The work of British visual artist Mat Chivers looks at some of the fundamental phenomena that drive our thoughts and actions. He explores ideas relating to perception, cognition, evolutionary process, ecology and ethics by bringing traditional analogue approaches to making into counterpoint with state-of-the-art digital technologies. His practice in sculpture, drawing, film and performance often involves close collaborations with individuals and institutions in the fields of science, technology and academia. Chivers work is based on in-depth research and a response to place, to articulate some of the wider relationships that we all share and on which we all depend

CV

  • Born 1973, Bristol, UK
  • BA Hons Fine Art Sculpture, The Nottingham Trent University, UK
  • ERASMUS cultural exchange placement, Escuela Des Belles Artes Barcelona, Spain
  • Lives and works between Totnes, UK and Montréal, Canada

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2019

  • Migrations, Arsenal Art Contemporain, Montréal, Canada

2018

  • Migrations, Musée d'art de Joliette, Québec, Canada

2016

  • Harmonic Distortion, PM/AM, London, UK

2015

  • Altered States, Hallmark House, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Satyr, VeniceArtFactory, Venice, Italy

2014

  • Root, Martyrs Square, Beirut, Lebanon

2013

  • Between Day and Night and Night and the Day, Kappatos Gallery, Athens, Greece
  • Root, PublicScapes performance, Monastiraki Square, Athens, Greece
  • Syzygy, Millennium, St Ives, UK

2012

  • Sculpture & Drawings, The Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton, UK

2011

  • Fascination, Maddox Arts, London, UK
  • States of Flux, Bridport Arts Centre, Bridport, UK

2007

  • Sculpture & Drawings, Study Gallery of Modern Art, Bournemouth, UK

2002

  • Incunabula, Buckland Abbey, Plymouth, UK

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2021

  • Shamanism, Mimmo Scognamiglio, Milan, Italy
  • Castles of Sand, Anima Mundi, St Ives, UK
  • The Right to Breath, Undercurrent NYC, online

2020

  • Wisdom and Nature, Christies, New York, USA
  • Ode to a Nightingale, Anima Mundi, online
  • Beyond Ourselves, Anima Mundi, online

2019

  • The New States of Being, Centre d'Exposition de l'Universitié de Montréal (CEUM), Canada
  • FadenLos!, Zukunftsvisionen, Görlitz, Germany

2018

  • Winter, Anima Mundi, St Ives, UK

2017

  • Force of Nature, The Art Pavilion, Mile End, London, UK
  • Contemporary Sculpture Fulmer, Buckinghamshire, UK
  • Between Night & Day, 51 South Street, Mayfair, London, UK
  • Air: Visualising the Invisible in British Art 1768 - 2017, The Royal West of England Academy, Bristol, UK

2016

  • Force Of Nature, Galerie Valerie Bach, Brussels, Belgium
  • A Place In Time, NIROX, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Babel: Curated Space, Outsider Art Fair, New York, USA
  • Daydreaming With ... Stanley Kubrick, Somerset House, London, UK
  • Collective, House of St Barnabas, London, UK
  • Hidden Door, Alchemy Film & Moving Image Festival, Edinburgh, UK
  • Premio Fondazione Henraux, Querceta, Italy
  • An Infinitely Beautiful Mind, Regents Park University, London, UK
  • From Silence, Anima Mundi at Herrick Gallery, London, UK

2015

  • Winter, Anima Mundi, St Ives, UK

2014

  • Out Of Our Heads, Shoreditch Town Hall, London, UK
  • The CRISIS Commission, Bermondsey project & The Strand Gallery, London, UK
  • Highly Recommended: Emerging Sculptors, Frederik Meijer Sculpture Center, Michigan, USA
  • Blocks, Famagusta Gate, Nicosia, Cyprus

2013

  • Glasstress: White Light/White Heat, Pallazo Cavalli Franchetti, 55th Venice Biennale, Italy
  • Meridian, Tryon St, London, UK
  • Glasstress: White Light/White Heat, The Wallace Collection & The London College of Fashion, UK
  • Collective, House of St Barnabas, London, UK
  • New British, Lloyds Club, London, UK
  • Momento Mori, Pertwee Anderson & Gold, London, UK
  • Limbo: A Blueprint for the first Cornish Biennial, Truro, UK
  • Elements, Kristin Hjellegjerde, London, UK
  • Winter, Millenium, St Ives, UK

2012

  • Material Matters: The Power of the Medium, East Wing X, The Courtauld Institute of Arts, London, UK
  • Exploratory Laboratory: Art, Science & the Coast, AUCB Arts University College Bournemouth, UK
  • Overlay, Bournemouth Natural Science Society & National Trust Estate, Dorset, UK
  • Neoreplicants, Phoenix Gallery, Exeter, UK
  • Art, Science & The Coast, Bridport Arts Centre, UK
  • Winter, Millenium, St Ives, UK

2011

  • The Knowledge, Gervasuti Foundation, 54th Venice Biennale of International Art, Italy
  • Eleventh Plateau, Historical Archives Museum, Hydra, Greece
  • Biliteral, PAG, London, UK
  • Eleventh Plateau 2, Archeological Society, Athens Biennial, Greece
  • Before The Crash, multiple venues, Exeter, UK, Rome, Italy, Paris, France

2010

  • Holding Time, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Indian Institute for Arts and Culture, London, UK
  • Ex-Lab, Bridport Arts Centre, UK

2009

  • ECO 2009, Phoenix Gallery, Exeter, UK
  • Perspectives on a Modernist Legacy, Woburn Abbey, UK
  • 18@108: Stone, Royal British Society of Sculptors, London, UK
  • Vanitas Triptych, St Michael Archangel, Chagford, UK

2008

  • 2D to 3D: Drawings Towards Sculpture, Bournemouth University, UK
  • Visual, Beachcroft Space, Bristol, UK

2007

  • Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK

2006

  • Re-View: Territories Inspire Art, Study Gallery of Modern Art, Poole, UK
  • Forest Dreaming, Part 3, CCANW, Exeter, UK
  • Mark, Dartington College of Arts Gallery, UK

2005

  • Elemental Insight, Canterbury Royal Museum, Derby Museum, UK

2004

  • Elemental Insight, BBC Media Centre, London, Bridport Arts Centre, Burton Art Gallery, UK
  • Jurrasic, Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton, UK

2002

  • Vents des Forets, Lahaymieux, France

RESIDENCIES | PROJECTS | AWARDS

2020

  • L'Humain Qui Vient/L'Humanité Qui Ouvre, Hexagram/UQAM, Canada & Le Fresnoy, France
  • Freelands Foundation Covid-19 Emergency Fund grant

2019

  • Arsenal Art Contemporain residency, Montréal, Canada
  • Speaker at Mutek International Festival of Digital Creativity and Music, Montréal, Canada

2018

  • MAJ (Musee d'art de Joliette) residency, Canada
  • Migrations : Mat Chivers X Element AI, C2 Montréal, Canada

2016

  • Premio Fondazione Henraux, Italy

2014

  • NIROX residency, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa

2013

  • Oxford University Mathematical Institute residency, UK
  • Art Professionals in Athens residency, Greece

2009

  • Outbreath, collaboration with research scientists, The University of Bristol, UK
  • ECO 2009, PROOF/New Art Examiner Editorial Award, UK

2005

  • Arts Council England Grant, UK
  • Devon ArtsCulture Award, UK

2003

  • Arts Council England Grant, UK

2002

  • Shelter, site-specific collaboration, various locations, France

COMMISSIONS | COLLECTIONS

  • Association Vents des Forets, France
  • Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, UK
  • Berengo Collection, Italy
  • Bournemouth & Poole Museum, UK
  • Bristol City Council, UK
  • Chagford Arts Festival, UK
  • Countryside Agency, UK
  • Crisis, UK
  • Dartmoor National Park, UK
  • Devon Guild, UK
  • ExLab, UK
  • Fondazione Henraux collection, Italy
  • The Fitzwilliam Museum, UK
  • Majudia Collection, Canada
  • Mochary Collection, USA
  • NHS Primary Healthcare Trust, UK
  • Norwegian Cruise Lines
  • Oxford University Mathematical Institute, UK
  • Sanders Hotel, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Soho House Group, UK
  • STRAW project, UK
  • Taljaard Collection, Johannesburg, South Africa
  • Thelma Hulbert Gallery, UK
  • The Met Office, UK
  • West Devon Borough Council, UK

TEXT | VIDEO