I am not exactly sure what sort of artist I am. I like working with different media such as painting, drawing, installation, film, sculpture and performance. However, my main interest lies in painting. I like the immediacy of this medium and the way it allows me to explore a highly complex world of systems, rules, conventions and modes of living.
I am not exactly sure what sort of artist I am. I like working with different media such as painting, drawing, installation, film, sculpture and performance. However, my main interest lies in painting. I like the immediacy of this medium and the way it allows me to explore a highly complex world of systems, rules, conventions and modes of living.
I often break free from painting in order to work/experiment with other media. However, after a relatively short period I usually return with a new vigour to painting. Since 2013 I have been working on a specific painting series titled Bad Painting. Working on Bad Painting is what painting is all about to me: exploration of a theme, a subject and the general development of painting as a process and a medium. It is not only painterly but also political which is very important to me. Art has to be political to me (although everything is political to a certain degree).
When it comes to personal work, i.e. work that processes my past or my emotions, then I usually use film, installation or performance. These media are different from painting to me. I find them much more personal. They allow me to go deeper inside myself and 'digest' problems, myself and help me understand my function within the world.
artist statement & CV
In essence I am a story-teller. I often use different ideas, materials such as photographs, found objects, magazines, video & audio footage etc. that I collect during my research or travels and weave into stories. These stories are often hidden within the materials and not instantly visible. I am mostly interested in metaphysics, social and political issues as well as different modes/approaches of presenting art.
My work is very versatile, in general process-based and sits at the intersection of different practices. An essential aspect of process is the element of change including new directions and abandonment (of work) which gives my work a seemingly peripatetic character. The quality of my work is not so much within the single pieces of work but rather in my overall approach and understanding. One of my principle interests lies in social constructionism, the analysis and documentation of (cultural, social) heritage, i.e. the (social, political, cultural and historical) makeup of people. Whether it manifests itself in the form of a drawing, a collage, a painting, an installation, an action or any other medium, my work is never so much about the discrete unit of work but rather the work as a part of the gesamtkunstwerk, the gesamt-story. My understanding of the gesamtkunstwerk in its truest sense is the entirety of my work as a cohesive body.
It is very important to me that my work represents myself, my way of thinking and my opinions. Staying true to myself and having integrity is a very important aspect of my practice. I don't produce art for the masses, nor have I any desire to ride on the band wagon of current trends in the contemporary art world.
Short bio
I was born in Basel, Switzerland in 1971. I am based in London and Margate, UK. After my graduation from the School of Economics Basel I studied business administration as well as marketing planning & product management at the Institute for Management Training IFKS in Basel while simultaneously studying painting at Neue Kunstschule Zürich. In 1996 I emigrated to Fukuoka, Japan where I became an active member of a new generation of artists. After my last solo show at the Fukuoka Art Museum in 2001 I returned to Switzerland where I studied a variety of art courses such as drawing, concept & methods and art history at the Basel School of Design. In 2004 I moved to London where I studied multimedia at Hackney Community College, IT and design at the Open University and translation at City University. I soon established The Washroom Projects (TWP) which was an instant success in terms of press and artistic merit. I then developed TWP into the Washroom Talks which was presented twice at Tate Liverpool. In 2007 I joined forces with Portuguese Punk musician Victor 'Torpedo' from the Parkinsons and Tedio Boys and began working under the pseudonym Sardine & Tobleroni until 2012. Since 2012 I have been working solo again.
I have shown my work internationally (Japan, USA, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, France) in galleries and museums such as the Fukuoka Art Museum, Whitechapel Gallery, Tate Liverpool, the London Art Fair, Art Basel, the Venice Biennale.
.Exhibitions & projects
Solo shows
2012 JAY GUN - The Most Dangerous Man on the Planet, WW Gallery
2004 Glatzen leben, Schmaler Wurf, Basel, Switzerland
2003 Sushi concenpt speaks Portuguese in kunstschlachthalle Jay Rechsteiner, the contemporay art gallery Ben Rubin Sharif (Arté Wallhof), Switzerland
2003 Autobahn Kreuzkopf, Retirement Home Johanniter, Basel-city, Switzerland
2002 COM I.C.-BOX 102: Kings, Hookers and a Parasite, restaurant Parterre, Basel-City, Switzerland
2000 Jay Rechsteiner Exhibition: Polymorphic Mud, Saibu Gas Gallery (Canal City), Fukuoka-City
2000 Jay Rechsteiner Exhibition: Polymorphic Masturbation, Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka-City, Japan
2000 Jay Rechsteiner Exhibition: Polymorphic Decay in Culture, Do Plan Gallery, Fukuoka-City, Japan
1999 Rechsteiner Jay Exhbition: Tohuwabohu - The Big Mess, Solo Show, Charlie's Art Market, Fukuoka-City, Japan
Group shows
24 Sep - 16 Oct 2022 Aktionale IV 2022: Das nackte Sein, Haus der Künstler, Verein Berliner Künstler, Schöneberger Ufer 57, 10785 Berlin Tiergarten-Mitte, Germany, https://aktionale.wordpress.com/kunstlerinnen-der-aktionale-iv/
23 Sep - 2 Oct 2022 A Perfect Day, NDSM, The Netherlands https://aperfectday.amsterdam/
23 Oc 2021 - 20 Feb 2022 Turner Contemporary Open at Turner Contemporary, Margate, UK
https://turnercontemporary.org/whats-on/the-turner-contemporary-open/
5 September - 10 October 2020, extended until 19 December 2020 Unleashed Speed Unleashed Speech(MISFITS) curated by Stefan Brüggemann, inlcuding: Oriol Vilanova, Jay Rechsteiner, Gardar Eide Einarsson, and Stefan Brüggemann at Kotaro Nukaga Gallery, Tokyo more info: https://www.kotaronukaga.com/en/projects/unleashed-speed-unleashed-speechmisfits-en/
1 - 15 December 2020 Global Conversations round 2, The United Nations' UN75, F.99 and IKONOSPACE return with a new partner Google Arts & Culture.
Works selected by Gilléad-Gaari Mziray, Curated by Deirdre Darden, https://www.f-99.org/globalconversation
15 - 30 September 2020 Global Conversation, virtuall collaborative exhibition curated by Gilléad-Gaari Mziray and Ikono Space, United Nations, UN75. (https://www.f-99.org/ and https://un75.online/
22 May - 22 Aug 2020 I Might Be Staring at Infinity (or the backs of my own eyelids) at Yarat Contemporary Art Space, Bayil District (National Flag Square), Baku, Azerbaijan, AZ1003- virtual ARTIM Project Space located on a spaceship that crosses the universe click HERE for exhibition info
Sep 2019 - Jan 2020 A conversation in my head while examining the very existence of house plants: A radio play installation at 101 Social Club & Turner Contemporary, Margate UK, part of Margate Now
2018 At the Violet Hour, curated by Chiara Contemporary Art & Shaun Stamp, Nayland Rock Hotel, Margate, UK info: http://www.chiarawilliams.com/at-the-violet-hour.html
2017 The ships are always there, Chiara Williams Contemporary Art, Crate Space, Margate, UK http://www.chiarawilliams.com/ships.html
2017 Anthology 2017 finalists , Charlie Smith Gallery, London, UK, http://charliesmithlondon.com/anthology-2017-2/
2017 Littoral Light II 28 July 9pm - 10:30pm, Article 10, organized & curated by Sue Fletcher & Aidan Gray, Ramsgate, UK: http://jayrechsteiner.com/its_my_art_now.htm#littorallight http://jayrechsteiner.com/the_blue_room.html http://ramsgatefestival.org/event/littoral-light-ii/
2016 Let's make the world a better place, curated by Infinity Bunce & Sarah Jeffries, Cello Factory, London
2015 Oli Bennett Secret Cards, Westminster School, London, UK
2015 FIGUR|E|ATION., GalleryEll
2014 Werke sind Wesen - Les hirondelles sont le Printemps, Villa Renata, Basel, Switzerland
2013 Together, Occupy My Time Gallery, London
2012 Spare Parts 2012, The Rag Factory, London
2012 How to Make a Monster, High Voltage Lab, Markthalle, Basel, Switzerland
2012 Grand Cru High Voltage Gallery, Markthalle, Viaduktstrasse 10, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
2012 BYOP London at Moving Image- an art fair of Contemporary Video Art, Oxo Tower Wharf, London, UK
2011 Islington Exhibits, London, UK
2006 Now or Neverland, the Residence Gallery, London , UK
2004 Tennis Club St. George, Surry, Weybridge, UK
2004 Switch-London 50/500, organised by switch-london.com
2004 Leonards EC1, organised by mesto.co.uk, London, UK
2004 Arundell Trust, St. Ethelsburga's, London, UK
2003 Regionale 2013 Projectraum 54, Basel-City, Switzerland
2003 Art Lounge, Nordstern, Basel-City, Switzerland
2000 participation at Tang Da Wu - My Life Project, Art project at the Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka-City, Japan
2000 Culture Crash I, II & III, Group exhibition in three different galleries: Arcos, Amikasu Gallery & Saibu Gas Gallery, Fukuoka-City
2000 34. Fukuoka-City Art Exhibition, Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka-City, Japan
1999 Artistic X'mas, Group show at Charlie's Art Market, Fukuoka-City, Japan
Projects
The Red Van
joint research project with Chiara Williams Contemporary Art
more info: http://redvan.weebly.com/
2015 road trip: mobile home, mobile studio, mobile gallery
exhibitions:
02 April 2016: The Red Van London Pit Stop, WW Contemporary Art HQ, London
17 March 2016: in front of Roxy Bar, Castellammare del Golfo TP, Sicily
10 August 2015: The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière in Lyon
09 August 2015: very short pop-up show in the car parks of MAM St Etienne
05 August 2015: St Angel, Haute Corrèze
inVisible
A series of interactive work that engages with social media
2016: Art Basel, Switzlerland
The Washroom Projects
2005 - 2006: various site-specifi projetcts
more info: http://jayrechsteiner.com/theWashroomProjects.htm
2006: Whitechapel Gallery
2006: Whitechapel Gallery
2005: the Foundry
2005: the Foundry
2005: the Foundry
2005: Paddington Station
2005: Paddington Station
2005: Notting Hill Arts Club
2005: Liverpool Street Station
2005: Kings Cross
2005: Hackney Town Hall Square (as part of Hackney Empire's Spice Festival)
2005: Hackney Empire
2005: Gallery 291
2005: Filthy McNasty's
2005: Angel Station
[zeiTraum]
joint project with Eunji Kim
more info: http://www.zeitraum.co.uk/zeitraum/index.htm
2007 Saatchi & Saatchi, London, UK, organised by CULT-GEIST www.cultgeist.com
2006 Whitechapel Gallery
2006 Whitechapel Gallery
.
The Washroom Talks
more info: http://www.zeitraum.co.uk/zeitraum/storage.htm
2007 Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
2007 Tate Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
2007 gallery:space in Finsbury Park, London, UK
2007 Hackney Empire Theatre, London, UK
2007 Hackney Empire Theatre's Marie Lloyd Bar, London, UK
Sardine & Tobleroni (group & solo shows)
joint project with Victor 'Torpedo' Sliveira
2015 We Love 77, Laboratório das Artes, Largo do Toural, Edifício do Café Milenário, 4810 Guimarães, Portugal
2015 We Love 77, Edificio Montepio,Porto, Portual part of Keep it simple, keep it fast)
2014 We Love 77, Museu Bernardo, Caldas da Rainha, Portugal
2013 We Love 77, Rabiscuits Arte Experimental: 02 Aug 2013
2012 Espelho Meu, Mercado Negro, Aveira, Portugal
2011 We Love 77 incl. series of Punk concerts at States Club, Círculo de Artes Plásticas de Coimbra, Portugal
2011 Summer Kamp - online project
2011 Regional 12, FABRIKculture, 60, rue de Bâle, 68220 Hégenheim, France
2011 CrossBreeding - Solo Show, organized by Cameleon, Casa das Artes, Coimbra, Portugal
2011 Sensations - online project
2011 Afternoon Tea, WW Gallery, 54th Venice Biennale, Italy
2011 London Art Fair, WW Gallery
2010 We Love 77, WW Gallery's pop-up venue at the Merchant's Hall, London
2010 Hackney Wicked: Solo Show, London
2010 Grandola, Biblioteca, Portugal
2010 Drink & Dial, WW Gallery
2009 Travelling Light, 53rd Venice Biennale, Italy
2009 Travelling Light , WW Gallery
2009 Parental Guidance, WW Gallery, London
2009 Espelho Meu, Academico Gil Vicente & Salão Brasil, Coimbra, Portugal
2008 The Charity Shop, Gallery 5, Notting Hill, London, UK
2008 Red Meat, the Others, London, UK
2008 Espelho Meu, Santiago Alquimista, Lisbon, Portugal
2008 Espelho Meu, Plano B , Porto, Portugal
2008 Espelho Meu, Braço de Prata Factory, Lisbon, Portugal
2007 Dorian Gray II Happy Days, John Jones, London, UK
Art fairs & festivals
2011 Afternoon Tea, WW Gallery, 54th Venice Biennale, Italy
2011 London Art Fair, WW Gallery
2009 Travelling Light, 53rd Venice Biennale, Italy
2000 Art Festa Fukuoka 2000, Art festival in Fukuoka-City, Japan
1999 Art Ralley Kurume '99, live painting, Kurume, Japan
Residencies
2015 The Red Van travelling research residency (from 12 July), Europe: www.redvan.weebly.com
2015 The Red Van had a week-long residency (29 July - 6 August) at ID Projects, St Angel, Haute Correze, courtesy artists Phil Ilingworth and Natalie Dowse.
2012 monoloqueArt at La maison du comédien, Domaine de la Vergne, 16490 Alloue - France
