Breda Beban
Breda Beban (1952–2012) was an artist, filmmaker and curator. Beban lived and worked in London and Sheffield where she was a Professor of Visual Arts and a Reader in Media at the Sheffield Hallam University. She exhibited extensively in Europe and the U.S.A. In 2001 Beban received the Paul Hamlyn Award for Visual Arts, UK. Her film “Jason’s Dream” received the Silver Award for Music Film & Video, Worldfest, Houston International Film Festival, USA, 1998. She was also the lead curator/creative producer of imagine art after, a multi-stage exhibition for gallery and broadcast whose first edition was on show at Tate Britain (October 2007 – January 2008).
Born in Novi Sad, ex-Yugoslavia in 1952, Breda Beban was raised in North Macedonia and Croatia. She studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. Starting her career as a painter and performance artist, she began to work with film, video, and photography after meeting her partner and collaborator Hrvoje Horvatić in the mid-eighties. Exiled together in 1991 after outbreak of the war in former Yugoslavia, they travelled from place to place before eventually settling in London, where they continued their collaboration until Horvatić’s untimely death in 1997. Her work has been exhibited extensively in Europe and the U.S.A. Breda Beban passed away in 2012. The artist’s estate is represented by Kalfayan Galleries ( Athens-Thessaloniki).
BREDA BEBAN (1952 – 2012) / Biography
Breda Beban was an artist, filmmaker and curator. Born in Serbia, she lived and worked in London and Sheffield where she was a Professor of Media Arts at Sheffield Hallam University.
AWARDS
2001
Paul Hamlyn Award for Visual Arts, UK.
Golden Sphinx, International Video Festival Medea, Novi Sad, Serbia.
1998
Silver Award for Performance in Music Film & Video, Worldfest Houston International Film Festival, USA.
SYMPOSIUM:
April 2017
“Breda’s lesson. A symposium on the art and life of Breda Beban. Trieste, Studio Tommaseo.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS (SELECTED)
2017
Film (curated by Maxa Zoller), Art Basel, Kalfayan Galleries. Retrospective: 13 June 2017.
2014
‘Let’s Call it Love’, MSURS, Bajna LuKa.
‘Let’s Call it Love’, The Cultural Centre of Belgrade and Museum of Contemporary Art Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia.
2013
‘The Adventure of the Real’ (curated by Branko Francheschi), Galerija Kortil, Rijeka, Croatia.
‘Lovely Days’, Bol, island of Brač, Croatia.
‘BREDA BEBAN: The Adventure of the Real’, Zagreb Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, and Galerija Kazamat, Osijek, Croatia.
‘Musical for the Senses’, Photon – Centre for Contemporary Photography, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
2011
‘Complicity of Gestures’ (curator: Eline van der Vlist), Kalfayan Galleries, Athens, Greece.
2010
‘The Most Beautiful Woman in Gucha – Part One’, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Scotland.
‘My Funeral Song’, Camden Art Centre, London, UK.
2008
‘The Most Beautiful Woman in Gucha – Part Two’, Galerie Aline Vidal, Paris, France.
‘The Most Beautiful Woman in Gucha – Part One’, Lightbox, Tate Britain, London, UK.
‘Things to do in Buenos Aires’, Trieste Contemporanea, Trieste, Italy.
‘Breda Beban Nights’, Visninsrommet USF, Bergen, Norway.
2007
Galerie Aline Vidal, Paris, France.
New Centre of Contemporary Art, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Nuova Icona, Venice Biennial.
Salon Galic, Split, Croatia.
2006
Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rijeka, Croatia.
2004
Mario Flecha Gallery, Jafre, Spain.
2003
‘For One Night Only’, 38 Langham St. Gallery, London, UK.
‘Touchdown’, Peer at St. Augustine’s Tower, London, UK.
‘Little Films to Cry To’, Peer, London, UK.
‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, John Hansard Gallery, Southampton and touring to Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton; Newlyn Art Gallery, Newlyn, Cornwall, UK.
2000-2001
‘Still’, Site Gallery, Sheffield and touring Lux Gallery, London, UK and Kunstmuseum Thun, Switzerland.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTED)
2024
‘On (self)Destruction and Against It’, Danube Dialogues 2024 – Festival of contemporary Art, Novi Sad
2019
‘Nostalgic Whiplash’, Site Gallery, Sheffield, UK.
2017
‘HIPS DON’T LIE, Center Pompidou, Paris.
2016
‘HIPS DON’T LIE, Center Pompidou, Malaga, Spain.
2015
‘Faces of Disappearance’ (curated by Thomas Elsen), H2 – Zentrum für Gegenwartkunst im Glaspalast, Augsburg, Germany.
2014
‘Zipped Worlds: Photography in Public Domain’, Inaugural event for the Month of Photography, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
‘Subdued Existence – Cargo East’, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, China.
2010
‘This is All Film!’, Moderna Galerija, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Tatton Park Biennial, UK.
2009
4th Baku Biennial, Azerbaijan.
‘Contemporary Video Art’, Pennsylvanian Academy of Fine Art, Philadelphia, USA.
‘How to Change Your Life in a Day’, Galerie Aline Vidal, Paris, France.
2008-2009
‘Borders and Beyond’, Taidehalli Kunsthalle Helsinki, Finland.
2008
Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia.
2007
3rd International Biennial, Baku, Azerbaijan.
Zoo Art Fair, Royal Academy of Art, London, UK.
Video DUMBO, D.U.M.B.O. Arts Centre, New York, USA.
III Biennial de Jafre, Girona, Spain.
2005-2006
The British Art Show, touring exhibition, Newcastle, Manchester, Nottingham, Bristol, UK.
2005
‘Insert’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia.
‘Premieres’, Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, USA.
2004
‘Strangers to Ourselves’, 201 St John Street, London, UK.
2003
Artists’ Film and Video, Art Now Lightbox, Tate Britain, London, UK.
‘VideoLisboa’, Galeria Ze Dos Bois, Lisbon, Portugal.
‘A Century of Artists’ Film in Britain’, Tate Britain, London, UK.
2002
‘Gevaltbilder’, MuseumsQuartier, Vienna, Austria and Touring Museum Bellerive, Zurich, Switzerland.
2001
‘Konverzacija’, Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, Serbia.
CINEMA EXHIBITIONS & PRESENTATIONS (SELECTED)
2013
Film and Video Umbrella, Project: ’25 Frames’, Peer & Picture House, London, UK.
2008
I Mille Occhi International Film Festival, Trieste, Italy.
2007
Cinema Tuskanac, Zagreb, Croatia.
Trieste Contemporanea, Trieste, Italy.
2006
Cinemateque, Split, Croatia.
2005
National Museum Reina Sofia, Madrid, Spain.
2003
National Film Theatre, London, UK.
Cinema Zuid, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
2001
VideoLisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
London Film Festival, London, UK.
Rex Cinema, Belgrade, Serbia.
Lux Cinema, London, UK.
2000
World Wide Video Festival, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
BIBLIOGRAPHY (Selection from year 2000)
‘Breda Beban: My Funeral Song’, Denise Robinson, Camera Austria, no. 111, pp. 81–82, September 2010, Austria.
‘Artist of the week: Breda Beban’, Skye Sherwin, The Guardian, 25 August 2010, UK.
‘Breda Beban: My Funeral Song’, Irene Revell, The Wire, August 2010, UK.
‘Breda Beban: My Funeral Song’, Sophy Rickett, HotShoe, August 2010, UK.
‘Breda Beban’, Coline Milliard, Artinfo.com, July 2010, UK.
‘Breda Beban: Funeral Song’, Jon Morse, Fallyrag Magazine, May 2010, UK.
‘The Body in Contemporary Art’, Sally O’Reilly, Thames & Hudson, pp. 184–185, 2009, UK.
‘On Gypsies and Orgasm’, Louise Back, Toro Magazine, 19 Aug 2008, Canada.
‘The Most Beautiful Woman in Gucha: Breda Beban in conversation with Mia Jankowicz’, Untitled, pp. 4-9, Spring 2008, UK.
‘Breda Beban’, Marcha Morrison, Art Papers, p. 60, Jan/Feb 2008, UK.
‘Short Film Seductive’, Diane Heilenman, Courier Journal, p. 9, 11 November 2007, USA.
‘imagine art after’, Helen Holtom, ArtRabbit, 24 October 2007, UK.
‘Breda Beban’, Eline van der Vlist, Modern Painters, p. 99, October 2007, USA.
‘imagine art after’, Letezia Rittatore, Amica, p. 677, November 2007, Italy.
‘Helen Holtom talks to artist and curator Breda Beban’, ArtRabbit, 11 November 2007, UK.
‘imagine art after’, Antonia Carver, Bidoun, Fall 2007, USA.
‘Venice Takes Flight’, Adrian Searle, The Guardian, pp. 24-28, 12 June 2007, UK.
‘The Most Beautiful Woman in Gucha’, Branko Franceschi, Nuova Icona catalogue, 2007, Venice, Italy.
‘Breda, L’anima dei Balkani’, Tiziana Benedetti, Zeno magazine, pp. 38-39, March 2007, Italy.
‘Breda Beban; emozioni in forma d’arte visiva’, Ivana Godnik, Piccolo, p. 3, 2 March 2007, Italy.
‘Breda Beban iziva custva in sproza reakcije’, Ivana Godnik, Primorski Dnevnik, p.5, 2 March 2007, Italy.
‘New Art on View: the Challenge of Collecting’, Sheila Mc Gregor, Scala Publishers, pp. 18, 144, 150-154, 2006, UK.
‘Istrazivanje mogucnosti zaljubjivanja’, Branko Franceschi, Kontura Magazine, pp. 14-15, December 2006, Croatia.
‘Novo lice nakon nove slike’, Ksenija Orelj, Vijenac, p. 7, 7 December 2006, Croatia.
Meditearn, Novi List, ‘Vizualna komunikacija postala jaca od komunikacije abecedom’, Nadezda Elezovic, pp. 8-9, 26 November 2006, Croatia.
‘Publiku opcinili kadrovi filma’, Nadezda Elezovic, Novi List, p. 6, 10 November 2006, Croatia.
‘Breda Beban’, Branko Franceschi, Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art Rijeka catalogue, November 2006, Croatia.
‘Sate of the art’, Adrian Searle, The Guardian, pp. 18-19, 27 September 2005, UK.
‘Home is Where the Art is’, Virginia Matthews, The Guardian, Diversity supplement, p. 5, 11 August 2005, UK.
‘British Art Show 6’, Hayward Gallery catalogue, pp. 146–152; pp. 186–189, 2005, UK.
‘Themes in Contemporary Art’, edited by Gill Perry and Paul Wood, Yale University Press, p. 36, 2005, USA.
‘The Photograph as Contemporary Art’, Charlotte Cotton, Thames and Hudson, pp. 164–165, 2004, UK.
‘Beyond the Multiplex’, Geoffrey Macnab, The Guardian, p. 28, 12 November 2003, UK.
‘Spaces of Memory: Photographic Practices of Home and Exile in the work of Breda Beban’, Rosemary Betterton, N.Paradoxa vol.13, pp. 22–28, 2004, UK.
‘Breda Beban at Saint Augustine’s Tower and 99 Hoxton Street’, Sinisa Mitrovic,
Circa 106, pp. 89-90, Winter 2003, Ireland.
‘Breda Beban: I Can’t Make You Love Me’, MB, Modern Painters, pp. 117–118, Autumn 2003, UK.
‘Imaginary Balkans’, Martin Vincent, Art Monthly, no. 265, pp. 28–29, April 2003, UK.
‘Breda Beban’, Martin Herbert, Art Monthly No. 266, pp. 28-29, March 2003, UK.
‘Breda Beban in Conversation with Chris Darke’, Imaginary Balkans catalogue, 23–26, Site Gallery, 2002, UK.
‘Transmission: Speaking & Listening’ vol. 1, edited by Sharon Kivland and Lesley Sanderson, pp.96–100, Sheffield Hallam Univesity and Site Gallery, 2002, UK.
‘Zwishen Faszination und Denunzation’, Peter Stohler, Gewaltbilder exhibition catalogue, 2002, pp. 28-41, Museum Bellerive, Zurich, Switzerland.
‘Stilvoll sterben’, M.D., Neue Zuricher Zeitung, 18 March 2002, p. 5, Switzerland.
‘Still’, Madeleine Schuply, Still solo exhibition catalogue, 2001, pp. 2-6, Kunstmuseum Thun, Switzerland.
‘Breda Beban im Kunstmuseum Thun’, Elisabeth Gerbert, Kunst-Bulletin, November 2001, p. 46, Switzerland.
‘Breda Beban: Zimmer mit Aussichten’, Thierry Greub, Basler Magazin, Basler Zeitung, no. 239, 13 October 2001, pp. 7-9, Switzerland.
‘Sparsame Bilder spiegeln Odyssee’, Marcel Henry, Berner Zeitung, p. 27, 22/23 September 2001, Switzerland.
‘Das Erbe von Novi Sad eingefangen’, Barbara Basting, Tages-Anzeiger, p. 6, 27 September 2001, Switzerland.
‘Stills, Stille und Unruhe’, Peter Anliker, Fueilleton, 26 September 2001, p. 6, Switzerland.
‘Das Visuelle Tagebuch einer Flucht’, Murielle Schlup, Berner Woche. no. 219, September 2001, Switzerland.
‘Someone Slept Oblivious’, Adrian Searle, Still solo exhibition catalogue, 2000, pp. 2-4, Site Gallery, Sheffield, UK.
‘After Effect’, Chris Darke, Still solo exhibition catalogue, 2000, pp. 37-40, Site Gallery, Sheffield, UK.
‘Richard Cork’s Five Best London Exhibitions’, Richard Cork, The Times, 27 January 2001, p. 17, UK.
‘Acting on Instinct’, Ann Donald, The Herald, 28 September 2000, p. 22, UK.
‘Breda Beban’, David Briers, Art Monthly, no. 238, Jull-Aug 2000, pp. 35-36, UK.
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS (SELECTED)
Tate, UK
Speed Art Museum, Louisville, USA
Weltkunst Foundation, Zurich
Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia
Museum of Contemporary Art, Belgrade, Serbia
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada
Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton, UK
Arts Council of England, UK
