Registered address
Civic Works Ltd, 15 Southdown Road,
Harpenden, AL5 1PD
Info@civicworks.net
co. reg. no.6594607
The spaces that we abandon reveal much about ourselves and the psyche of contemporary societies. The ways in which we respond to these 'leftovers' shape not only the emerging city but the society it constructs.
Dan Dubowitz has been investigating wastelands for 17 years, as an artist and as an architect. Trained in architecture at Sheffield University and after working for Peter Eisenman in New York in 1992-93, he began to develop a practice as an artist using photography in parallel to architectural work. From 1996-2002 Dan co-directed the Heisenberg project in Glasgow, UK, and taught at architecture and fine art faculties in UK universities.
In 2003 Dan established Civic Works, to concentrate on photography and 'cultural masterplanning'. Since then Dan has developed cultural masterplans for Glasgow, Sunderland, Newcastle, Manchester and Stoke-on-Trent in the UK. This has led to a number of permanent and temporary city-scale artworks in public places:
photography/installation: 'The Peeps' and 'The Cutting Room' public square, Manchester.
film/performance: 'Tattered Outlaws of History', Dublin, now touring, with choreographer Fearghus O'Conchuir.
film/projection/air balloon: 'Searchlight' with artist David Cotterrell, Sunderland.
architecture/photography: 'The Peeps' & 'The Cutting Room', Ancoats Manchester.
Throughout this period Dan has undertaken a number of purely photographic projects. In 2008 Dan began shifting the focus of his practice from cultural masterplanning to photography. In 2010 two books have been published to accompany exhibitions touring Europe and America:
'Fascismo Abbandonato' and 'Wastelands' Dewi Lewis Publishing.
'The Peeps' and 'Breaking the Mould' Manchester University Press.
dan@civicworks.net
www.civicworks.net
+44(0)7970510415
civic works: A practise established in 2003 to encompass both artworks by Dan Dubowitz, and cultural masterplan projects lead by Dan Dubowitz.
2011
'Walk on the Wildside', Manchester, UK 2011.
2003/11
'The Peeps'. Artist for the regeneration of Ancoats, Manchester, UK. The project started out with a photographic series 'The Presence of Absence' which formed the basis for two permanent artworks: 'The Peeps', a city scale permanent artwork, comprising a series of peepholes to stumble across in permanently walled up spaces throughout the area and the 'Cutting Room', a new public square.
2011
'If The Invader Comes', The Napoleonic Martello towers of Britain's east coast in collaboration with choreographer Fearghus Ó Conchúir. Jaywick Martello tower.
2008/11
'After the Occupation', the Baltics, exhibition tour and publication in planning for 2011, with writer Tim Abrahams.
2008/9
Programme of 'Cultural Masterplan' projects for Stoke on Trent. Including 'Breaking the Mould', a photographic series exploring the city's derelict buildings and potteries on the eve of a major regeneration of the subregion. Part of the first British Ceramics Biennial.
2007/11
'Tattered Outlaws of History'. A collaboration with choreographer Fearghus O'Conchuir: Simultaneous performances that re-unite the family of 12 Martello towers on the Irish coast north of Dublin, exhibited in 12 screen film installation in Skerries tower, July-September 2009, touring to Jaywick tower, 2011.
2006/2008
Cultural Masterplanner for the regeneration of Scotswood, Newcastle Expo; 'Newtopia'.
2003/08
Cultural Masterplanner for the regeneration of Sunderland: programme of pilot projects and delivery plan for 'The Cultural Masterplan for Sunderland'.
2000/05
'Wastelands' photographic projects including: Ellis Island, NYC; Havana, Cuba; St Francis Monastery, Manchester; Albergo dei Poveri, Naples; Orford Ness,UK; Blue Circle, Larne, N.Ireland; Cardross, Scotland.
exhibitions:
2011
Fascismo Abbandonato, Seville January, Murcia February
Tattered Outlaws of History, Jaywick Tower, Essex, UK, March-Sept
2010
Wastelands, Bau-xi Photo Gallery, Toronto, December
Fascismo Abbandonato', The British School at Rome, May,
2009
'Fascismo Abbandonato', Fermynwoods, UK; H2, Augsburg Germany, Galleria San Michele Degli Scalzi, Pisa, Italy
'Tattered Outlaws of History'; Martello Towers north of Dublin, Ireland, with choreographer Fearghus O'Conchuir
'Breaking The Mould', The Old Post Office, The British Ceramics Biennial
2008'Fascismo Abbandonato', Weisenhoff Gallery, Stuttgart,Germany
The Peeps, Central Train Station, Manchester, UK
2007
'Gorton', Central Train Station, Manchester
2006
'Searchlight' with artist David Cotterrell, Sunderland
'The Presence of Absence', Wirksworth Festival
2005
'Cardross', Fermywoods Gallery, UK, 'Resurrection Cycle', The Light House, Glasgow
2003/4
'Three Sanctuaries', The Cathedral of St John The Divine, New York
'The Presence of Absence', Cube Gallery, Manchester; 'The Presence of Absence', Central Train Station, Manchester
2000
'Last Orders', The Lighthouse, Glasgow
The Sounding Vessels, The Lighthouse, Glasgow and the no mans lands of the Berlin Wall
1999
'The Journeymen', Kirkhaven men's hostel, The Road to Nowhere, The Old Train Station, Springburn Halls. The Winter Gardens, Levenhume Assylum, Oatlands Needs Pakora
'Catatonic Man', Heisenberg, Courtauld Institute, Sumerset House
1998
'Heisenberg's Journeymen', Gracefields Art Centre, Dumfries
1997
'Bodies Through Space', Portland State University Gallery, Oregon
1996
'Bodies Through Space Research Facility', Silver medal for Architecture, RIBA
publications:
'Fascismo Abbandonato', Dewi Lewis Publishing 2010
'Wastelands', Dewi Lewis Publishing 2010
'The Peeps', Manchester University Press 2010
'The Presence of Absence', Ancoats, Civic Works Press, 2003
'Three Sanctuaries', Civic Works Press, 2003
heisenberg:
An art and architecture collaboration with Matt Baker (1998-2003):
The Crossing (Dumfries 1998)
Journeymen (Glasgow 1999)
Sounding Vessels (Berlin & Glasgow 2000)
The Gate Keeper (Glasgow 2002)
The Artworks Masterplan and Artworks Programme, Gorbals (Glasgow 1999-2003)
education:
BArch (Hons) Degree in Architecture (University of Sheffield 1991)
Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture (University of Sheffield 1995) Merit, Year Prize & exhibited, RIBA Silver Medal competition, 1995
Masters Degree in Architecture (University of Sheffield 1996)
teaching:
Postgraduate Architectural Design, University of Strathclyde (p/t lecturer 1996/2001)
Postgrad Unit, South Bank University, London (visiting lecturer 1996/97)
Postgrad Unit,Sheffield University (p/t tutor 1995/96)
Guest lectures at conferences, workshops, seminars at universities and conferences in Europe and USA, art and architcture, 1996/2006
University of Glasgow, Environmental Art (2000/01)
other:
Architecture, Peter Eisenman Architects, New York 1991/92
Consultant architect to the Royal College of Paediatricians 1997/98
press:
A selection of TV, radio, print media: news, magazine features, journals and trade press, is on www.civicworks.net/archive
websites:
www.civicworks.net
www.breakingthemould.info
www.callforartists.org
www.ancoatspeeps.com