Simon Starling

Simon Starling (born 1967 in Epsom, England) is a British contemporary artist who lives and works in Copenhagen. Working across installation, sculpture, film and photography, his practice is characterised by processes of transformation, displacement and reconfiguration through which familiar objects, materials and histories are investigated from new perspectives. His works often establish complex connections between art, technology, nature, production and economics, turning processes of research and transformation into the physical manifestation of a conceptual thought process. Starling’s practice frequently begins with an existing object, material, artwork or historical event and follows the connections that emerge from its transformation or relocation. His works investigate the histories embedded within objects and the systems of production, exchange and circulation that surround them, often linking artistic processes to scientific discoveries, technological developments and ecological questions. Projects such as Rescued Rhododendrons (2000), in which plants were transported from Scotland back to their historical region of origin in southern Spain, demonstrate his interest in movement, displacement and the changing relationships between nature and culture. Photography and film are integral to these investigations, often functioning not simply as documentation but as part of the transformation itself. Starling has produced works that reconsider histories of art and design, including projects engaging with figures such as Henry Moore and Constantin Brancusi, while other works trace relationships between natural systems, industrial production and global economic networks. The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago has described his practice in terms of an ongoing interest in transformation and metamorphosis, particularly through sculpture, photography and film. Starling studied photography at Nottingham Polytechnic before completing his studies at the Glasgow School of Art. He represented Scotland at the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003 and was awarded the Turner Prize in 2005 for exhibitions at The Modern Institute in Glasgow and the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona. The Turner Prize jury highlighted his ability to transform and reframe existing objects through rigorous research, creating poetic narratives that bring together cultural, political and historical references. His work has been presented extensively in international exhibitions and institutions, including Tate Britain in London, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Japan Society in New York, the Power Plant in Toronto, Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art and Frac Île-de-France – Le Plateau in Paris. He has also participated in major international exhibitions including the Venice Biennale, Manifesta and the Istanbul and Shanghai Biennials. More recent projects include exhibitions at Pinacoteca Agnelli in Turin and Modena’s Galleria Estense, while his work continues to explore the relationships between transformation, history, technology, ecology and the circulation of objects and ideas.