Gordon Monahan
Exhibitions & Performances (selected)
2024
Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound (solo exhibition)
2023
AVATAR, Quebec City (residency/performance with Bill Coleman)
Arter Museum, Istanbul, Turkey (performance)
2022
Sound Symposium, St. John’s NF (performance with Bill Coleman)
Silent Green, Berlin, Germany (performance)
2021
Bonn-Hoeren Symposium, Bonn, Germany (performance)
Supermarket Independent Art Fair, Stockholm, Sweden, (performance)
Tetramatyka Festival, Lviv, Ukraine (performance)
“TIMEPIECE”, Maerzmusik, Berliner Festspiele, Berlin (online streaming performance)
2020
The Dance Centre, Vancouver (performance with Bill Coleman)
Mois Multi, Recto-Verso, Quebec City (performance with Bill Coleman)
2019
DadaDance, State Art Gallery, Sopot, Poland (performance with Bill Coleman)
2018
Remai Modern, Saskatoon (performance and installation)
Syncrotron Solaris, Krakow, Poland (performance)
Tai Kwun Arts Centre, Hong Kong (performance with Bill Coleman)
2017
Edinburgh Fringe Festival (performance with Bill Coleman)
Organ Reframed, Union Chapel, London, UK (performance with London Contemporary Orchestra)
Musique Action Festival, Nancy, France (performance)
Musique Actuelle, Victoriaville, QC (performance with Bill Coleman)
Isabel Centre for the Performing Arts, Kingston, ON (performance with Bill Coleman)
2016
Bonn Hoeren, Kammerspiele Bonn Bad Godesberg, Germany (performance & installation)
Canadian Stage Theatre, Toronto (performance collaboration w Bill Coleman)
Art Athina, Athens, Greece (group exhibition)
2015
Todays Art, The Hague, Holland (performance)
Instants Chavirés, Paris-Bagnolet, France (performance)
ZeitRäume Basel, Basel, Switzerland (performance)
Klangspuren Festival, Schwaz, Austria (installation)
Gallery Stratford, Stratford, ON (solo exhibition)
PACT Zollverein, Essen, Germany (performance)
Aeolian Hall, London, ON (performance)
2014
Villa Elisabeth, Berlin (performance)
Spazio Aereo, Venice (performance)
“Audiograft”, Oxford University, Oxford, UK (performance and installation)
“Art’s Birthday”, Söder Theater, Stockholm, Sweden (performance)
2013
Hebbel Theater, Berlin (performance)
Kunsthal44, Moen, Denmark (group exhibition)
National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (group exhibition)
Galerie des Arts Visuels, Université Laval, Quebec City (solo exhibition)
Tom Thomson Art Gallery, Owen Sound, ON (solo exhibition)
2012
AB Projects, Toronto (solo exhibition)
Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Hart House, University of Toronto (group exhibition & performance)
The Stone, New York, NY (performance)
Ultima Festival, Oslo, Norway (installation)
Copenhagen Art Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark (group exhibition)
singuhr-hörgalerie, Berlin, Germany (solo exhibition)
Western Front, Vancouver (performance)
Kenderdine Art Gallery, Saskatoon (solo exhibition)
2011
Centro Nacional de las Artes, Mexico City (group exhibition)
Thames Art Gallery, Chatham, ON (solo exhibition)
Ostrava Days, Ostrava, CZ (installation + performance)
MacLaren Art Centre, Barrie, ON (solo exhibition)
Doris McCarthy Gallery, University of Toronto-Scarborough (solo exhibition)
Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa, ON (solo exhibition)
Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto-Mississauga (solo exhibition)
2010
Mois Multi, Quebec City (performance)
Subtle Technologies Festival, Toronto (performance)
Guelph Jazz Festival, Guelph, ON (installation)
Warsaw Autumn, Warsaw, Poland (installation)
Tonspur Expanded, Museumsquartier, Vienna (group exhibition)
2009
Owens Art Gallery, Sackville, NB (solo exhibition and performance)
Nuit Blanche, Massey Hall, Toronto (solo performance)
Lolafest, London, Ontario (solo exhibition and performance)
Open Ears Festival, Kitchener, Canada (solo installation + performance)
MAK Museum, Vienna, Austria (performance collaboration with Akemi Takeya)
House of Arts, Brno, Czech Republic (group exhibition)
2008
Tonspur, Museumsquartier, Vienna, Austria (solo installation)
Kontraste Festival, Krems, Austria (solo exhibition)
Elements Festival, Gabriola Island, BC (group exhibition)
Neutral Ground Gallery, Regina, Saskatchewan (solo exhibition)
2007
Bilbao International Film Festival ‘Zinebi 49’, Bilbao, Spain (performance with Txuspo Poyo)
Klangraum Flensburg, Museumsberg, Flensburg (group exhibition)
Kunstverein Ulm, Ulm, Germany (performance)
Western Front, Vancouver (installation)
2006: Array Music, Toronto (performance)
Mois Multi, Quebec City (performance)
Exploratorium, San Francisco (performance)
Gros Morne Project, Coleman Lemieux Dance Co., Newfoundland (performance/installation)
Kunsthalle Krems Factory, Austria (solo exhibition)
Claybank Brick Factory, Claybank, Saskatchewan (installation/performance)
2005
Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (performance)
Donaueschinger Musiktage, Germany (performance)
Macdonald Stewart Art Gallery, Guelph, Canada (solo exhibition)
Voxxx Galerie, Chemnitz, Germany (solo exhibition)
2004
Galerija Kapelica, Ljubliana (solo exhibition)
Ars Electronica, Linz (performance)
Serious Pop, Fluc Mensa, Vienna (performance)
Power Plant, ‘Power Ball 6’, Toronto (performance)
Kontraste Festival, Krems, Austria (performance)
Taktlos Festival, Bern, Switzerland (performance)
2003
Elektra Festival, Montreal (performance)
Podewil, Berlin (performance)
Kunstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin (group exhibition)
Open Ears Festival, Kitchener, Canada (performance)
2002
Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo (group exhibition)
Elektra Festival, Montreal (performance)
Art Gallery of Ontario 100th Anniversay Gala, Toronto (performance)
Daad Galerie, Berlin (solo exhibition)
MAK Museum, Vienna (performance)
2001
Venice Biennale, Canadian Pavilion Opening Gala (performance)
Haus der Kunst, Munich (performance)
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg (performance)
2000
Sony Center, Berlin (group exhibition)
New Music Concerts, Toronto (solo exhibition)
Festival of Vision, Hong Kong(performance)
Sprengel Museum, Hannover (performance)
1999
Western Front, Vancouver (solo exhibition)
New Music Concerts, Toronto (performance)
1998
Institut für Neue Musik, Freiburg (performance)
European Cultural Month, Linz Austria (performance)
1997
Maison des Arts National, Creteil, France (performance)
1996
Donaueschinger Musiktage (performance)
Sonambiente Festival, Berlin (solo exhibition)
1995
The Kitchen, New York. (performance)
Galerie 0-Zwei, Berlin. (performance)
1994
Donaueschinger Musiktage. (group exhibition)
Daad Inventionen Festival, Berlin. (performance)
Marstall Theater, Munich. (performance)
1993
Kunstwerke, Berlin. (solo exhibition)
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen. (performance)
1992
Het Apollohuis, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. (solo exhibition)
1991
Composers Forum, Merkin Hall, New York. (performance)
Tone und Gegentone, Secession, Vienna. (performance)
Mozarteum, Salzburg (performance)
The Exploratorium, San Francisco (performance)
1990
New York Hall of Science, New York. (solo exhibition)
New Music America, Montreal. (performance)
1989
U.S. Tour with The Kitchen, New York. (performance)
Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis (performance)
‘MultiMediale’, ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany. (performance)
Vancouver New Music Society, Vancouver. (performance)
1988
New Music America, Miami. (solo exhibition)
Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria. (performance)
Wurtembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart. (performance)
The Kitchen, New York. (performance)
Festival Musique Actuelle, Victoriaville, Quebec. (performance)
1986
Het Appolohuis, Eindhoven, Holland. (performance)
Institut Unzeit, West Berlin. (performance)
New Music America, Houston, Texas. (performance)
Roulette, New York. (performance)
1985
New Music America, Los Angeles. (performance)
De Ijsbreker, Holland Festival, The Netherlands. (performance)
Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta. (performance)
1984
CBC National Radio Competition for Young Composers, Toronto. (performance)
Western Front, Vancouver (performance)
1983
Newfoundland Sound Symposium, St. John’s. (performance)
Music Gallery, Toronto. (performance)
1982
Mercer Union, Toronto. (performance)
Music Gallery (performance)
1981
ARC, Toronto. (performance)
1980
Galerie Sans Nom, Moncton (group exhibition)
1978
A Space, Toronto. (performance)
Commissions
London Contemporary Orchestra, London, England, 2017
Bonn Hoeren, Beethoven Foundation, Bonn, Germany, 2016
Warsaw Autumn Festival, Warsaw, Poland, 2010
Nuit Blanche, performance commission for Massey Hall, Toronto, 2009
Music for the Gros Morne Project, a dance piece by Coleman-Lemieux Co, 2006
Donaueschinger Musiktage, 2005
Music for dance piece by Bill Coleman, Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, 2004
Open Ears, Kitchener/ Elektra Festival, Montreal, co-commission, 2003
DAAD Inventionen Festival, Berlin, 2002
Music Canada Musique Foundation, New Music Concerts, Toronto, 2000
Sony Center, Berlin, 2000
Western Front, Vancouver, 1998
Sonambiente Festival, Berlin, 1996
Donaueschingen Musiktage, 1996
The Kitchen, New York, 1995
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Inventionen Festival, 1994
Bauhütte Klangzeit Symposium, Wuppertal, Germany, 1991
Vancouver New Music Society, 1989
Dade County Art in Public Places/New Music America, 1988
CBC Radio (Two New Hours), 1985
Awards
Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Art, 2013
Canada Council New Media Production Grant, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009
Ontario Arts Council, New Media Production Grant, 2007
Chalmers Arts Fellowship, 2005
Honorary Mention, Computer Music, Prix Ars Electronica 1998
Artist’s Grant, Senatsverwaltung für Kulturelle Angelegenheiten Berlin, 1996
Honorary Mention, Computer Music, Prix Ars Electronica 1996
National Endowment for the Arts, Inter-Arts Fellowship, 1992
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Berliner Kunstlerprogramm, 1992
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Fellowship, 1991
Canada Council ‘B’ Grants, Multidisciplinary, 1992, 1990, 1988, 1986, 1985.
Canada Council ‘A’ Grant, Multidisciplinary, 1996
Canada Council ‘A’ Grant, 1996
Canada Council Project Grants, Multidisciplinary, 1989, 1987, 1984
Ontario Arts Council Grant, Electronic Media, 1989
Canada Council Music Recording Grants, 1989, 1987
Videofact Canada Production Grant, 1986
First Prize, CBC National Radio Competition for Young Composers, 1984
Marjorie Young Bell Fellowship, Electronic Music, Mt. Allison Univ., 1979
Brunton Award for Excellence in Piano Performance, Mt. Allison Univ., 1979
Professional Activity
Director, Electric Eclectics Festival, Meaford, Ontario, 2006-2009
Artist-in-Residence, Museumsquartier, Vienna, 2008
Artist-in-Residence, Kunsthalle Krems Factory, Krems, Austria, 2006
Prix Ars Electronica jury member, Digital Musics, 2004/2005
Artist-in-Residence, Freunde Guter Musik, Berlin, 2004
Artist-in-Residence, Podewil, Berlin, 2002
Co-founder, Schmalzwald, Berlin 1996-2000
Co-founder, The Glowing Pickle, Berlin, 1993-95 Artist-in-Residence, DAAD, Berlin, 1992-93.
Programming Committee, Composers Forum, New York, 1992.
Artist-in-Residence, The Exploratorium, San Fransisco, CA, 1991.
Fellowship Jury, Emergent Forms, New York Foundation for the Arts, 1990.
Awards Panelist, New Forms, NEA/Rockefeller Foundation, Hallwalls, Buffalo, NY, 1990.
Artist-in-Residence, Media Arts, Banff Centre for the Arts, Alberta, Fall 1990.
Artistic Advisory Board, New Music America/Montreal Musiques Actuelles, 1990.
Board of Directors, Mystery Tape Laboratory, Toronto, 1986.
Arts Awards Jury, Canada Council, Multidisciplinary/Performance Art, 1989.
Artistic Consultant, Newfoundland Sound Symposium, 1984-90.
Co-curator, Sound Installations/Music, P.S. 1-The Clocktower, New York, 1987-89.
Arts Awards Panelist, Emergent Forms, New York Foundation for the Arts, 1989
Editorial Advisory Board, Musicworks, The Canadian Journal of Sound Explorations, 1985-93.
Assistant Editor, Musicworks, 1983-85.
Board of Directors, New Music Alliance (New Music America), 1986-89.
Arts Awards Jury, Music Commissions, Canada Council, 1987.
Co-director, New Music Co-operative, Toronto, 1984-85.
Teaching
Sessional Lecturer, Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, fall semester 1999
Sessional Lecturer, Hochschule für Bildende Kunst, Hamburg, fall semester 1998
Sessional Lecturer, Institut für Neue Musik, Freiburg, spring semester 1998
Piano Instructor, University Settlement Music School, Toronto, 1981-85.
Sessional Lecturer, Music Dept., York Univ., Toronto, Winter Semester 1983
Lectures on Sound Art (selected) :
NSCAD University, Halifax, 2009
University of Regina, Dept. of Media Arts, Regina, 2007, 2008
Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, 2007
Simon Fraser University, Dept. of Music, Vancouver, 2007
University of Victoria, Dept of Music, Victoria, BC, 2007
San Francisco Art Institute, San Francisco, 2006
Mills College, Dept. of Music, Oakland, CA, 2006
University of California at Santa Cruz, Digital Arts and New Media Dept., 2006
Hochschule der Kunst, Berlin, 1999
Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, 1999
University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Fine Arts, Lethbridge, 1990
Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff, Alberta, 1990
Wesleyan University, Dept. of Music, Middletown, CT, 1987
Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini, Florence, Italy, 1986
Mt. Allison University, Dept. of Music, 1984
Bibliography
Monahan, Gordon. 1983. “The Tidal Rhythm of the Bay of Fundy”, Musicworks 24, Toronto.
Monahan, Gordon. 1985. “Singing Wires: The Music of Aeolian Harps”, Musicworks 30, Toronto.
Monahan, Gordon. 1987. “Stompin’ and Beatin’ and Screamin'”, interview with Jerry Hunt, Musicworks 39, Toronto.
Gann, Kyle. 1988. “Waiting for the Piano”, concert review of Gordon Monahan and Richard Teitelbaum, Village Voice, February 9, 1988 (Vol. XXXIII No. 6, p. 88), New York.
Monahan, Gordon. 1988. “God’s Big Noise”, an interview with Maryanne Amacher, Musicworks 41, Toronto.
Gann, Kyle. 1990. “Sound and Let Sound”, concert review of Gordon Monahan and Alvin Curran, Village Voice, February 27, 1990 (Vol. XXXV No. 9, p. 76), New York.
Lander, Dan and Micah Lexier. 1990. “Sound by Artists”, Interview with Gordon Monahan. Co-published by Art Metropole, Toronto, and Walter Philips Gallery, Banff.
Osterwold, Matthias. 1992. “Music From Nowhere” exhibition catalog, Het Apollohuis, Eindhoven.
Monahan. Gordon. 1992. “Klang von 10.000 Kg.”. Positionen, Beiträge zur Neuen Musik, volume 10, Berlin.
Fricke, Harald. 1994. “The Great Storm is not Composed by God”, interview with Gordon Monahan, in Be Magazine, number 1, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin.
Monahan, Gordon. 1995. “Kinetic Sound Environments as a Mutation of the Audio System”, in Musicworks 63, Toronto.
Monahan, Gordon. 1995. “Kinetische Klangumgebungen” in Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, Frankfurt.
Monahan, Gordon. 1996. “Spontaneously Harmonious in Certain Kinds of Weather”, in the exhibition catalog Klangkunst, Akademie der Kunst, Berlin.
Straebel, Volker. 1997. “Der Roboter”, concert review, Der Tagespiegel, 30 June 1997, Berlin.
Monahan, Gordon. 1998. “Spontaneously Harmonious in Certain Kinds of Weather”, in the exhibition catalog Singuhr-Hoergalerie in Parochial: Klangkunst Austellungen 1996-98, Berlin.
Monahan, Gordon. 2002. “Etheric Theremin Harmonic” in the exhibition catalog Rest in Space, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo.
Gingras, Nicole. 2003. “Sound in Contemporary Canadian Art”, interview with Gordon Monahan, Editions Artexte, Montreal.
Monahan, Gordon. 2003. “The Amplified Touring Sound Installation”, in Musicworks 85, Toronto.
Toop, David and Gordon Monahan and Naut Humon. 2004. “Fulfilling the Means of Sonic Expression”, Cyberarts 2004, edited by Hatje Cantz, Ars Electronica, Linz.