James Webb (1975) is a South African artist based in Cape Town. His work, framed in large-scale installations in galleries and museums, or as unannounced interventions in public spaces, often makes use of ellipsis, displacement and détournement to explore the nature of belief and the dynamics of communication in our contemporary world. Webb’s practice employs a variety of media including audio, installation and text, referencing aspects of the conceptualist and minimalist traditions, as well as his academic studies in advertising, comparative religion and theatre.
Webb has presented his work around the world at institutions such as Wanås Konst in Sweden, the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, France, and the Darat al Funun in Amman, Jordan, as well as on major international exhibitions such as the 12th Bienal de la Habana (2015), 55th Biennale di Venezia (2013), the 3rd Marrakech Biennale (2009), the 2009 Melbourne International Arts Festival and the 8th Biennale d’Art Contemporain de Lyon (2007).
In 2012, James Webb was the subject of the survey show, MMXII, at the Johannesburg Art Gallery. Recent projects include the creation of an associative audio guide for the famous Skogskykogården cemetery in Stockholm, La Syzygie, a multi-dimensional reading of the Théâtre Graslin in Nantes, and We Listen For The Future, a solo show at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. In 2016, Webb will participate in History Unfolds at Historiska, Stockholm, and present Hope Is A Good Swimmer, his 1st solo exhibition at Galerie Imane Farès in Paris.
James Webb is represented by blank projects, Cape Town, and Galerie Imane Farès, Paris. He will be taking up his residency at The Fountainhead Residency in Miami, Florida.