto
2005
Filmwinter Stuttgart, Stuttgart
Orfeo Cinema, Frankfurt
2004
Malaysian Video Awards, Kuala Lumpur

Selected Film Festivals and Screenings

2013
Oberhausen on tour, various
   international venues
Bangalore Queer Film Festival, Bangalore
2012
Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen,
   Oberhausen
Gallery SKE, Bangalore
Courte Métrage, Festival de Cannes, Cannes
Kassel video and documentary festival, Kassel
New Generations Independent Indian Film
   Festival, Frankfurt
Filmwinter Stuttgart, Festival Trailer,
   Stuttgart
Impakt Festival Utrecht, Utrecht
2011
Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture,
   UMBC, Baltimore, Maryland
29th FIFA (International Festival of Films on
   Art), Montréal
San Francisco International Asian American
   Film Festival, San Francisco
2010
Goshogaoka & …, Whitechapel Gallery,
   London
Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto
TINA B., The Prague Contemporary
   Art Festival, Prague
Inside Out, Toronto
2009
International Asian American Film Festival,
   San Francisco
Images Festival, Toronto
London Film Festival, London, England
Impakt, Utrecht
Exis Festival, Seoul
2008
The Flaherty Seminar, Colgate, New York
2007
Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen,
   Germany
Mar del Plata International Film Festival,
   Mar del Plata, Argentina
Recontres Internationales, Paris, Madrid
e-flux Video rental, Paris, Cambridge
2006
Rotterdam International Film Festival,
   Rotterdam
Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto
Experimenta, Bombay, India

FrameWork 5/23

by Philip Leonard Ocampo (essay)

Susan Hobbs Gallery, May 2023

read (pdf)

What Are They Fighting For?

by Theodore (ted) Kerr (article)

C Magazine, Winter 2021

visit (cmagazine.com)

FrameWork 5/18

by Jessica Karuhanga (essay)

Susan Hobbs Gallery, May2018

read (pdf)

A Map of the World Without Utopia

by Emily Doucet (review)

Border Crossings, December 2016

Critic's Pick: Oliver Husain at Western Front

by Jacquelyn Ross (review)

Artforum, June 2016

visit (artforum.com)

Oliver Husain at Susan Hobbs

by Sara England (review)

Carbon Paper, Fall 2015

Stare Cases

by Jen Hutton (article)

BlackFlash, August 2015

read (pdf)

Oliver Husain

by Chris Randle (review)

Art in America, April 2015

FrameWork 2/15

by Paul Tjepkema (essay)

Susan Hobbs Gallery, February 2015

read the full text (pdf)

Phony Densities

by Jon Davies (essay)

Oakville Galleries, January 2015

read the full essay (pdf)

Memory in Film: to recall, to see, to dream.

by Cheyanne Turions (article)

Montecristo Magazine, Summer 2013

FrameWork 5/13

by Kathleen Smith (essay)

Susan Hobbs Gallery, May 2013

FrameWork 5/13: Kathleen Smith on Oliver Husain (pdf)

The Heinz oeuvre

by Suprio Bhattacharjee (article)

domus, 14 January 2013

Hybrid Hijinks: Oliver Husain’s art of cinema, performance, installation, object and text

by Jon Davies (article)

Canadian Art, Summer 2012

read (pdf)

Oliver Husain: Spoiler Alert

by Emelie Chhangur, Ian White and Chi-Hui Yang, design by Sameer Farooq
(catalogue)

Art Gallery of York University, April 2012

Anfang Gut Alles Gut

by Ian White (catalogue)

Kunsthaus Bregenz, 2012

Oliver Husain at Susan Hobbs

by Charles Reeve (review)

Frieze 138, April 2011

read Charles Reeve’s review in frieze (pdf)

Oliver Husain at Susan Hobbs

by Terence Dick (review)

Akimblog, 18 January 2011

Here’s the concept

by David Balzer (review)

Eye Weekly, 13 January 2011

Foolproof Color

by James Chad Hanna (article)

Modern Painters, December 2010 / January 2011

Oliver Husain’s Hovering, Alliterative, Epigrammatic Proxies

by Andrea Picard (article)

Cinema Scope 44, Fall 2010

Don’t Just Sit There: Speculations on Dance

by Jen Hutton (article)

Images Festival 2010 Blog, 11 April 2010

Experimental Support / Structures for Moving Images

by Nicole Wolf (article)

Afterall Online, 9 March 2010

Critics’ Picks

by Jen Hutton (review)

Artforum.com, 16 February 2010

read (pdf)

On the walls

by Sholem Krishtalka (review)

Xtra Toronto, January 2010