John Russell

John Russell works across installation, text, performance, and film. As a pivotal figure, he co-founded the artist collective known as BANK in 1990, actively contributing through the 90s with over fifty exhibits, events, and numerous literary contributions. After departing from BANK in January 2000, Russell's endeavors have encompassed both solo and collaborative efforts, culminating in exhibitions, curatorial projects, and an innovative approach to artist publications. A standout example of this approach is the collectively authored Frozen Tears trilogy. This series bridges the divide between mainstream best-sellers and the horror genre, incorporating contributions from notable figures such as Art & Language, Ulrike Meinhof, Lucie McKenzie, and Fabienne Audéoud. Additionally, Russell's visual artworks often exhibit a dualistic strategy. While ostensibly appearing as easily interpretable art, they continuously challenge and disrupt the viewer's engagement with the image, skillfully navigating meaning and evoking a sense of alienation. ...

High Art was born in 2013 from an interest in bringing together distinct perspectives in advanced practices that are significant to current paradigms in contemporary art. Since its inception, High Art has functioned to provide an economic and logistic framework for artists by reexamining established modes of art commerce and production while attempting to account for an expanding field of art. The gallery has fostered not only the emergence of artists (Olga Balema, Max Hooper Schneider, Julien Creuzet, Matt Copson, Lucy Bull, Hun Kyu Kim, Mélanie Matranga) but also the emergence of new networks and economies (Paris Internationale, Shanaynay). In May of 2017, High Art inaugurated a new space in the heart of the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The space, which is located on the ground floor of an 19th century Haussmannian building, is notable for housing Georges Bizet while he wrote the opera “Carmen”. In December of 2020, High Art opened a second location in a 12th century chapel in the heart of Arles, France. ...