BEN PATTERSON

Biography

1934 Born in Pittsburgh, USA
1952-56 Studies at the University of Michigan:
contrabass, composition and conductor
1960 Concerts in various symphony
orchestras in Canada, USA and
Germany, where he meets John Cage
in Cologne
1961 in Paris works together with Robert Filliou
1962 Organisation of the International
Fluxus Festival in Wiesbaden
together with George Maciunas
1963 Emigration to New York
1988 Emigration to Wiesbaden
Ben Patterson lives and works
in Wiesbaden and New York

 

Solo exhibitions (Selection)

2011 My Thirteen Presidents and Other
Curiosities, Emerson Gallery Berlin
2009 performIC Innsbruck Contemporary
Gaylard / Brown / Reynolds /
Wendel / Patterson,
Nassauischer Kunstverein, Wiesbaden,
International Collection of Contemporary
Art, 5th Edition Centre for
Contemporary Art, Warsaw,
Benjamin Patterson “ben thinks to learn
chinese“, Galerie Wildwechsel, Frankfurt
2008 FLUXUS EAST KUMU Art Museum, Tallinn
Fluxus Scores and Instructions,
Museum of Contemporary Art, Roskilde
The Photograph: Fluxus in
Germany from 1962-1994
National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi
FLUXUS EAST, Ludwig Museum Budapest,
Martian Museum of Terrestrial Art,
Barbican Centre, London
FLUXUS EAST, Bunkier Stzuki, Krakow
2007/08 FLUXUS EAST, Contemporary
Art Center, Vilnius
Feindbilder, Emerson Gallery Berlin
2007 FLUXUS EAST, Künstlerhaus Bethanien,
Berlin
Vertigo MAMbo, Bologna
Fluxus in Deutschland MALBA – Coleccion
Costantini, Buenos Aires
2004 Interrupted fairy Tales…,
Gallery 360 Degrees, Tokyo
2003 Happenings & Fluxus,
Galerie Vostell, Madrid
2001 ..Now, Gallery 2211, Los Angeles
1999 No Poetry, no Concept,
Kunstverein Rosenheim, Rosenheim,
Fluxus in Germany 1962 – 1994,
Helena Rubinstein Museum, Tel Aviv
1998 Topologie des Denkens – no poetry.no,
Galerie Vostell, Berlin
1997 Dadaismo, dadaismi, da Duchamp
a Warhol, Galleria d’Arte
moderna e contemporanea, Verona,
One Day of My Life in a Box,
Ultimate Academy, Cologne
1996 Extreme Measures; the great American
Michael Solway Gallery, Cincinnati,
Museum for the Sub Conscious,
Michelsberg, Okandukaseibe (Namibia)
New Works, Galerie Vostell, Berlin,
Tour Guide Reisebüro Fluxus,
different historic Fluxus-Places,
Paris, Stuttgart, Nice, North Italy
1994 Reisebüro Fluxus, PrivArt, Wiesbaden
1992 Getting Ready for 2000 A.D.,
Fondazione Mudima, Milano,
Rabbit Concert, 25 Columbia
Place, Brooklyn, NY
1998 What is on my mind?,
Galerie Schuppenhauer, Cologne
1991 How Man Makes Sense,
Galerie J&J Donguy, Paris,
Fluxus Deluxe, Pittsburgh
Center of the Art, Pittsburgh
1990 Cena Rossa, La Mangiatoia,
San Gimignano
1989 What makes People Laugh?,
Emily Harvey Gallery, New York
1988 Ordinary Life, Perfomance, Object,
Emily Harvey Gallery, New York
1964 Fluxus Concert,
365 Canal Street, New York
1963 Fluxus Festival of Total Art(Tour),
Street of the City, Nice
1962 Puzzle Poems, Galerie
Legitime-Robert Filliou, Paris

 

Performances

2007/08 The Seven Deadly Sins
(Die 7 Todsünden) with David Moss
2007 Conversations along the wall,
Studio D’Arte Fioretti, Bergamo
2006 Various performances and exhibitions
in Germany, France and England
2005 A Simple Opera,
Künstlerhaus Dortmund,
Professional Philosophers observing us,
Galerie Wildwechsel, Frankfurt/Main
2004 My Grand 70 Birthday Tour, Russia,
China, Japan – Moskow to Tokyo
2003 Sweet Nothings,
Galleria Caterina Gualco, Genova
2002 Hello! B.P. Welcomes you to his life in
Real Time, Kasseler Kunstverein, Kassel,
Fluxus Classics,
Menagerie de Verne, Paris
2001 Explaining Fluxus in Polish, Krakow
2000 Digging, Artists Museum,
Bythgosch (Poland),
The Three Operas, New Plymouth
(New Zealand)
The Creation of the World, Le Lieu
Centre en Art Actuel, Quebec
1999 The Evolution of Wisdom,
OF Kunstraum, Offenbach
1998 Creation of the World,
Galerie Schuppenhauer, Cologne,
The Three Operas, Athens
Bolero, Divadle Na Zabradli, Prague
1996 Beauty lurks in the chaos of the
beholder, Galerie Caterina Gualco,
Genova,
Remembering Al Hansen, Interims
Kunsthalle Berlin, Berlin
A la carte & live an ihrem Tisch,
Hotelship on the Rhein, Cologne
1995 Bolero, Galerie Am Kleinen Markt,
Mannheim,
Three Operas, Konzertsaal der
Stadt Gera, Gera,
Classic 6 Contemporary Fluxus,
Mimar Sinan University, Arts
Academy, Istanbul
1989 Taking Fluxus Around,
Der Bonner Kunstverein, Bonn
1985 Artist/B. Patterson Questionare,
3 Avenue Cinema, New York
1961 Paper Piece, Galerie Lahaus
(Vostell Exhibition), Cologne
1960 trifft John Cage, Performance
Contre-Festival zum IGNM, Atelier M.
Bauermeister, Cologne

 

Group exhibitions (Selection)

2006/07 Fluxus in Deutschland MALBA,
Coleccion Costantini, Buenos Aires
2006 Fremd bin ich eingezogen, Kunsthalle
Fridericianum, Kassel
Fluxus in Deutschland, Goethe
Institut Sao Paulo
2005 Multiple Strategies, Contemporary
Arts Center, Cincinnati,
Ben Vautier / Ben Patterson,
Galerie Schüppenhauer, Cologne
2004 Fluxus in Germany 1962-1994,
National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavik
2002 La Fluxus Constellation, Villa Croce
Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Genua
Fluxus in Amerika, Galerie Vostell, Berlin
1990 44. Biennale Venice
1983 Biennale von Sao Paulo, Brazil
1969 Performance Variation

 

Bibliography

1965 The Four Suits, Something Else Press,
New York