ABRIE FOURIE
Abrie Fourie is a Pretoria born (1969) and based artist; his work is a lucid collection of photographic images of urban South Africa. These images highlight both the immediate context and over looked beauties of the urban environment. In whatever format they are presented, be it as screensavers, light boxes or cibachromes, they exude a meditative effect. Fleeting moments become timeless impressions of the imagination, doubling up as spiritual metaphors of sorts. The flapping of plastic bags in the wind, razor wire and moving pages from the Bible, lure the viewer away from the hustle and bustle of city life and into a space where quiet reflection is key to survival.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS/ PROJECTS
2003. "Whatever/Wherever", João Ferriera Gallery, Cape Town
2003. observatório # 4 Garden of Words Willem Boshoff / Whatever, Wherever Abrie Fourie, CAMOUFLAGE, Brussels, Belguim
2001. "Philippians 4.8" New Media Exhibition, MTN Art Institute, MTN Sciencenter, Cape Town
2000. "Memorial(Upside Down Bikes)" Museum of Temporary Art, Observatory, Cape Town
1998. "Does not the ear test words like the tongue taste food", The Rembrant van Rijn Art Gallery, Johannesburg
1998. "Ilayibri ekufutshane indawoni imuziyem/ iartgallery ?", C.P. Nel Museum , Oudtshoorn
1997. "Imagine No Petrol Stations Inside Inside this House", Michael House, Pretoria
1996. "Inside this House", 1993-1996, Verwoerdburg Art Gallery, Centurion
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2002. "FNB VITA Awards" Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg
2002. "ABSA Atelier", ABSA Towers, Johannesburg
2002. "ENEMIES/ VYANDE" with Santu Mofokeng, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Oudtshoorn
2001. "JOUBERT PARK PUBLIC ART PROJECT 2001", Johannesburg Art
Gallery and Joubert Park Precinct
2001. "ABSA Atelier", ABSA Towers, Johannesburg
2001. "switch on/off" curated by Marcus Neustetter, Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Oudtshoorn
2000. "Holland South Africa Line" Castle of Good Hope, Collaboration with Tiong Ang, Cape Town
2000. "Killing Time" curated by Marc Edwards, Civic Gallery, Johannesburg
2000. "DECONSTRUTION Popular Culture Exhibition" curated by Clive Kellner, Camouflage, Johannesburg
2000. "Interchange-Moving images" curated by autopsia, Camouflage, Brussels, Belguim
2000. "Holland South Africa Line" Bagagehal Loods 6, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2000. "Translation/ Seduction/Displacement", curated by Lauri Firstenberg and John Peffer ICA at Maine College of Art, USA
2000. "urban futures" MTN Digital/ Electronic Arts Exhibition, curated by Marcus Neustetter, Gertrude Posel Gallery Wits, Johannesburg
2000. "ABSA Atelier", ABSA Towers, Johannesburg
2000. "Memorias Intimas Marcas", MUKHA, Antwerp, Belgium
2000. "Translation/ Seduction/Displacement", White Box Gallery, curated byLauri Firstenberg and John Peffer, New York
1999. "Present Continuous", THE OPEN WINDOW CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY, Pretoria
1999. "ABSA Atelier", African Window, Pretoria
1998. "Memorias Intimas Marcas", Lisbon, Portugal
1998. "Stuffit", Ynglingagatan1., Stockholm, Sweden
1998. "A day in the life THE CRIMEAN PROJECT/ PART 1" CURATED BY Marta Kuzma SCCA GALLERY, Kiev, Ukraine
1997. "Purple and Green", Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
1997. "Life Times", Munich, Germany
1996. "Hitch-Hiker", Generator Art Space/AICA, curated by Clive Kellner, Johannesburg
1996. "Volkskas Atelier", Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
1995. "Spring Time in Chile", Museum for Contemporary Art, Santiago, Chile
1995. "Brown and Green", Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
1995. "The Laager", (collaboration with Marlaine Tosoni), curated by Wayne Barker, Newtown, Johannesburg
1995. "Between the Posts", Arcadia Center, Pretoria
1995. "Artworks- the presence of the curator", Rembtandt Van Rijn, Market Theatre, Johannesburg
1994. "Volkskas Atelier Award", ABSA Towers, Johannesburg
1994. "Absolute Ensemble", Arcadia Center, Pretoria
1993. "Momentum Art", Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
1992. "Volkskas Atelier", Durban Technikon, Durban
SELECTED AWARDS
2002. Johannesburg Art City Awards
2001. National Arts Council, Grant
2000. Kempton Park/ Tembisa Fine Arts Award, 3rd Prize
1999. Ampersand Foundation Fellowship
1999. National Arts Council, Grant
ARTIST PUBLICATIONS/ BOOKS
2001. "Philippians 4.8"
2000. "2020-05-10"
1997. "2020-05-10"
1995. "Giant Protea", (discontinued)
1993. "And How They Lived"
1992. "Daar is 'n Pes
BILLBOARD ARTWORK
1997 -1999. "Wanton", Arcadia Park, Pretoria Art Museum
1995 -1997. "Giant Protea", Arcadia Park, Pretoria Art Museum
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2002. John Eggesboe, Meditate on these things, pg. 101, free 13, Copenhagen,Denmark, Summer 2002
2002. Kathryn Smith, Tough choices, Mail& Guardian, Johannesburg, 26 July 2020
2002. John Peffer, Fragmentary Moments Mistaken For Something Meaningfull, FNB VITA ART PRIZE, JHB,13 July 2020
2002. Clive Kellner, Enemies/ Vyande" Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, pg. 18, 19, 20, Oudtshoorn, March 2002
2002. Atelier Awards, ABSA
2001. Philippa Hobbs, "Santu Mofokeng Educational Supplement", Taxi Art Books, pg. 9, 10
2001. Johanna van Eeden, " n Wegneem-ete vir geestelike honger" Gauteng-Rapport, 14 Oktober 2001
2001. Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, "switch on/off ", pg. 9,10, Oudtshoorn, April 2001
2001. Philippa Hobbs, "A debate of Monumental Proportions" pg. 4, MTN Art Institute: Issue 2 April 2020
2001. Atelier Awards, ABSA
2001. Michelle Matthews "Rubbernecking in Africa", Mail and Guardian, 16 January 2020
2001. Sue Williamson, "Travel dairies: HSAL at the Cape Town Castle, Artthrob, no.41, 9 January 2020
2000. Edo Dijksterhuis "Artistieke preoccupaties met Apartheid", NRC Handsblad, 26 August 2020
2000. Ruth Kerkham "There is a bomb in the exhibition: Kendell Geers" Parachute, September 2000
2000. John Peffer "Return to sender" Translation/Seduction/Displacement, pg.34, Maine, Portland, USA, August 2000
2000. Cotter H., "Displacement", The New York Times, Friday, March 24, 2020
2000. Atelier Awards, ABSA, Johannesburg 2000
2000. Brockington H. Translation/Seduction/Displacement, NY ARTS, Vol.5 n 1,December 1999 -January 2000
2000. Fourie A. MARCUS NEWS EUROPE NO 4, Brussels, January 2000
1999. Atelier Awards, ABSA
1998. Atkinson B., "Home Sweet Home" Mail and Guardian, July 17-23, 1998
1998. Twiggs L., "Deported", SL magazine, December 1997/ January 1998
1997. Stevens M., "Show manipulates viewer in a clever, original way", Pretoria News,Tuesday November 25, 2020
1997. Atkinson B.,"A new aesthetic?", Mail and Guardian, November 21- 27, 1997
1997. Van Niekerk L.,"SA en oorsese 'pers' en groen kuns", Die Beeld, Wednesday November 12, 2020
Berry O., "Purple and green", Pretoria News, Wednesday October 8, 2020
1997. Atkinson B., "Of love loss and longing" July 25- 31, 1997
1997. Du Preez A., "City Scenes", Pretoria News", Tuesday June 24, 2020
1996. Friedman H., "Techno -mercenaries for hire", Mail and Guardian, December 6-12, 1996
1996. Stevens M., "As varied as women them selves", Pretoria News, Tuesday March 12, 2020
1995. Stevens M.,"A challenging experience", The Pretoria News, September 1995
1995. Berry O., "Drawing on the environment", The Pretoria News, Wednesday August 2, 2020
1995. Berry O., "On the cutting edge", The Pretoria News, Tuesday January 9, 2020
SELECTED PUBLISHED PHOTOGRAPHY
2002. My Tongue in your Cheek, Kendell Geers, pg 119, Paris, 2002
2002. Der Hund Zeitgenössische Kunst Ist FÛR DIE und Kultur Hyäne eina aus Afrika Kolanuss, Jahresring 49, pg 48 53, Köln, Germany
2001. Klein KarooNasionale Kunstefees, "switch on/off ", pg. 9,10, Oudtshoorn,April 2001
2000. "Translation/Seduction/Displacement" pg. 18, 19, Maine, Portland, USA, August 2000
2000. Parachute, Contemporary Art, July, August, September, pg. 34,35, Montréal, Canada, 2000
2000. MARCUS NEWS EUROPA N°4, pg. 28 , Brussels, January 2000
1999. co@rtnews, first issue, pg 4, 12, Johannesburg,1999
1999. HORSE , Guy du Toit, Pretoria, 1999
1998. "Roteiros" 24 Bienal Internacional São Paulo catalogue, pg. 207, 215, 220, 228, São Paulo, 1998
1996. "Art in South Africa the Future Present", Williamson Jamal, Cape Town, Johannesburg, 1996
1996. "Universales" 23. Bienal Internacional São Paulo catalogue,1996
1996. "Switch" catalogue, pg. 5,6,12, 14, 20, Africus Institute for Contemporary Art, Johannesburg, 1996
1996. "Snakes and Ladders" catalogue, DCA Gallery, New York, 1996
1995. "Projected Artists Obietlivo: Roma" catalogue, 2RC Edizioni D' Arte, 1995
1995. "Memory and Geography" catalogue for Doris Bloom and William Kentridge, Johannesburg, 1995
"Africus Johannesburg Biennale" catalogue, Johannesburg, 1995
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
2002. SABC, Johannesburg; Hanz Bogatzke Collection of Contemporary African Art, Germany
2001. Costa Reis Compilaão de Arte Africana Actual, Angola; Billiton, Johannesburg
2000. Pierre Lombart, Johannesburg; THE MTN ART INSTITUTE, Johannesburg; Clive Kellner, Johannesburg; SASOL, Johannesburg
1999. Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
1998. Vodacom, Johannesburg
1996. Jack Ginsberg, Johannesburg; Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
1994. Danish Ministry of Culture, Denmark; Technikon Pretoria, Pretoria
1993. Technikon Pretoria, Pretoria
1992. Pietersburg Art Museum, Pietersburg