Marcus Coates

By delving into the real-life experiences of individuals, animals, and nature, Marcus Coates endeavors to understand our interconnectedness with one another and the world around us.

Biography of Marcus Coates

Marcus Coates was born in London in 1968. From 1987 to 1990, he pursued a BA degree at the Kent Institute of Art and Design. In 1993, he received his Postgraduate Diploma from the Royal Academy of Art in London.

Since 1999, Coates has showcased his work extensively on an international scale.

Throughout his illustrious career, the artist has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Paul Hamlyn Visual Artist Award (2008), the Daiwa Foundation Art Prize (2009), and the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Create Art Award (2013). Marcus Coates was also shortlisted for the Jarman Award in 2013.

Coates' works have been exhibited worldwide. His recent solo exhibitions and performances include "The Directors" at Artangel in London (2022), "The Animal That Therefore I Am" at OCAT Institute in Beijing (2020), "Near-Life Experience" at Kate MacGarry in London (2019), "The Last of Its Kind" at Workplace Gallery in London (2018), "The Sounds of Others" at Innsbruck Biennale in Austria (2018), and many more. 

Additionally, the artist has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including "TWENTY" at Kate MacGarry in London (2022), "The World is in You" at Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen (2021), "Joseph Beuys and the Shamans" at Museum Schloss Moyland in Germany (2021), "Hippo Campus: Where we Learn" at Newlyn Art Gallery in Newlyn (2020), among others. 

Marcus Coates's Art Style

Marcus Coates innovates in establishing fresh connections where there may be a need or cultural divide. Frequently collaborating with various individuals, organizations, institutions, and experts across disciplines, he builds processes based on empathy and trust. While his work is grounded in critique, he places significant emphasis on generating practical solutions to broaden constrained perspectives.

He engages in re-enacting states of being, employing a process rooted in radical empathy to inquire into the essence of contemporary existence, our historical narrative, and prospects. His driving force is to craft, scrutinize, and assess relational tools. Sometimes, these investigations extend beyond the confines of conventional language.

Marcus Coates, alongside experts spanning diverse disciplines such as anthropologists, ornithologists, wildlife sound recordists, choreographers, politicians, psychiatrists, palliative care consultants, musicians, and primatologists, embark on a collective exploration, seeking insights into questions about humanity, the natural world, and the intersections between them.

Utilizing shamanistic rituals in communication with "the lower world," his creations juxtapose natural and man-made processes.