BIOGRAPHY
MARK RAUTENBACH
(1964 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa)
Mark Rautenbach is a Cape Town artist who has also worked as Mark Splendid, Mark Maria and Splendid Miriam. He works in a variety of media, often with material which is considered waste matter, as well as textiles and paper. Rautenbach’s practice is often process-based, and draws on traditional craft techniques.
Rautenbach lectured Design for a number of years at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), and education recurs as a theme in his work, along with identities born out of narratives – represented through yarn. Rautenbach has exhibited at the Iziko South African National Gallery, Everard Read, Open 24 Hrs, Spier, David Krut Projects and Ebony/Curated, among others.
EDUCATION
1983-7: BAFA, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg
EXHIBITIONS/COMMISSIONS
2022 Pigments of The Alchemist’s Imagination and The Non-Dual, Solo exhibition, Everard Read CIRCA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
Ariadne’s Thread, solo, Cubicle Series, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
Investec Cape Town Art Fair, with Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
2021 PHANTASMAGORIA, group exhibition, RK Contemporary, Riebeek Kasteel, South Africa
OASIS, group exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
PLANE, group exhibition, Deepest Darkest, Cape Town, South Africa
PERSISTENCE OF VISION, group exhibition, Knysna Fine Art, Knysna, South Africa
IN CONVERSATION, group exhibition, Everard Read, Cape Town, South Africa
THESE WALLS HAVE EYES, group exhibition, Haas, Cape Town, South Africa
THE TROUBLED ARCHIVE, group exhibition, THE LABYRINTH PROJECT, Ellis House Art Studios, Johannesburg, South Africa
IN CONVERSATION WITH COLOUR SYMPHONY, Rupert Museum, Jan Rupert Art Centre, Graaff-Reinet, South Africa
WORLD WORLDING, solo, OPEN 24 Hrs, in partnership with Ebony/Curated, Cape Town, South Africa
2020 [U]Ntelling [S]Tories, Residency, DISTANCIO/TRANÅS, Distancio, Sweden
HARD, BUT SOFT, group exhibition, Gallery at Glen Carlou, Klapmuts, Cape Town, South Africa
2019 A SPLENDID SUMMER SEND-OFF; 40 YEARS 40 PLUS ARTISTS, group exhibition, Irma Stern Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
UNDERPINNINGS, solo exhibition, Ebony/Curated, Franschhoek, South Africa
TEXTILE, group exhibition, curated by Amy Pike for Dyman Gallery, Stellenbosch, South Africa
CONVERSATIONS IN TEXTURE, group exhibition, curated by Khumo Sebambo for Berman Contemporary, Johannesburg, South Africa
SMALL ROOM, group exhibition, curated by Sarah Grace for Priest, Johannesburg, South Africa
2018 FORWARD?FORWARD!FORWARD…, group exhibition, performance and sculptures, University of Stellenbosch Museum, Stellenbosch, South Africa
HOW LONG CAN I HOLD YOUR ATTENTION FOR?/ HOW MUCH PRESENCE CAN I GIVE YOU?, performance, Jewellery as a Social Object, Contemporary Jewellery Forum, Seminar and Exhibition, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
NOONOO INDEX, FNB Joburg Art Fair, Johannesburg, South Africa
TOUCHWOOD, group exhibition, 203 Percy Osborn, Durban, South Africa
ARTISTIC ACTIVISM GRANT, Centre For Artistic Activism, SWEAT and ASIJIKI, Johannesburg, South Africa
KZNSA Gallery, Park Gallery group exhibition, Durban, South Africa
Candice Berman, group exhibition, Johannesburg, South Africa
2017 A ROMULUS REBUS, group exhibition, curated by Priest, Fried Contemporary, Pretoria, South Africa
Johannesburg Art Fair, Johannesburg, South Africa
Ebony/Curated, group exhibition, Franschhoek, South Africa
DREAM RIFT, group exhibition, Eclectica Design And Art, Cape Town, South Africa
DAWNING NEW NARRATIVES, performance, Rhodes Memorial, Cape Town, South Africa
PROUD, group exhibition, The Studio Door, San Diego, USA
OUMA se KIND, performance, Cape Town, South Africa
Residency/Workshop: Centre for Artistic Activism, SWEAT and ASIJIKI, Johannesburg, South Africa
MOTHERTONGUE 1, performance, Art Thursdays, Reverie Social Table, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
FATHERLAND, performance in live art festival Borderlands, Cape Point, Cape Town, South Africa
BODY SCENOGRAPHY, workshop with Steven Cohen, ICA, UCT, Cape Town, South Africa
VERGING THRESHOLDS, group exhibition, Eclectica, Cape Town, South Africa
MOST BEAUTIFUL OBJECT, nominee, Design Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa
THE SKY OVER BERLIN, installation, 50th anniversary of the Krugerrand, South African Mint and Rand Refinery, World Money Fair, Berlin, Germany
2016 WOMAN’S WORK, group exhibition, Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
WHAT'S THE MATTER? Group exhibition, Ebony/Curated, Cape Town, South Africa
DISTRICT SIX MUSEUM PRINT EXCHANGE: District Six Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
MUSE MONTAGE, group exhibition, Eclectica, Cape Town, South Africa
EDUPLATION, performance,group exhibition, David Krut Projects, Johannesburg, South Africa
OPTICAL DIVERSION, group exhibition, Eclectica, Cape Town, South Africa
Commission for Shortmarket Street Club, Cape Town, South Africa
UNHEIMLICH, performance & group exhibition, Woordfees, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
2015 FETISH, performance and group exhibition, Priest, Johannesburg, South Africa
[TERROR]TORY, performance, THE DARK PRECURSOR: International Conference on Deleuze and Artistic Research, Orpheus Institute, Ghent, Belgium
VULEKA, competition, 3rd and highly commended prize, ART B, Bellville, South Africa
[TERROR]TORY, TEDx 2015, City Hall, Cape Town, South Africa
[TERROR]TORY, collaborative performance, Deleuze and Guattari and Africa Conference, University Of Cape Town, Cape Town
Commission for The Test Kitchen, Cape Town, South Africa
Uima Mask Competition, Finalist, University of Iowa Museum Of Art, Iowa, USA
FETISH: group exhibition, Arttec - Epsac Community Art Centre, Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown, South Africa
DÉCOR Z, group exhibition, Spier, Stellenbosch, South Africa
2014 THE EDUCATOR’S NEW CLOTHES, exhibition, Room, Johannesburg
THE EDUCATOR’S NEW CLOTHES, performance, Cape Town & surrounds, Johannesburg
2012 SOUTHERN INK EXPOSURE 3, International tattoo convention, group exhibition, Cape Town
2011 OPEN BOOKS, group exhibition, Brundyn & Goncalves, Cape Town, South Africa
PINHOLE PHOTOGRAPHY, group exhibition, Haas, Bokaap, Cape Town, South Africa
2010 SOUTHERN INK EXPOSURE 2, International tattoo convention, group exhibition, CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Group exhibition, Gill Alderman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
These Four Walls, group exhibition, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
2009 SOUTHERN INK EXPOSURE 1, international tattoo convention, co-curator and exhibitor, CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Group exhibition, Gill Alderman Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa
2008 Group exhibition, Gill Alderman Gallery, Kenilworth, Cape Town
2007 WORLD TRIBE, collaboration with Brandon Amronski, Alison Café, Leon, Mexico.
Group exhibition, Gill Alderman Gallery, Kenilworth, Cape Town
Group exhibition, Walkerbay Gallery, Hermanus
2006 INTRODUCING SPLENDID, exhibition, Amoeba Light & Living, Johannesburg
2003 HUMAN GENOME PROJECT, competition finalist, Natural History Museum, Cape Town
2002 MARK MRS LOVE, collaboration with Mrs Love, Obs Cafe, Cape Town
2000 WOMB, solo exhibition, I Cafe, Observatory, Cape Town
SEX & CULTURE, group exhibition, Gauloise Warehouse, Cape Town.
COLLECTIONS
Iziko South African National Gallery
Rand Refinery Collection
Rupert museum
PUBLICATIONS
2021 Grace of Abstraction, Ashraf Jamal, ART THROB, 8 February 2021
2018 Noonoo Index Catalogue, Lunetta Bartz, MAKER, ISBN 978-0-620-79668-2
2017 Contemporary Performance Almanac 2017 (Volume 4), Edited by Caden Manson and Daniel Nelson, ISBN - 13: 978-1546818854
2015 THE DARK PRECURSOR, International Conference on Deleuze and Artistic Research, edited by PAULO DE ASSIS and PAOLO GIUDICI, ISBN 978 94 9038 904 8
2014 KNOTWE: ALL THINGS FIBER, http://www.knotwe.com/mark-rautenbach/
ART SOUTH AFRICA, volume 12, issue 4, June 2014
VISI, February/March 2014, volume 70
RESIDENCIES
2020 RESIDENCY:DISTANCIO, Social sculpture residency, Tranås, Sweden
2018 RESIDENCY/WORKSHOP:MAKER,Noonoo Catalogue Index, Johannesburg
2017 RESIDENCY/WORKSHOP: CENTRE FOR ARTISTIC ACTIVISM [NYC], SWEAT and ASIJIKI, Johannesburg
