Martin Beck

Martin Beck was born in Bludenz, Austria in 1963 and currently lives in New York. Beck's practice spans writing, exhibition making and design, interventions, photography and video, exploring the socio-economic and historical determinants of exhibition making, with a particular focus on the formal language of modernism in art, architecture and design, often collaborating with Julie Ault. Recent exhibitions include Installation (2006) with Ault at the Secession in Vienna and The details are not the details (2007), a solo exhibition at Orchard in New York.

Exhibitions and projects (as solo exhibitions and in collaborative constellations) 

  • 2007: Orchard Gallery, New York 
  • 2006: "Installation", Secession, Vienna, Austria, in collaboration with Julie Ault 
  • "Information", Showcase for Art and Architecture, New York, in collaboration with Julie Ault 
  • 2005: Gallery j, Geneva, Switzerland 
  • 2003: "an Exhibit viewed, played, populated", Grazer Kunstverein, Graz, Austria 
  • 2002: "Spiegel/Spiegel", Planet 22, Geneva, Switzerland, in collaboration with Julie Ault  
  • 2000: "Outdoor Systems, indoor distribution", Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst, Berlin, in collaboration with Julie Ault 
  • 1997: Co-founder of Parasite, an artists' organisation dedicated to the support, documentation and presentation of project-based artworks. 
  • "Archives: History, Tools, Practice", a discussion and presentation series co-organised with Julie Ault as part of Parasite 
  • 1997: "Storage (displayed)", Spot, New York 
  • 1996: "Transfer", Gallery Mathias Kampl, Munich 
  • "Production Pop", Depot, Vienna (with Mathias Poledna and Jon Savage) 
  • 1995: "Trade (Europe)", Centre for Contemporary Art, Moscow 
  • "... with ... with ... with ...", Forum Stadtpark, Graz 
  • "FFREW.Film", Kunstverein Munich, Munich (with Mathias Poledna) 
  • "FFREW.Archive", Kunstverein Munich, Munich (with Mathias Poledna) 
  • 1994: "Information, Documentation, Legitimation", Gallery Hohenthal and Bergen, Cologne 
  • Installation and extension of "Services" by Andrea Fraser and Helmut Draxler for Depot, Vienna (with Helmut Draxler and Mathias Poledna) 
  • 1993: "How do you like this work of art", Trabant, Vienna 
  • 1992: "Monotypes", Gallery Pamela Auchincloss, New York 
  • Gallery Sechzig, Feldkirch 
  • Atelier allerArt, Bludenz (with Klemens Torggler) 
  • 1990: Gallery Mathias Kampl, Munich 
  • Gallery Gras, Vienna 
  • 1989: Sigma Gallery, Bregenz 
  • Pamela Auchincloss Gallery, New York 
  • 1988: Ariadne Gallery, Vienna 
  • 1987: Sigma Gallery, Bregenz 
  • 1986: Gallery Ariadne, Vienna


Solo exhibition catalogues and books  

  • 2006: Installation, Vienna / Cologne: Secession / Verlag der Buchhandlung Walter König, (with Julie Ault)
  • 2005: an Exhibit viewed, played, populated, Graz / Frankfurt: Kunstverein Graz / Revolver Verlag
  • 2003: half modern, half something else (Charles Jencks, The Language of Post-Modern Architecture, first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh editions),
  • 2003: Vienna: Montage
  • 2003: Critical State: Selected Texts in Dialogue, Essen: Kokerei Zollverein, (with Julie Ault) 
  • 2000: Exteriors, Interior Distribution, Berlin: Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst, (with Julie Ault) 
  • 1995: Trade (Europe), Moscow: Centre for Contemporary Art, 
  • 1994: Information, Legitimation, Documentation, Cologne: Galerie Hohenthal and Bergen, 
  • 1992: Martin Beck, self-published, Vienna 
  • 1990: Martin Beck, Munich: Kampl Gallery, Munich 
  • 1988: Martin Beck, Vienna: Galerie Ariadne