Germaine Koh Explained

Germaine Koh
Birth Place:George Town, Malaysia
Nationality:Canadian
Education:University of Ottawa
Hunter College
Occupation:Conceptual artist
Years Active:1991-present
Relatives:Graham Verchere (nephew)
Awards:VIVA award

Germaine Koh (born 1967) is a Malaysian-born and Canadian conceptual artist based in Vancouver. Her works incorporate the artistic styles of neo-conceptual art, minimalism, and environmental art, and is concerned with the significance of everyday actions, familiar objects and common places.[1] [2]

Koh is an independent curator and partner in the independent record label Weewerk. She also used to be an assistant curator of contemporary art at the National Gallery of Canada. Her exhibition history includes the Baltic Centre (Newcastle), De Appel (Amsterdam), Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, Para/Site Art Space (Hong Kong), Frankfurter Kunstverein, Bloomberg Space (London), The Power Plant (Toronto), Seoul Museum of Art, Artspace (Sydney), The British Museum (London), the Contemporary Art Gallery (Vancouver), Plug In ICA (Winnipeg), Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), and the Liverpool, Sydney and Montréal biennials.

Early life and education

Koh was born in George Town, Malaysia.[3] She emigrated to Canada with her family at the age of two and was raised in Armstrong, British Columbia.[4] [5] Koh received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio in 1989 and theory and history of art in 1990 at the University of Ottawa.[6] She later obtained a Master of Fine Arts in 1993 from Hunter College in New York.[5]

Art career

Koh's work draws the use of everyday objects and familiar concepts in order to examine how people interact with those they encounter while moving through the world. For example, her piece "Call", is an old telephone in a public space. When the phone is picked up it randomly dials a number of a participant that has agreed to have conversations with strangers at any time of the day.[7]

There isn't a typical "Germaine Koh" piece - she utilizes many different materials for every piece she creates, yet each piece encompasses an ideology, perhaps best said by Koh herself in a Rhizome.org interview:[8]

Artistic styles and works

Koh's work encompasses the artistic styles of conceptual art, environmental art, and minimalism.[9] In an on-going work titled Knitwork (1992-present), Koh unravels used garments and re-knits the materials into one larger and constantly evolving object.[10] This piece demonstrates characteristics of environmental art through Koh's use of recycled materials and the ways in which she turns used and discarded items into a working piece of art. In a similar artwork called Lumber (1991-1994, dispersed 2002), Koh makes use of flexible pieces of recuperated lumber glazed with oil and marine varnish to be installed alongside select architecture.[11] Various projects by Koh are also collaborative or rely on the active participation of its audiences. One example of such works include an art gallery titled "ad hoc gallery" which was put on display in collaboration with Geoffrey Brown from 1993-1994.[12] [13] An example of one which incorporates its participants into the art piece itself is League, which began in 2012 and is categorized as a "participatory project".[14] Koh describes League as "an open group of people who gather regularly to play sports and games invented or conceived by members of the community ... The project is founded in a belief in the value of emergent behaviour and the process of making sense of things."[15] Koh emphasizes games, sport, and play as forms of problem-solving which focus on the mental over the physical and the processes of learning, adapting, and evolution through iteration as central to the overall concept of the project.

Koh combines both making use of discarded or found items and active participation in a project called Sightings (1992–1998), which involved the commercial printing and publishing of images found in public as postcards.[16] These postcards closely interacted with the individuals they reached, drawing emphasis on the ideas of making art out of common everyday objects and experiences as well as recognizing the uniqueness of common places.[17]

Other projects

In addition to her artistic work, Koh is co-founder of the Toronto-based record label and artist-management company Weewerk.[18] She is also an athlete. Koh played varsity volleyball and badminton at the University of Ottawa and is a former captain of roller derby team the Terminal City All-Stars. Her interest in the relationship between creativity and athleticism resulted in the creation of The Koh-Verchere Award for Athletic and Creative Excellence, an Emily Carr University of Art and Design student award,[19] and the establishment of Vancouver's League.[20] [21] Koh was part of the design team for the No. 2 Road North Drainage Pump Station[22] in Richmond B.C., which was awarded the Public Works Association of British Columbia 2018 Project of the Year award.[23] In 2018, Koh became the first artist-in-residence in the City of Vancouver engineering department.[24]

Solo exhibitions

Group exhibitions

Personal life

Koh has 25 years of leadership with non-profit organizations.[63] She has been coaching roller derby since 2010. In 2015, Koh established the program for a new competitive team, the Terminal City B-Sides.

She was the Chef de Mission of Team Canada Roller Derby from 2017 to 2018, where she was responsible for the team's strategic vision and organizational development.

Koh has a multi-sport background which includes five years of experience playing for the varsity badminton team at the University of Ottawa. She also played roller derby for five years under the derby name "PLAYER 1" before captaining the Terminal City All-Stars.

Legacy and influence

The project by Koh and Geoffrey Brown titled "ad hoc gallery" received a review from Gunter Nolte, Visual Arts Department Head at University of Ottawa, as he comments "They are making an enormous contribution to the community art scene. They are so committed they finance the gallery from their own jobs."[64] An aspect of the City of Vancouver's engineering art residence is bringing the community together to determine what they would like to see happen for buildings, pipes, public spaces, and also demolitions. An example of this would be the "sewer time capsule" which was created 13 July 2019. This brought together members of the community to paint on a pipe that was then used as sewer upgrades in the area which would stay in use for the next hundred years. Koh herself said "The community can always feel like they had a little part to play in the infrastructure that lies below their street, and it's a concrete connection with sewer works that also serves to demystify infrastructure."

Awards

In 2004, Koh was a finalist for the Sobey Art Award and in 2010 she won a VIVA Award in recognition of her outstanding achievement as a mid-career artist in British Columbia.

Awarded the 2023 Governor General's Award in Visual and Media Arts for Artistic Achievement.[65]

Publications

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Germaine Koh . 10 March 2020.
  2. Web site: Germaine Koh: Around About . Gallery One One One . 4 October 2020.
  3. Web site: 8 March 2015 . Look at This: Germaine Koh's Ingenious Machines And Social Experiments . CBC . 1 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150403112840/http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/news/look-at-this-germaine-koh . 3 April 2015 . live .
  4. Mayer. Marc. Brayshaw. Christopher. Fresh Eyes. . Canadian . 14 October 2002. 58–65.
  5. Web site: 8 March 2015 . Germaine Koh: Brewing up conceptual art . Galleries West . 31 December 2012 . Cramp . Beverly . https://web.archive.org/web/20150924020527/http://www.gallerieswest.ca/artists/profiles/germaine-koh%3A-brewing-up-conceptual-art/ . 24 September 2015 . live .
  6. Web site: Germaine Koh . 10 March 2020.
  7. Web site: Koh projects > Call . 3 February 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100611214039/http://www.germainekoh.com/call.html . 11 June 2010 .
  8. Web site: Interview with Germaine Koh, January 1, 2001. Kabatoff. Mathew. https://web.archive.org/web/20060514021435/http://www.germainekoh.com/kabatoff.html. 14 May 2006. 4 September 2006.
  9. News: Laurence. Robin. Work and words go up in smoke. 19 May 2001. The Globe and Mail.
  10. Web site: Germaine Koh . 9 March 2020.
  11. Web site: Germaine Koh . 9 March 2020.
  12. News: Baele. Nancy. Gallery gives showcase for ad hoc spirit. 13 February 1994. The Ottawa Citizen.
  13. Web site: Germaine Koh . 9 March 2020.
  14. Web site: Review: Germaine Koh's League . Drain Magazine . 9 March 2020.
  15. Web site: Germaine Koh . 9 March 2020.
  16. Web site: Germaine Koh . 9 March 2020.
  17. Niedviecki. Hal. Picture Postcard: Post-art in the garbage era. Broken Pencil. 12–14.
  18. Web site: 8 March 2015 . about . . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402114307/http://www.weewerk.com/index.php . 2 April 2015 . live .
  19. Web site: 8 March 2015 . ian verchere and germaine koh the creative edge . . 24 April 2014 . staff writer . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121833/http://www.ecuad.ca/about/news/311658 . 2 April 2015 . live .
  20. News: 8 March 2015 . All the kids are doing it . . 16 September 2013 . Stewart . Megan . Vancouver . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402191730/http://www.vancourier.com/all-the-kids-are-doing-it-1.619066 . 2 April 2015 . live .
  21. Web site: 8 March 2015 . League . https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110729/http://league-league.org/ . 2 April 2015 . live .
  22. Web site: City of Richmond BC - No. 2 Road Drainage Pump Station (2018). www.richmond.ca. 9 March 2019.
  23. Web site: Richmond pump station project takes home public works award - constructconnect.com. 19 November 2018. Journal of Commerce. en-US. 9 March 2019.
  24. Web site: City engineering department gets its very own artist in residence. staff. Courier. Vancouver Courier. 13 January 2018 . 29 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20180118054014/http://vancourier.com/community/city-engineering-department-gets-its-very-own-artist-in-residence-1.23143675. 18 January 2018. live.
  25. Web site: 8 July 2020. Germaine Koh: Crowd Shyness. 13 March 2021. Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery. en-CA.
  26. Web site: Evergreen Cultural Centre Coquitlam, BC. Evergreen. en-US. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190504134156/https://evergreenculturalcentre.ca/. 4 May 2019. live.
  27. Web site: Welcome Richmond Art Gallery. Richmond Art Gallery. en-US. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190119182113/http://www.richmondartgallery.org/. 19 January 2019. live.
  28. Web site: Germaine Koh: Home Made Home Kelowna Art Gallery. en-US. 29 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20170727233453/http://kelownaartgallery.com/germaine-koh-home-made-home/. 27 July 2017. live.
  29. Web site: MOV Museum of Vancouver. MOV Museum of Vancouver. en-US. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190315091225/https://museumofvancouver.ca/. 15 March 2019. live.
  30. Web site: Vancouver Art Gallery. www.vanartgallery.bc.ca. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306080622/http://vanartgallery.bc.ca/events_and_programs/fuse.html. 6 March 2019. dead.
  31. Web site: Culture + Community: Social Practice and the City Emily Carr University. www.connect.ecuad.ca. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20180929072507/https://www.connect.ecuad.ca/about/events/299115. 29 September 2018. live.
  32. Web site: Germaine Koh: Weather Systems. Laurence. Robin. 16 December 2013. Canadian Art. 8 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150324205153/http://canadianart.ca/reviews/2013/12/16/germaine-koh/. 24 March 2015. dead.
  33. Web site: Accueil Galerie B312. galerieb312.ca. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190505044615/http://galerieb312.ca/. 5 May 2019. live.
  34. Web site: The Haunting. invaliden1.com. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190523192016/http://www.invaliden1.com/the-haunting. 23 May 2019. live.
  35. Web site: Libby Leshgold Gallery (formerly Charles H. Scott Gallery). Galleries West. en-us. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20171216055652/http://www.gallerieswest.ca/locations/libby-leshold-gallery-formerly-charles-h.-scott-gallery/. 16 December 2017. live.
  36. Web site: Catriona Jeffries. www.catrionajeffries.com. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190312115450/http://www.catrionajeffries.com/. 12 March 2019. live.
  37. Web site: Overflow: Germaine Koh (2007) Centre A. en-US. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20170625203157/http://centrea.org/2015/06/overflow-germaine-koh-2007/. 25 June 2017. live.
  38. Web site: 7 February 2007 . Germaine Koh: Overflow . 10 March 2022 . The Georgia Straight . en.
  39. Web site: VP Media Arts Centre. www.videopool.org. en-US. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190312202920/http://www.videopool.org/. 12 March 2019. live.
  40. Web site: Ottawa Art Gallery Art and Community. oaggao.ca. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190310115239/http://www.oaggao.ca/. 10 March 2019. live.
  41. Web site: Germaine Koh. Staff writer(s). balticmill.com. Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. 8 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150402195704/https://www.balticmill.com/whats-on/exhibitions/detail/germaine-koh. 2 April 2015. live.
  42. Web site: Germain Koh about around. Staff writers. umanitoba.ca. Gallery One One One. 8 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150314130238/http://umanitoba.ca/schools/art/content/galleryoneoneone/koh.html. 14 March 2015. live.
  43. Web site: Germaine Koh. Staff writer(s). contemporaryartgallery.ca. Contemporary Art Gallery (Vancouver). 8 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20141031200546/http://www.contemporaryartgallery.ca/exhibitions/germaine-koh/. 31 October 2014. live.
  44. Web site: Koh's Work Focuses on Meaningful Details. 27 January 2005. Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly. en. 29 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20110830065331/http://www.straight.com/article/kohs-work-focuses-on-meaningful-details. 30 August 2011. live.
  45. Barnett. Pennina. 1 November 2002. Small Gestures and Acts of Grace: An Interview with Germaine Koh. Women: A Cultural Review. 13. 3. 356–369. 10.1080/0957404022000026568. 191590882 . 0957-4042.
  46. Web site: Publication Review Germaine Koh. 10 November 2017. Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver. en-CA. 29 April 2019.
  47. Web site: rugor. https://germainekoh.com/cv. 6 March 2021. germainekoh.com. en-US.
  48. Web site: Germaine Koh . 10 March 2020.
  49. Web site: Split Between the I and the Gaze Agnes Etherington Art Centre. 9 March 2021. agnes.queensu.ca.
  50. Web site: Public Volumes. smallarmsinspect. Small Arms Inspection Building (SAIB). en-US. 29 April 2019.
  51. Web site: Or Gallery: Afterlives. www.orgallery.org. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20180815043513/http://www.orgallery.org/afterlives. 15 August 2018. live.
  52. Web site: Vancouver Art Gallery. www.vanartgallery.bc.ca. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190129095903/https://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/the_exhibitions/exhibit_persistence.html. 29 January 2019. dead.
  53. Web site: AHVA Gallery AHVA - The Department of Art History, Visual Art & Theory. ahva.ubc.ca. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190520063528/https://ahva.ubc.ca/ahva-gallery-home/. 20 May 2019. live.
  54. Web site: Aktuell. Uri. Haus für Kunst. Haus für Kunst Uri. de-DE. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190315044533/https://www.hausfuerkunsturi.ch/ausstellungen/aktuell/. 15 March 2019. live.
  55. Web site: (im)mobile Dalhousie Art Gallery. artgallery.dal.ca. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20180516210427/http://artgallery.dal.ca/immobile. 16 May 2018. live.
  56. Web site: Les matins infidèles L'art du protocole. Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ). fr-CA. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20181205212338/https://www.mnbaq.org/exposition/les-matins-infideles-8. 5 December 2018. live.
  57. Web site: Nuit Blanche Toronto. 16 August 2017. City of Toronto. en-CA. 9 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190308144049/https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/nuit-blanche-toronto/. 8 March 2019. live.
  58. Web site: Here Now or Nowhere: Northern Lights. Moser. Gabrielle. Canadian Art. en-US. 29 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20160509005948/http://canadianart.ca/features/here-now-or-nowhere/. 9 May 2016. live.
  59. Web site: All Together Now: Recent Toronto Art AGO Art Gallery of Ontario. www.ago.net. 29 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190617/http://www.ago.net/recent-toronto-art-all-together-now. 3 March 2016. live.
  60. Web site: Untethered. Eyebeam. 29 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190330194823/http://www.eyebeam.org/events/untethered/. 30 March 2019. live.
  61. Web site: The Sobey Art Award 2004 Touring Exhibition. Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada. en-US. 29 April 2019.
  62. Web site: L'Envers des apparences. MAC Montréal. fr-FR. 29 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20181208035946/https://macm.org/expositions/lenvers-des-apparences/. 8 December 2018. live.
  63. Web site: Staff profile: Germaine Koh — Team Canada Roller Derby. 10 March 2020. www.teamcanadarollerderby.com.
  64. Frey. Warren. 15 July 2019. City of Vancouver Turns Infrastructure into Art Canvas. Journal of Commerce.
  65. Web site: 2023-03-28 . The Canada Council for the Arts Announces the 2023 Winners of the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts . 2023-03-28 . Canada Council for the Arts . en.
  66. Web site: Germaine Koh Centre A Library TinyCat. Centre A Library. en. 28 April 2019.
  67. Web site: Germaine Koh / Stall Centre A Library TinyCat. Centre A Library. en. 28 April 2019.
  68. Web site: Overflow: Germaine Koh Centre A Library TinyCat. Centre A Library. en. 28 April 2019.
  69. Web site: Open hours: Germaine Koh Centre A Library TinyCat. Centre A Library. en. 28 April 2019.

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