Samuel Levack is an artist whose multi-disciplinary art practice includes ceramics, collage, film, installation, performance, poetry and music. His recent work has focussed on creating ceramic poetry – using hand-building and glazing techniques to make individual letters into lines of poetry, fixed on wall-based tiles, which collectively read as a complete ceramic poem. His films are journeys through urban and rural landscapes, enhanced by coloured filters and soundscapes, featuring poetic voiceovers. Collaboratively, he makes music and performance, where his role is lyricist and vocalist. Language, and text, are the unifying thread through all these mediums, and he uses it to tell stories that express his creative encounters, and to comment on contemporary social and political issues. His work has been included in exhibitions, festivals, performances, screenings and residencies across the UK, Europe and the USA.
Born in Yorkshire, UK
Based in London, UK
Education
BA Critical Fine Art Practice, University of Brighton, UK
Solo Exhibitions
2023
La Fin, French Riviera, London, UK
Ghost Fields, Trafalgar Mews, London, UK
2022
A Prayer of Progress in the Light, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, Ireland
2019
Desert Ruins, French Riviera, London, UK
2016
Alternative Living, French Riviera, London, UK
2015
The Time We Need, Evelyn Yard, London, UK
2014–2015
Alternative Equinox, French Riviera, London, UK
2012
Danse-moi vers la fin de l’amour, French Riviera, London, UK
2010
Samuel Levack et Jennifer Lewandowska, Grey Area, Paris, France
2002
Transformation #2, Odeon Cinema, Merrion Centre, Leeds, UK
2001
Transformation #1, The Foundry, London, UK
Group Exhibitions
2024
Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, Château de Sacy, Sacy-le-Petit, France
Fixed Constant Blazing, Società delle Api, Grasse, France
Turning Earth, Hoxton, London, UK
2023
La Fin, Part 1, French Riviera, London, UK
2022
Cosmic Coincidences, French Riviera, London, UK
2021
Glitter 2, Fluc, Vienna, Austria
Entre Amis Quatre: Winter Light, French Riviera, London, UK
EQX 22. 20:20. 21, French Riviera, London, UK
2020
Entre Amis Trois, French Riviera, Online
2019
Entre Amis Deux, French Riviera, London, UK
2018
Henley Festival, Henley-on-Thames, UK
Post-Disasters Residencies, Stadium de Vitrolles, Provence, France
Filtering Light, Mad Atelier, London, UK
2017–2018
The Housing Question, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Middlesbrough, UK
2017
Entre Amis, French Riviera, London, UK
Multiple Art Days, Boulevard de la Bastille, Paris, France
2016–2017
East Wing Biennale: Artificial Realities, Courtauld Institute, London, UK
2016
Leap, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
Artists Behind Bars, Matt’s Gallery, London, UK
2015
Grand Magasin Deux, French Riviera, London, UK
Plymouth Contemporary Open, The Arts Institute, Plymouth, UK
Finite Project Altered When Open, David Dale Galley, Glasgow, UK
Now Age, Garage Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2014
Edge of Human, Los Angeles 2019, London, UK
Cocktail III, KARST, Plymouth, UK
June Snow, Evelyn Yard, London, UK
I Know You, You Can Count On Me, Oriel Wrexham, Wrexham, UK
Print, Grey Area, Paris, France
2013–2014
Trade Show, Eastside Projects, Birmingham, UK
2013
Grand Magasin, French Riviera, London, UK
New Moves, Tank TV, London, UK
Oblique, David Dale Gallery, Glasgow, UK
Échange Écossais, Embassy, Edinburgh, UK
2012
Les Urbaines, Lausanne, Switzerland
Collection Particulière, French Riviera, London, UK
Hotel Palenque, Wysing Arts Centre, Bourn, Cambridge, UK
Video Art Lounge, East End Film Festival, London, UK
E-Vapor-8, 319 Scholes, New York, USA
Of this event, I cannot foresee the end, Hackney Wick, London, UK
2011
Dazed Emerging Artists Award with The Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK
Backstage Riders, Potsdammer Straße, Berlin, Germany
Horizon Hypnotique, French Riviera, London, UK
2010
To Be Destroyed, Soho Square, London, UK
Syncopation, Grimmuseum, Berlin, Germany
Performances
2019
Das Hund, Fall of All, French Riviera, London, UK
2018
Das Hund, For Freedom Tour, Mackintosh Lane, London, UK
Das Hund, For Freedom Tour, KARST, Plymouth, UK
Das Hund, For Freedom Tour, g39, Cardiff, UK
Das Hund, For Freedom Tour, The Tetley, Leeds, UK
Das Hund, For Freedom Tour, DRAF x Kentish Town Forum, London, UK
Das Hund, For Freedom Tour, LIMBO, Margate, UK
Das Hund, Galerie Crèvecoeur, Marseille, France
2016
Das Hund, Alternative Living Tour, Hauser & Wirth, Los Angeles, USA
Das Hund, Alternative Living Tour, Actual Size, Los Angeles, USA
In the Greenhouse, Wysing Polyphonic Festival, Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge, UK
Das Hund, UP Projects at Somerset House, London, UK
Das Hund, Guest Projects, London, UK
2015–2016
ArtReview Live Presents Das Hund, ArtReview Bar, London, UK
2015
Red Route Raves, Plymouth Art Weekender, Plymouth, UK
Das Hund, Garage Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
A Bright Night: Technologies of Affect, Serpentine Galleries, London, UK
2014
Orange – A Colour Ritual for Autumn, Art Licks Weekend, London, UK
Das Hund & The Pilgrim Shells, Whitstable Biennale, UK
2013
Space Time: Convention T, Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge, UK
Das Hund – Normal Love, Cell Project Space, London, UK
2012
Das Hund, Modern Art Oxford, Oxford, UK
Exposition Experimental, South London Gallery, London, UK
2011
Das Hund, Dazed Emerging Artists Award, London, UK
Das Hund, Backstage Riders, Berlin, Germany
2010
Normal Love – End of Love, Space, London, UK
Film Screenings
2022
The Earth Like Tea, Stadium, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, Ireland
The Earth Like Tea, Sirius Digital, Online
2020
Red Desert, Rame Projects, Cornwall, UK
2019
Red Desert, French Riviera, London, UK
2018
Red Desert, Mackintosh Lane, London, UK
2017
Champignons on Film, Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Champignons on Film, galeriepcp, Paris, France
2016
Hidden Door Festival, Edinburgh, UK
2015
Video Video, Chart Art Fair, Copenhagen, Denmark
Kosmopolis Festival, CCCB, Barcelona, Spain
The Next Frontier, Courtauld Institute, London, UK
2014
Poetry Film – Solstice, ICA, London, UK
Rave Day, Dazed Digital, Online
2013
Prelude to Syncopation, Art Basel Miami Beach, USA
Solstice, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London, UK (permanent commission)
Cocktail, Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, UK
2012
Chic, V22 Summer Club, London, UK
Residencies
2024
Château de Sacy, Sacy-le-Petit, France
2023
Prah Foundation, Margate, UK
2022
Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, County Cork, Ireland
2020
Rame Projects, Cornwall, UK
2019
Mendes Wood DM, Brussels, Belgium
2018
Post-Disasters Residencies, Provence, France
2016
A-Z Wagon Station Encampment, Joshua Tree, California, USA
Floating Island, South Quay, London, UK
2015
TEDx Artists-in-Residence, Courtauld Institute of Art, London, UK
2014
57A The Expansionists, Whitstable, UK
2013
Artistes en Résidence, Clermont-Ferrand, France
2011
Pirate Camp, Venice, Italy
Awards
2019–2022
French Riviera, Project Grants, Arts Council England
2019
Desert Ruins, Project Grants, Arts Council England
Artist Bursary, a-n The Artists Information Company
2018
Das Hund, For Freedom Tour, Project Grants, Arts Council England
2016
Artists’ International Development Fund, British Council & Arts Council England
2014–2015
Alternative Equinox, Grants for the Arts, Arts Council England
2013–2017
French Riviera, Grants for the Arts, Arts Council England
2011
Dazed Emerging Artists Award with The Whitechapel Gallery, Finalist
Curatorial
2011–2023
2018
Henley Festival, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, UK
2013
Échange Écossais, Embassy Gallery, Edinburgh, UK
2006–2014
Port Eliot Festival, St Germans, Cornwall, UK
Publications
2022
The Art of Mushrooms, Exhibition Catalogue, Fundação De Serralves, Contributors
2021
More Than Ponies: Traversing Terrains, Contributors
2018
Good Trouble: Verse Corner, Issue 23, August 2018, Contributors
2017
Good Trouble: Art of Resistance, Issue 22, July 2017, Contributors
2016
ArtReview, October, Artists’ Project
ArtReview, April, Artists’ Project
2015
ArtReview, December, Artists’ Project
ArtReview, October, Artists’ Project
Bomb Magazine, Celestial Seasons, Artists Portfolio
2014
Wysing Arts Centre, Where do you see yourself in 25 years? Contributors
2013
Art Licks Issue Ten: Das Hund Artists’ Commission
2012
Royal College of Art, Workers, Contributors
2011
Artvehicle 57: Port of Venice, Artists’ Page
2009
Samuel Levack and Jennifer Lewandowski 1999-2009, Artists’ Book
Press
2019
Contemporary Art Society, ‘Desert Ruins at French Riviera’, by Caroline Douglas
2018
Frieze, ‘All Day in Marseille’, by Ellen Mara De Wachter
2017
Contemporary Art Society, ‘The Housing Crisis’, by Ali MacGilp
2016
Artsy, ‘8 Artist-Run Galleries Breaking New Ground in London’, by Laura Purseglove
2015
Dazed Digital, ‘Alternative Equinox’, by Kate Neave
2014
AQNB, ‘Alternative Equinox’, by Jean Kay
Frieze, ‘Postcard from Kent: 7th Whitstable Biennale’, by Ellen Mara De Wachter
2013
Frieze, ‘Wysing Music Festival’, by Colin Perry
Art Licks, ‘Artists’ Profile’, by Attilia Fattori Franchini
2012
Time Out, ‘Samuel Levack and Jennifer Lewandowski’, by Helen Sumpter
Aesthetica, ‘Samuel Levack and Jennifer Lewandowski’, by Bethany Rex
2011
Dazed & Confused, ‘The Shortlist’, by Terence The
2010
Dazed Digital, ‘Levack and Lewandowski’, by Laura Havlin
Talks
2019
Adaptation Strategies for Artist Led Spaces, Artquest at Shipment, London
2018
Symposium: Art Is No Business? Kingston University, London
2017
Artistic Collaboration, Dorich House Museum, Kingston University, London
2016
Artist-Run Spaces, French Riviera and Haroon Mirza, Shoreditch House, London
2014
Lecture: Wanderers Through a Sea of Fog, Royal College of Psychiatrists, London
Teaching
2016–2018
Visiting Lecturer, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
2013
Visiting Lecturer, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, UK
2012
Visiting Lecturer, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK
Music Videos
2017
2015
The Kittens – Jupiter and Mars
Django Django– Beginning to Fade
Collections
Sirius Arts Centre, Ireland
Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK
Nicoletta Fiorucci Collection, Italy, UK
The Ned, UK
Soho House Art Collection, UK, USA
Private Collections in France, Sweden, UK, USA