Simon Le Ruez

Born 1970, Jersey, UK
1994-95 MA Sculpture, Winchester School of Art, Winchester
1991-94 BA (Hons) Fine Art Sculpture, Kennington School of Art, London
1989-90 BTEC National Diploma Art and Design, Exeter College of Art
Lives in Sheffield, UK and Berlin, Germany

 

Works


Solo Exhibitions

2022
‘Our intent is all for your delight’, Bloc Members Billboard Commission, Bloc Projects, Sheffield

2019
Paris can stay in bed’, Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne

2015

‘Brücke’, Künstlerhaus Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany
The other side of you and me’, Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne

2011
This is where we meet’, Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne

2010
‘Unidentified friends’, CUBE, Manchester
‘As Poison Leaks Away’, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany

2007
When the Quarry Calls’, Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne

2005
‘Stories of Solitude’, Arhus Kunstbygning (Museum of Modern Art), Arhus, Denmark
‘Acts of Generosity’, Castlefield Gallery, Manchester (catalogue)

2003
‘Threats and Promises’, BLOCspace, Sheffield (catalogue)

2001
‘Before Today’, Bloc Arts, Sheffield
‘Absence’, The Showroom, Sheffield
‘Elapse’, Bloc Arts, Sheffield

1996

‘Secret Activities’, Botley Mills, Southampton

Radio and Published Writing

2013
‘Voyage’, exhibition feature and interview, Aktuelles aus der Kultur, Westdeutscher Radio

2006
‘Rush Hour Romance’, Artist’s story, a-n Magazine (Newcastle upon Tyne), May

2005

‘Stories of Solitude’, exhibition feature, Kulturnyt, (Denmark’s culture programme)

Selected Group Exhibitions

2023
‘One Minute No. 10’, Wolf & Galentz Gallery, Berlin, Germany
‘Contrafibularities’, Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield

2022
‘Sculptors’ Drawings’, Latymer Upper School, London
‘Think Of Me With Kindness’, Gage Gallery, Sheffield
Jubilee’, Vane, Gateshead
‘One Minute Volume Ten’, 303 Projects, Lowestoft

2021
‘Rom for bøker’ (Room for books), Kristiansand Kunsthall, Kristiansand, Norway
‘Being There’, Prosaic Projects Gallery, Bloc Studios, Sheffield

2020
‘Ted Lewis – Get Carter: 50th Anniversary Exhibition’, 20-21 Visual Arts Centre, Scunthorpe
‘One Minute Vol 10’ (video screening, A horizontal fall), Visual Container TV, international video art web channel
‘Unus Multorum 2020’, (The neck of the woods with Maud Haya-Baviera), Plas Bodfa, Llangoed

2019

‘L’esprit vagabond’, Collection Frac Normandie Caen, Le Grand Turc, La Ferté-Macé, France
‘Making Ways: Making Our Way’ (video screening, A horizontal fall), Sidney and Matilda Gallery, Sheffield

2018
‘Les flâneurs: Collection Frac Normandie Caen’, 2angles, Flers, France
‘Translating Travels’, Edinburgh Printmakers, Edinburgh

2017

Vicennial’, Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne
‘On Drawing’, Lage Egal, Berlin, Germany
‘Artists’ Books for Everything’, Zentrum für Künstlerpublikationen, Weserburg, Bremen, Germany
‘Attraction(s)’, Collections Frac Normandie Caen, Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Lisieux, Lisieux, France
‘Voyage Boxed’, BABE 2017: Bristol Artists Book Event, Arnolfini, Bristol
‘Voyage Boxed’, CODEX 2017 International Book Fair, Richmond, California, USA
‘Archéologie Contemporaine’, Canopé, Frac Basse Normandie, Caen, France

2016
‘Objets Singuliers’ (video, Skin Deep, with Maud Haya Baviera), Festival International De Courts Métrages D’Aix-en-Provence, Aix-en-Provence, France
‘Showroom Shorts’ (video screening, Skin Deep, with Maud Haya Baviera), Showroom Cinema, Sheffield
‘The House That Jack Built’, Maison de la vie associative, Alençon, France
‘Grammar of wavelength’, Western Isles Museum, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis
‘Édition(s) Expérimentale(s)’, Uqo Gallery, Québec, Canada

2015

‘MORTEL suite et fin’, Frac Basse Normandie, Caen, France
Ten’, Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne
‘Voyage Boxed: sea journeys, island hopping & trans-oceanic concepts’, Herhúsid, Siglujördur, Iceland
‘Salon Zürcher’, Zürcher Gallery, New York, USA

2014
‘In The City’, Hanover Project, University of Central Lancashire, Preston
‘Paper Biennial Rijswijk 2014’, Museum Rijswijk, The Netherlands (catalogue)
‘Deadpan Exchange VIII’, Casa Maauad, México City, México
‘RUKSSIAN Artists’ Books: Artist’s Book in the UK and Russia’, Tsaritsyno State Historical, Architectural, Art and Landscape Museum-Reserve, Moscow, touring to Pavel Kuznetsov Museum, Saratov, Russia (catalogue)
‘Monument’, Fonds Régional d'Art Contemporain, Région Basse Normandie, Caen, France
Between fact and fiction’, Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne

2013

‘Subjective maps / Disappearance’, National Gallery of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland (catalogue)
‘Luminous Language’, Launch F18, New York, USA
‘Anonymous Drawings 2013’, Galerie Nord / Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany, touring to Delikatessenhaus e.V., Leipzig, Germany, TAC, Eindhoven, The Netherlands (catalogue)
‘Voyage: sea journeys, island hopping & trans-oceanic concepts’, Künstlerhaus Dortmund, Germany (catalogue)

2012
‘Day In, Day Out’, Aid & Abet, Cambridge
'Agency of Unrealized Projects’, daadgalerie, Berlin, Germany
‘Facade Video Festival 2012’, Plodiv (the Old Town), Bulgaria
‘Postcards from the Edge’ (Visual AIDS), Cheim & Read, New York, USA

2011
International Print Biennale’, Vane, Newcastle upon Tyne
‘Vessel (British Art Show 7 fringe exhibition)’, Stonehouse, Plymouth
‘Agency of Unrealized Projects’ (AUP), Kopfbau, Messeplatz, Basel, Switzerland

2010
‘Beyond the Dust Heaps’, The Charles Dickens Museum, London

2009
‘CUBEOpen’ (winner), CUBE: Centre for the Built Environment, Manchester
‘Optica Festival 2009’ (‘To the King’, with Maud Haya-Baviera), Collège d’Espagne, La Cité Internationale, Paris, France
‘Rotate’, Contemporary Art Society, London

2008
‘Anonymous Drawings No. 9’, Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, Berlin, Germany
‘Future50’, PSL (Project Space Leeds), Leeds
‘The Golden Record – Sounds of Earth’, Collective Gallery, Edinburgh, touring to Lincoln Museum, Lincoln and g39, Cardiff (2009)
‘Hidden Narratives’, Graves Art Gallery, Sheffield (catalogue)

2007

‘Host 7: Home Disco’, Consortium, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, touring to Colar...Te...Gallery, Santander, Spain and Festival International du Premier Film, Annonay, France, 2008
‘Memories, Moments and Other Curiosities’, Saltburn Artists Projects, Saltburn by the Sea
‘Rummage: Sculptors’ Drawings’, The Winchester Gallery, Winchester

2006
‘GIFT’, MuseumMAN, Liverpool
‘Objects in Waiting’, End Gallery, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield
‘Trajectory’, Leeds City Art Gallery and various venues, Leeds (catalogue)
‘Another Product’, Cornerhouse, Manchester

2005
‘ARTfutures’, Contemporary Art Society, Bloomberg Space, London
‘(dis)comfort’, Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham (catalogue)
‘Art Postcards’, Derby City Museum and Art Gallery, Derby

2004
‘Marks in Space: drawing and sculptural form’, Usher Gallery, Lincoln (catalogue)
‘Pleasures Taken’, Derby City Museum and Art Gallery, Derby

2003
‘Postcard show’, Surface Gallery, Nottingham
‘Return to Sender’, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford

2002
‘Heart’, National Centre for Popular Music, Sheffield
‘Recluse’, BLOCspace, Sheffield

2001
‘Mongrel Monitor’, Site Gallery, Sheffield

2000
‘Lost for Words’, Yorkshire Artspace, Sheffield

1999
‘Roam’, Altes Lagerhaus, St Gallen, Switzerland

1998
‘home’, Swiss Cottage Library, London

1997
‘Host’, Plantation Gardens, Norwich

1995
‘Stepping Out’, Atlantis Gallery, London (catalogue)
‘No Frills’, The Winchester Gallery, Winchester

1994
‘Sculpture at Broadgate’, Liverpool Street Station, London

1993
‘School of Thought’, Jersey Arts Centre, Jersey

Awards and Residencies

2024
‘The Living’, public art commission supported by Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Housing Company (SHC), made for Parson Cross, Sheffield

2022

Artist Bursary, a-n The Artists Information Company

2021
Freelance Art and Culture Award, Sheffield Culture Consortium
Developing Creative Practice Award, Arts Council England

2020
Freelands Foundation emergency grant, Freelands Foundation, London

2019

Making Ways Travel Bursary, Sheffield Culture Consortium, Sheffield
Developing Creative Practice Award, Arts Council England

2015
Summer Residency, Künstlerhaus Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany

2014
Action Research Bursary, ‘Remake Castlegate’ project, Festival of the Mind, University of Sheffield and Yorkshire Artspace
Artist Development Bursary for new collaborations, Yorkshire and Humberside Visual Arts Network (YVAN)

2013
New Work Award, Jersey Arts Trust, in relation to the exhibition ‘Subjective maps / Disappearance’, National gallery of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland

2012
Research and Development Award, Arts Council England, for work in Berlin and Sheffield
‘The Great Escape’, public commission, London, Northern Art Prize and Logistik, the BT Art Commission

2011
Research and Development Award, Arts Council England

2010
Residency Award, Arts Council England, in relation to seven-month residency on International Studio Programme at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany
Artist in Residence, International Studio Programme, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany

2009
Winner of ‘CUBEOpen’ bursary and residency, CUBE: Centre for the Built Environment, Manchester
The Northern Art Prize 2009, long-list, Leeds City Council, Leeds

2008
Development and Production Award, Arts Council England

2007
Research and Development Award, Arts Council England

2006
New work and Exhibition Award, Arts Council England

2005
Travel and Research Award, Arts Council England, Berlin Biennial, Germany

2004
Exhibition Award, British Council, ‘Stories of Solitude’, Denmark
New Work and Exhibition Award, Arts Council England

2003
Creative Entrepreneur Award, Inspiral, Sheffield
Research project, Arts Council England, ‘The notion of archive’

2002
Travel Award, Arts Council England, New York, USA
Way-marker sculpture commission for Rivelin Valley, Sheffield

2001
Individual Artist Award, Yorkshire Arts Board
Research and Development Award, Yorkshire Arts Board
‘Response’ Sound Sculpture commission for Millennium Galleries, Sheffield

1998
Kingsgate Workshop Award, London

1997
Artist in Residence, Faculty de Belle Arts, Valencia, Spain

1996
Council Travel Prize to Paris, France, Winchester School of Art, Winchester

1994
Barreau Art Scholarship, Jersey Museum, Jersey

1993
Beckwith Travel Scholarship, Arizona/California, USA

1992
Barreau Art Scholarship, Jersey Museum, Jersey

Bibliography

2024
‘Home is where the Art is’, Anna Netri, Specifier review, online resource exploring the world of architecture, design and innovation

2022
‘Outside the Cave’, Ron Mengham, catalogue essay for Sculptors’ Drawing exhibition, Latymer Upper School, London
Artist Story: Simon Le Ruez’, interview, Vane

2019
‘Paris can stay in bed’, review, Sophia Schneider, The Courier (Newcastle upon Tyne), 14 October

2018

‘Artists’ Books for Everything’, catalogue essay, Anne Thurmann-Jajes, Artists’ Books for Everything, pub. Weserburg Museum of Modern Art (Weserburg)
‘Collection du Frac Normandie Caen 2002-2014’, catalogue essay, Nikoleta Tsagkari, pub. Frac Normandie Caen (Caen)

2015

‘Der Zwischenhändler’ (The go-between), newspaper article, Tilman Abegg, Rhur Nachrichten (Dortmund)
Fun and games’, essay, Michaela Hall, Vane

2014

‘Seize artists interrogent l’ideé de commémoration’, newspaper article, Raphaël Fresnais, Ouest France (Caen)
‘Une exposition monumentale’, newspaper article, Mathieu Girard, Côté Caen (Caen)
‘Simon Le Ruez: Translucent’, catalogue essay, Frank van der Ploeg, Rijswijk Paper Biennial catalogue (The Hague)
‘Deadpan Exchange VIII’, review, Victoria Lucas, a-n Interface, online platform for critical writing (Newcastle upon Tyne)

2013

‘Digital memories, impossible archives’, essay, Alexandra Laudo, Álbum de Família (Barcelona)
Artists’ Book Yearbook 2014-15, pub. Impact Press, UWE (Bristol)
‘Subjective maps / Disappearance’, catalogue, National Gallery of Iceland, pub. Mousse (Milan)
‘Voyage’, exhibition article, museum brochure, Künstlerhaus Dortmund (Dortmund)
‘Der klang unseres planeten selbst’ (The sound of our planet), newspaper article, Rhur Nachrichten (Dortmund)

2012
‘Dirty Pictures in a Golden Frame?’, essay, Robert Clark, Corridor8, issue 3, part 2 (Manchester), April
In-between Territories’, essay, Rory Biddulph, Vane

2011
‘This is where we meet’, review, Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London), 29 October – 4 November

2010
‘Unidentified Friends’, review, Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London), 27 November – 4 December
‘Simon Le Ruez’, Annie Eagleton, International Artists survey publication, Künstlerhaus Bethanien (Berlin), October
‘Unidentified friends’, review, creativetourist.com (Manchester), November
‘Blut und Busch’, review, Michael Schulz, Der Tagesspiegel (Berlin), September
‘Drei auf einen Streich im Künstlerhaus Bethanien’, review, Nicole Kwiatowski, Art in Berlin (Berlin), September

2009
‘CUBEOpen 09’, preview, a-n Magazine (Newcastle upon Tyne), December – January 2010
‘CUBEOpen 09’, review, Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London), 14-20 November
‘CUBEOpen 09’, preview, The Times (Playlist) (London), 31 October – 6 November
‘CUBEOpen 09’, review, Katherine Faulkner, Metro Newspaper (London), 9 November
‘Simon Le Ruez and Maud Haya Baviera’, Artist Feature, 21 Mag, Optica Festival 2009 official publication (Gijón, Spain), November
‘The Golden Record: Sounds of Earth’, preview, Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London), March
‘Simon Le Ruez’, interview, Corridor8, issue 1, (Manchester) July

2008
‘Written in the Stars’, Sarah Urwin Jones, The Herald (Glasgow)
‘The Golden Record – Sounds of Earth’, review, Juliana Capes, a-n Magazine (Newcastle upon Tyne)
‘Hidden Narratives’, review, Emma Cocker, Axis, online resource for contemporary art, www.axisweb.org
‘Protest and Testimony’, Axis, online resource for contemporary art, www.axisweb.org
‘Untold stories from artists of the World’, David Dunn, exhibition article on ‘Hidden Narratives’, Sheffield Star (Sheffield)
‘Art Helping to shed light on untold Stories’, Ian Soutar, exhibition article on ‘Hidden Narratives’, Sheffield Telegraph (Sheffield)
‘Hidden Narratives’, review, Lesley Guy, Metro Newspaper (London)
‘Hidden Narratives’, preview, Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London)

2007
‘Memories, Moments and other Curiosities’, preview, Robert Clark, The Guardian (London)
‘When the Quarry Calls’, review, Amy Judd, Metro Newspaper (London)
‘When the Quarry Calls’, preview, Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London)
The life ring on John Donne’s Island’, essay, Frederika Whitehead, Vane
‘Artist’s awards’, Susan Jones, a-n magazine (Newcastle upon Tyne)

2006
‘Visions of heaven and hell’, Hannah Duguid, Pick of 2006 (Trajectory), Yorkshire Post Culture (Leeds)
‘Trajectory’, preview and catalogue essay, Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London)
‘ArtFutures 2005’, review, Lisa Le Feuvre, www.axisweb.org/dialogue

2005
‘Fabrication’, Morgan Falconer, first night review of ‘(dis)comfort’, The Times (London)
‘(dis)comfort’, exhibition article, Gemma Tipton, a-n Magazine (Newcastle upon Tyne)
‘Cruel to be Kind’, Helen Jones, catalogue essay for ‘(dis)comfort’ exhibition
‘(dis)comfort’, Deborah Dean, Introduction for exhibition catalogue
‘The sublime and absurd’, Mark Patterson, Nottingham Evening Post (Nottingham)
‘(dis)comfort’, preview, Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London)
‘(dis)comfort’, review, Wayne Burrows, Metro (London)
‘Guilty Pleasures’, interview with Jan Falk Borup, Aarhus Nutidkunst, Danish art review
‘The nature of Solitude’, exhibition article, Jylands-Posten (Copenhagen)
‘A row of Stories’, Aarhus Onsdag (Arhus)
‘Stories of Solitude’, Inge-Lise Raven, brochure and exhibition text
‘Behind the net curtains’, Jessica Lack, exhibition pick of the week, The Guardian G2 (London)
‘Acts of Generosity’, preview, Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London)
‘Acts of Generosity’, exhibition article, Twenty Eight (Manchester)
‘The Dictionary of Artists in Britain since 1945’, David Buckman, pub. Art Dictionaries (Bristol)
‘Acts of Generosity’, Sophia Crilly, brochure text for solo exhibition

2004
‘The Locus is the thing’, Alain Ayers, catalogue essay for ‘Marks in Space: drawing and sculptural form’

2003
Robert Clark, The Guardian Guide (London)
‘Threats and Promises’, Robert Clark, catalogue essay for solo exhibition
‘Dirty little Secrets’, Chris Brown, exhibition preview for ‘Threats and Promises’, a-n Magazine (Newcastle upon Tyne)
‘Beans means Sculpture’, exhibition article, Ian Soutar, Sheffield Telegraph (Sheffield)

2001
‘Absence’, exhibition article, Rosie Wilde, Metro Newspaper (London)

1998
‘British home sores’, Helen Smithson, Ham and High (London newspaper)

1995
‘Stepping (inside) out’, Andrew Renton, catalogue essay for ‘Stepping out’