Stephen Willats
1943 born in
London,
United Kingdom
Lives in London, United Kingdom
Solo Exhibitions
1964
Chester Beatty Research Centre, London.
1968
‘Visual Automatics & Visual Transmitters’, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford.
1973
‘The Artist As An Instigator Of Changes in Social Cognition and Behaviour’, Gallery House, London.
1974
‘Life Codes And Behaviour Parameters’, Gallery December, Munster, West Germany.
1975
‘Coding Structures And Behaviour Parameters’, Massimo Minini, Gallery Banco, Brescia, Italy.
‘Meta Filter, A State Of Agreement’, The Gallery, London.
1976
‘Life Codes And Behaviour Parameters’, The Midland Group Gallery, Nottingham.
‘Social Structures: The Perception of Context’, Stampa Gallery, Basel, Switzerland.
‘Attitudes Within Four Relationships’, Lisson Gallery, London.
1977
‘Attitudes Within Four Relationships’, Southampton City Art Gallery.
1978
‘Questions About Ourselves’, Lisson Gallery, London.
‘Living Within Contained Conditions’, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford.
1979
‘Concerning Our Present Way of Living’, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London.
1980
‘The Lurky Place’, Galerie Jürgen Schweinebraden, East Berlin.
‘Four Professionals’, Lisson Gallery, London.
‘Berlin Wall Drawings’, Galerie Rüdiger Schöttle, Munich.
‘Concerning Our Present Way of Living’, Stedelijk van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven.
‘4 Inseln in Berlin’, National Galerie, West Berlin.
1981
‘4 Inseln in Berlin’, Goethe Institute, London.
‘Mens en Omgeving’, De Beyerd Centrum voor beeldende Kunst, Breda, Holland.
1982
‘Meta Filter and Related Works’, Tate Gallery, London.
‘The New Reality’, Orchard Gallery, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.
1983
‘Angst in den Strasse’, Rüdiger Schöttle Galerie, Munich.
‘Inside The Night’, Lisson Gallery, London.
‘Under Cover’, Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol.
1984
‘Means of Escape’, Rochdale Art Gallery, Greater Manchester.
‘Another City’, Riverside Studios, London.
1985
‘Doppelganger’, Lisson Gallery, London.
‘Double Crossing’, Ralph Wernicke Galerie, Stuttgart.
1986
‘City of Concrete’, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham.
‘Grüsse vom Modernen Leben’, Städtische Galerie, Regensburg, West Germany.
‘Groeten uit het moderne leven’, Museum van Hedenaagse Kunst, Utrecht, Holland.
‘Concepts and Models’, ICA, London.
Vier Hiizen in Den Haag’, Haags Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag, Holland.
‘Striking Back’, Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield.
‘Fragments of Modern Living’, Galerie Tanja Grunert, Cologne.
1987
‘Contemporary Living’, Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Gent.
‘Concepts and Projects Bookworks’, Nigel Greenwood Books, London.
‘Between Objects And People’, Leeds City Art Gallery.
1988
‘Transformers’, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle.
‘Code Breakers’, Torch Gallery, Amsterdam.
‘Stephen Willats’, Galerie Ralph Wernicke, Stuttgart.
1989
‘Secret Language’, Cornerhouse Gallery, Manchester.
1990
"Mosaics’, Galerie Kaj Forsblom, Helsinki, Finland.
‘Stephen Willats’, Galerie Barbara Farber, Amsterdam.
1991
‘Publishing Interventions, 1963 - 1991’, National Art Library, Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
1992
‘Signs of Living’, Galerie Gabrielle Maubrie, Paris.
1993
‘Buildings & People’, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin.
‘Multiple Clothing’, Institute of Contemporary Art, London.
Walking Between Objects’, Galerie Franck & Schulte, Berlin.
Buildings & People’, Goethe Institute, London.
1994
‘Multiple Clothing’, Daniel Buchholz, Cologne.
‘Random Life’, Victoria Miro Gallery, London.
‘Museum Mosaic’, Tate Gallery, Liverpool.
‘Fateful Combinations’, The British School at Rome.
Into the Infra-Structure’, Galerie Lumen Travo, Amsterdam.
‘Urban Nomads’, Galerie Gabrielle Maubrie, Paris.
1995
‘Living Together’, Tramway, Glasgow.
‘A State Of Agreement’, Galerie Franck & Schulte, Berlin.
‘Writing on the Wall’, Galerie Kaj Forsblom, Helsinki.
‘Writing on the Wall’, Reinhard Hauff at Galerie Archim Kubinski, Stuttgart.
1996
‘In Response To Each Other’, Galerie Brandstetter & Wyss, Zurich.
‘Du Hasard A l’Accord’, Galerie Gabrielle Maubrie, Paris.
1997
‘Street Talk’, Gallery Victoria Miro, London.
‘Between Me And You’, Middlesbrough Art Gallery.
‘MULTICULT’, Galerie Lumen Travo, Amsterdam.
1998
‘Random Encounter’, Southampton City Art Gallery.
‘Changing Everything’, South London Art Gallery.
‘Creative Force’, Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield.
‘Multicult Berlin’, Galerie Franck & Schulte, Berlin.
‘Concepts, Strategies & Models 1962 - 65’, Gimpel Fils, London.
Blind Date With Reality’, Galerie Brandstetter & Wyss, Zurich.
1999
‘Multichannel Vision’, Galerie Reinhard Hauff, Stuttgart.
2000
‘Macro To Micro’. Gallery Laure Genillard, London.
2001
‘Traces And Signs’ Galerie Lumen Travo, Amsterdam.
‘Rencontres et Cooperations 1970-2000,’ Galerie Gabrielle Maubrie, Paris.
‘Man From The Twenty First Century. Nottingham 1970-1971’, Clinique London.
2002
‘Through Your Symbolic World’, Victoria Miro Gallery, London.
‘Cognition Control. From The Archives of Stephen Willats’. Institute of Visual Culture. Fitzwilliam Museum. Cambridge.
2003
‘Personal Encounters In Your Imagination’, Galerie Reinhard Hauff, Stuttgart.
2004
‘Messages From The Polemical City’, Galerie Thomas Schulte, Berlin.
2005
‘Street Talk Amsterdam’, Galerie Lumen Travo, Amsterdam.
"Multichannel Life", Galerie Christian Nagel, Köln.
2006
"From My Mind to Yur Mind", Victoria Miro Gallery, London, UK. 2.Sept.-30.Sept.
"Wie die Welt ist und wie sie sein könnte", Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Siegen. 22.Sept.-14.Januar.
2007
"Stephen Willats: Person to Person, People to People", Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes.
"Just Between People", Galerie Reinhard Hauff, Stuttgart.
"Assumptions and Presumptions", Rayners Lane & Sudbury Town Underground stations, London.
2008
"The Speculative Digram", Casco, Office for Art, Design and Theory, Utrecht.
Galerie Thomas Schulte, Berlin.
"The Architecture of Stephen Willats", LWL-Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte, Westfälisches Landesmuseum, Münster.
2009
"Assumptions and Identity. Identity and Assumptions", Lumen Travo Gallery, Amsterdam.
Galerie Christian Nagel, Köln.
Group Exhibitions
1966
‘Kunst Licht Kunst’, Stedelijk van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Holland.
1967
‘K 4", Brighton Festival.
‘Light and Movement’, Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry.
1968
‘Public Eye’, Kunsthaus Hamburg, Germany.
‘Preview London’, Camden Arts Centre, London.
1969
‘Five Light Artists’, Greenwich Theatre Art Gallery, London.
‘British Movements’, Onnasch Galerie, Berlin, Germany.
1970
‘Kinetic Art’, Hayward Gallery, London.
1971
‘Electric Theatre’, ICA Gallery, London.
‘Invention of Problems’, Leicester Polytechnic, Leicester.
1972
‘Survey of the Avant-Garde’, Gallery House, London.
‘Cognition Control’, Midland Group Gallery, Nottingham.
‘Cognition Control’, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford.
1973
‘Interact’, Edinburgh Festival, Scotland.
1974
‘Art as Thought Process’, Serpentine Gallery, London.
1975
‘Structures and Codes’, Royal College of Art Gallery, London.
‘Artists’ Bookworks’, British Council Touring Exhibition for Germany.
‘Body and Soul’, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.
1976
‘Artist’s Bookworks’, Arts Council of Great Britain Touring Exhibition.
‘Art as Thought Process’, British Council Touring Exhibition for France.
‘Twentieth Century Artist’s Photographs’, Israel Museum, Israel
1977
‘Gallery Artists’, Lisson Gallery, London and then Fine Arts Building, New York.
‘Social Criticism and Art Practice’, San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, USA.
‘10th Biennale of Paris’, France.
1979
‘In Certain Art Anglais’, ARC 2, Museum of Modern Art, Paris
‘Anglo-Belgium Exhibition’, JP2 Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels.
‘Languages’, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow, Arts Council of Great Britain Touring Exhibition.
‘La Parola e le Imagine’, Commune di Milano, Italy.
1980
‘Artist and Camera’, Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield.
1981
‘Kunst und Politik’, Basischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, Germany.
‘Die Kehrseite der Wunschbilder’, Bonner Kunstverein, Bonn, Germany.
‘Sculpture in the Twentieth Century’, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London.
1982
‘Contemporary Choice’, Contemporary Art Society Exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery, London.
"Noi altri wir anderen’. Regensberg Stadt Museum, Germany
‘Past - Present - Future’, Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart, Germany.
‘Erweiterte Fotografie’, Wiener Secession, Vienna, Austria.
‘London - New York’, Lisson Gallery, London.
‘Aperto 82", Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy.
1983
‘Place", Gimpel Fils Gallery, London.
‘New Art and the Tate Gallery’, Tate Gallery, London.
‘The Sculpture Show’, Hayward Gallery, London.
1984
Strip Language’, Gimpel Fils Gallery, London.
1985
Watch Your Step’, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester.
‘Sculpture Alternatives - Aspects of Photography and Sculpture in Britain 1965 - 82’, Tate Gallery, London.
‘The British Art Show’, National Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand.
‘Summer in the City’, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham.
‘Human Interest’, Cornerhouse Gallery, Manchester.
‘The British Show’, Art Gallery of New South Wales (travelling exhibition throughout Australia).
1986
The Art of Peace Biennale’, Kunstverein Hamburg, Germany.
‘Androgyn’, Akademie der Kunst, Berlin, Germany.
‘Eye Level’, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Holland.
1987
‘Art and Craft made and designed in the Twentieth Century’, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne.
1988
‘British Modernist Painting’, Birch & Conran Fine Art, London.
‘Beyond the City, The Metropolis’, Triennale di Milano, Italy.
‘What is good appears, and what appears is good’, Galerie Tanja Grunert, Cologne, Germany.
‘New Urban Landscape’, World Financial Centre, Battery Park, New York, USA.
‘100 Years of British Art’, Leeds City Art Gallery, Leeds.
‘New Reform Retrospective 1970 - 79’, Cultural Centre, Alst, Belgium.
Rüdiger Schöttle Gallery, Munich, Germany.
1989
‘Invisible City’, Leeds City Art Gallery, Leeds.
‘Tekens Van Verzet’, Beeld Museum Fodor, Amsterdam, Holland.
1990
‘Art Creating Society’, Exhibition to accompany Symposium at the MOMA, Oxford.
1991
‘Oikos’, Galerie Gabrielle Maubrie, Paris.
‘Excavating the Present’, Kettles Yard Gallery, Cambridge.
‘Past Continuous’, Artsite Trust, Bath Festival.
‘Shocks to the System’, ACGB Touring Exhibition, South Bank Centre, London.
1992
‘Wasteland’, Photographic Biennale, Rotterdam, Holland.
‘Real Stories’, Museet fur Photokunst, Odense, Denmark.
‘Instructions and Diagrams’, Victoria Miro Gallery, London.
1993
‘Sixties Art Scene in London’, Barbican Art Gallery, London.
‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’, Lisson Gallery, London.
‘Public and Private’, Stills Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland.
‘The Ideal Place’, HCAK, Den Haag, Holland.
1994
‘Outsiders’, Camerawork, London.
‘Visione Britannica’, Valentina Moncada, Rome, Italy.
‘Sarah Staton Super Store Boutique’, Laure Genillard Gallery, London.
‘Conceptual Living’, Rhizome, Amsterdam, Holland.
‘Looking at Words: Reading Pictures’, Elms Lester Painting Rooms, London.
‘Lesezimmer II’, Kunstlerhaus, Stuttgart, Germany.
1995
‘Mapping Knowledge’, The Minories Gallery, Colchester.
‘Ars 95 Helsinki’, Helsinki, Finland.
‘I don’t actually have to go’, Galerie Lumen Travo, Amsterdam, Holland.
‘Imprint 93’, City Racing, London.
‘Temples’, Victoria Miro Gallery, London.
‘Ideal Standard Summertime’, Lisson Gallery, London.
‘La Transparence Dans L’Art Du XXe Siecle’, Museum des Beaux-Arts Malraux, Le Havre, France.
‘The Edge of Town’, Joseloff Gallery, University of Hartford, Conn., USA.
‘Paste-Up, Past & Present’, Kent Gallery, New York.
1996
‘Les Contes de Fees se terminent bien’, Frac Haute-Normandie, Chateau du Val Freneuse, Sotteville-sous-le-Val.
1996
‘Radikale Images’, 2nd Austrian Triennale for Photographie, Neue Galerie, Graz.
‘Everybody’s Talking’, Gemeentemuseum Helmond, Holland.
1997
‘Sous le manteau’, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropec, Paris.
‘The Grand Design’, The Art of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, USA.
‘In Every Moment Everywhere’, Porin Taidemuseo, Finland.
‘C’est ici que nous vivons (2)’, FRAC Rhones-Alpes, France.
‘Photographie d’une Collection 3/97’, de la Caise des Depots et Consignations, Paris.
1998
‘Addressing the Century, 100 Years of Art & Fashion’, Hayward Gallery, London.
1999
‘Nur Wasser Lasst Sich Leichter Schneiden’, Hamburg.
"Bildung’, Grazer Kunstverein, Graz, Austria.
‘Borderline PILOT’, Museum van Bommel van Dam, Venlo, Holland.
2000
‘Democracy’, Royal College of Art, London, April/May.
‘Live In Your Head’, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London.
‘Protest and Survive’, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London.
‘Raw’, Victoria Miro Gallery, London.
‘Ein/raumen’, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg.
‘Protest and Survive’, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London.
2001
‘City Racing. A Partial Account’, Institute of Contemporary Art, London.
‘Conception. Conceptual Documents 1968-72’, Norwich Gallery, Norwich.
‘Double Vision’, Galerie für Zeitgenossische Kunst, Leipzig. Germany.
‘Antagonisms’, Musee d’Art Contemperani de Barcelona, Spain.
‘Arbeit Essen Angst’, Kokerei Zollverein, Essen, Germany.
‘The Map Is Not The Territory’, England & Co, London.
‘Video Evidence’, Southampton City Art Gallery, Southampton.
‘Video Project Space’, Anthony Wilkinson Gallery, London.
‘Works on Paper, Acconci to Zittel’, Victoria Miro Gallery, London.
‘Selbst Portrat’, Schloss Agathenburg, Agathenburg, Germany.
‘Stadsgezichten. Amsterdam vereeuwigd 1901-2001’, Amsterdams Historisch Museum, Holland.
2002
‘Private Views’, London Print Studio.
‘The Gap Show’, Museum am Ostwald, Dortmund.
‘Air Guitar’ Milton Keynes Gallery (and then touring).
‘Art For Networks’, Chapter Art Centre, Cardiff (and then touring).
‘Blast To Freeze. British Art In The Twentieth Century’, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, Germany.
2003
‘Collection 001’, Frac Rhone-Alpes, Institut d’art Contemporain, Villeurbanne, France.
‘In Portraiture Irrelevance Is Ugliness’, curated by Claudia Seidel, Galerie Reinhard Hauff, Stuttgart.
‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’, Migros Museum, Zurich.
‘In Portraiture Irrelevance Is Ugliness’, Museum Schloss Hardenberg, Velbert-Neviges, Germany.
‘Art For Networks’, Turnpike Gallery, Leith, Nr Manchester.
‘Air Guitar. Reconsidering Rock Music’, Tulie House Museum & Art Gallery, Carlise.
‘Urban Codes, coder/decoder’’, Espace de l’Art Concret, Chateau de Mouans, Mouans-Sartoux, France.
‘Independence’, South London Gallery, June/August.
2004
‘3rd Berlin Biennial’, Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin.
‘L’Air dy Temps, Migros Museum, Zurich.
‘Streets’, Galerie Lumen Travo, Amsterdam.
‘Engagierte Kunst 70/90’, Neues Museum, Nürnberg, Germany.
‘Re: Location. 1-7 Shake’, Halle für Kunst Lüneburg, Germany.
‘Art & The 60’s. This Was Tomorrow’, Tate Gallery, London.
‘Art & The 60’s. This Was Tomorrow’, Birmingham City Art Museum.
‘La Collection Continue’ FRAC Corse, Centre Culturel Una Volta, Bastia, France.
‘Vanishing Points: Landscape Art Beyond The Horizon’, Southampton City Art Gallery, March-May.
‘70/90. Engagierte Kunst’, Neues Museum, Nürnberg, Germany.
2005
‘Faltering Flame’, Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield.
‘Kritische Gesellschaften’, Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe, Germany.
"Ordering the Ordinary", Timothy Taylor Gallery, London.
2006
"The Secret Public. The Last Days of the British Underground 1978-1988", Kunstverein München, München.
2007
"The Secret Public. The Last Days of the British Underground 1978-1988", Institute of Contemporary Arts, London.
"What does the jellyfish want? Fotografien von man Ray bis James Coleman", Museum Ludwig, Köln.
"Oh Girl, It ́s A Boy!", Kunstverein München, München.
2008
"Be(com)ing Dutch", Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven.
"Punk. No One is Innocent. Kunst-Stil-Revolte", Kunsthalle Wien, Wien.
"A Town (Not A City)", Kunsthalle St. Gallen, St. Gallen.
"Manifesta 7 Trentino - Alto Adige 2008", Südtirol.
"Soziale Diagramme. Planning Reconsidered", Künstlerhaus Stuttgart, Stuttgart.
"Mondo e Terra: La collezione del FRAC Corsica", MAN - Nuoro - Museo d ́arte Provincia di Nuoro, Nuoro.
"SAMMLUNG 1978-2008", migros museum für gegenwartskunst, Zürich.
Projects
1970
́The Man From the Twenty First Century’, Nottingham.
1971
‘The Social Resource Project for Tennis Clubs’.
1972-3
‘The West London Social Resource Project’, London.
1973
‘The Oxford Insight Development Project’, Oxford.
‘The Edinburgh Social Model Construction Project’, Edinburgh.
1977
‘From a Coded World’, Perivale, London.
1978
‘Vertical Living’, Skeffington Court, Hayes, London.
‘Contained Living’, Museum of Modern Art Oxford and the Friars Wharf Estate, Oxford.
1979
‘Inside an Ocean’, Ocean Estate, Mile End, East London.
1981
‘Two Worlds Apart’, Charville Lane Estate, Hayes, West London.
1982
‘Blocks’, Avondale Estate, West London.
1985
‘Brentford Towers’, Brentford, West London.
1986
‘Four Houses in Den Haag’, Den Haag, Holland
1987
‘From Different Worlds’, Leeds.
1988
‘Between Straight Lines’, Newcastle.
1989
‘White Towers’, Helsinki, Finland.
1990
‘Private Network’, Friars Wharf Estate, Oxford.
‘Multi-Storey Mosaic’, Homecourt, Feltham, West London.
1991
‘Tower Mosaic’, Warwick & Brindley Estate, Paddington, London.
‘Living Mosaic’, Snowhill Estate, Bath.
‘People Mosaic’, Kettle’s Yard Gallery, Cambridge.
1992
‘Living Tower’, Linacre Court, Hammersmith, London.
1993
‘Personal Islands’, Samuda & Barkentine Estates, Isle of Dogs, East London.
1994
‘Museum Mosaic’ Tate Gallery, Liverpool.
‘Private Journeys’, Heston Farm Estate, Hounslow, West London.
‘Taking the Short Cut’, Roydon, Essex.
‘Personal Interface’, Galerie Franck & Schulte, Berlin, Germany.
1996
‘Chemins Imaginaires’, Champagne, Sotteville, Rouen.
1997
‘The Transormer’, Middlesbrough.
1998
‘Creativeforce’, Sheffield.
‘Changing Everything’, Peckham, South London Gallery.
‘Random Encounter’, Southampton.
1999
‘Eine Demokratische Reise’, Hamburg.
Democratic Journey’, Liverpool.
‘Multichannel Workshop’, Graz.
2000
‘Multichannel Workshop Hamburg’, Hamburg.
2003
‘Meeting of Minds’, Sefton Park, Liverpool.
Collections
Documentation on the West London Social Resource Project commissioned by the Arts Council of Great Britain housed at Osterley Library.
Southampton City Art Gallery & Museum.
Art Museum Zurich, Switzerland.
Haags Gemeentemuseum, Den Haag, Holland.
The Mappin Art Gallery, Sheffield.
Rochdale Art Gallery, Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh.
The Tate Gallery, London.
De Beyerd Centrum voor Actuelle Kunst, Breda, Holland.
Stedelijk van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, Holland.
Contemporary Art Society, London.
The Arts Council of Great Britain.
Gimpel Fils Galery, London.
Victoria & Albert Museum, Drawing Dept., London.
Victoria & Albert Museum, Clothing and Dress Dept., London.
The British Museum, Prints & Drawings Dept., London.
National Gallery, Gdansk, Poland.
Wadsworth Athenaeum, Conneticut, USA.
Leeds City Art Gallery, Leeds.
Städtische Galerie, Stuttgart, Germany.
Museum of Contemporary Art, Utrecht, Holland.
The Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle.
Helsingen Kaupungin Taidemuseo, Helsinki, Finland.
Stichting Volkshuisversting in de Kunst, Ben Haag, Holland.
Victoria & Albert Museum (Artist’s Book Collection, archive of writings and publications).
Hounslow Borough Council, London.
Museum de Beaux Arts, Le Havre, France.
Frac Course Centre of Contemporary Art, Corsica, France.
Cleveland Gallery, Cleveland.
Frac Limousin, France.
Rhone Alpes Frac, France.
Caise de depots et Cousiguations, Paris.
Porin Taidemuseo, Pori, Finland.
Frac Haute-Normandie, France.
Middlesborough Art Gallery.
South London Art Gallery.
Frac Poitou Charentes, France.
Süd West Landesbank, Stuttgart, Germany.
Frac Languedoc-Roussillon, France.
Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Amsterdams Historisch Museum.
Henry Moore Foundation, Leeds.
Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester.
Fonds Regional Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.
Fonds National d’Art Contemporain Paris, France.
Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany.
Migros Museum, Zurich.
National Portrait Gallery, London.