Laurens Tan was born in 1950 in The Hague, Holland of great grandparents who migrated from Fujian in the late 1800s. Tan works and lives in Beijing and Sydney. He completed a Master of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong in 1991 and a Doctor of Creative Arts at the University of Technology Sydney, Sydney.
His work links sculpture, architectural and animated space, music, graphics, film and industrial design. Tan has been curated in survey exhibitions at the Iberia Center of Contemporary Art, Today Art Museum in Beijing and at the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, Houston Museum of Art, USA, the Shizuoka Perfectural Art Museum, Japan, the National Galleries of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland and the Sydney Powerhouse Museum in Australia.
He has taught and coordinated Art & Design undergraduate and graduate programs in Australia, USA and more recently in China, where has been adjunct professor in digital media at the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts since 2006.
Videography: Animation/ Video Installations/ Digital Media Projects
2011
X/Field Jumping City: CU Space, 798 Beijing
2010
Arena: A Post Boom Beijing: video and documentaries from China’s cultural capital, curator Laurens Tan, Hazelhurst Art Centre, Sydney Australia
Fragmented, Visiting Artist, University of Chicago Center in Beijing
Depth of Ease screening, Asia Pacific American Institute NYU, NYC
Fat Art 2010, Today Art Museum at Village North, Beijing
Dialog IV, Bild Volksbad/ university of Applied Sciences, Jena, Germany
Asian Landmark /Toyota Art Project, Iberia Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing
2009-11
ZhongJian, touring China in 2009 Australia in 2009-11
2009
Labyrinth III, curator Dong Bingfeng, Li Gallery, Beijing
Code 2, 2009 ANZ Australian Film Festival, Sanlitun Village, Beijing
Another Silk Road, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, Sydney, curated by Jacquie Clayton
Babalogic, 24HrArt, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Coming Home, curator Kate Croll, Linda Gallery 798, Beijing
2008
2D/ 3D Negotiating Visual Languages, Curator Wu Hung, PKM Gallery Beijing
Depth of Ease: 2008 US Live Tour with Beijing band Brain Failure
From Mao to Now- Armory Gallery Olympic Park Sydney Australia
Vernacular Terrain 2 IDAp, Creative Industries Precinct, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
2007-08
Journey/Process, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong
Cuisine & Country: Art & Food, Australian National Exhibition Tour
2007
Banana, (Solo) Imagine Gallery Feijiacun, Beijing
Art for Television 1994-98, MAAP ArtRage, Griffith University, Qld Australia
The Depth of Ease (Solo), 798 International Art Festival, Beijing
2005
10th Anniversary & Screening Octogene, Capitol Theatre, Sydney Australia
2004-05
Isle of Refuge, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, Monash University Art Museum & Australian Tour
2004
Gambling in Australia: Thrills, Spills and Social Ills, Sydney Powerhouse Australia
2001
Game Theory 1, Re-Brand, Sydney Biennale Satellite Site, Wollongong City Gallery
Pacific Games, Animation Works, Australian Gaming Expo 2001, Sydney
Daze of Our Lives, (Solo) Multimedia Prototype, 'The Lounge' Casula Powerhouse, Sydney Australia
1999
World Gaming Expo & Congress, (Solo) Las Vegas, USA
1998
Profile of a Counter, (Solo) Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada
Game Play, Span Gallery, Experimenta Media Arts, Melbourne Australia
Bilingual: Contemporary Asian Australian Art, Gallery 4A, Sydney Australia
IndyCar, Artist-in-Residence, Gold Coast Arts Centre, Australia
1997
Jack High, Pan Pacifica Multimedia Festival, Groningen Holland
Lawyers Guns & Money, Installation, Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide
Interact Asia Pacific,MAAP Melbourne, Australia
Cyberculture, National Survey of Digital Art, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney Australia
1996-98
Vegas of Death, Death: An Insight on Life: Penrith Regional Gallery and Lewers Bequest and Australian National Tour, Commissioned by Rookwood Necropolis, Sydney [Installation, Animation, Poker Machine Game]
1996
Metaphysics/New Animation: Experimenta Multimedia Festival, Melbourne Australia
Parking: Powerhouse Site History Exhibition, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney Australia
Days of the Comet, (Solo) Video Installation, Biennale of Sydney Satellite Australia
1994-96
Well The Image is One Thing… Video Installation.USA Tour of Museums of Art [Elvis + Marilyn: 2 x Immortal] Boston Institute of Contemporary Art & Memphis State University & Tour of US: Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston; Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte; Cleveland Museum of Art; Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa; Columbus Museum of Art; Tennessee State Museum; San Jose Museum of Art; Honolulu Academy of Art
1993
Here, Not There, IMA, Brisbane & Umbrella Studios, Townsville, Australia
1991
Australian Perspecta 1991, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Australia
1990
Obsession, (Solo) Australian Embassy, Paris
A Craving for Authenticity, (Solo) Perth ICA, Australia
2010
Chinese Toy Stories, Red Gate Gallery at the Opposite House Beijing
2009
Babalogic, 24HrArt, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
2007
The Depth of Ease, Anniart Gallery, 798 Art Festival, Beijing
BengBeng (Banana), Imagine Gallery Feijiacun, Beijing
2005
10th Anniversary, Restoration of the Capitol Theatre, Sydney
2002
AdaptEnforce 14, Wollongong City Gallery
2000
Daze of Our lives, The Lounge, Installation, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney
1998
IndyCar Slot, Gold Coast Arts Centre
Profile of a Counter, Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada
1996
Days of the Comet, Video Installation, Biennale of Sydney Satellite Site
Octogene 2, Installation, Biennale of Sydney Satellite, Metro TV, Sydney
1995
Octogene, Commission, Video Installation, Capitol Theatre, Sydney
1993
Skin, Michael Milburn, Brisbane
Games & Voices: Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
Gallery 14 Contemporary Artists Series, Queensland Art Gallery
1992
Games & Voices, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney
AdaptEnforce IV: Queensland Art Gallery
AdaptEnforce VII: Tamworth City Gallery, NSW
AdaptEnforce V, Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, Delaney Galleries, Perth, Western Australia
1991
AdaptEnforce IV, Wollongong City Gallery
1990
Re-sited References, Queensland University Art Museum
Liberty & Rationality, University of Wollongong
A Craving for Authenticity, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art
Obsession, Australian Embassy, Paris
1987
Chinoiserie, Macquarie Galleries, Sydney Australia
1983
Home, Montrichard Gallery Adelaide, SA Australia
1981
Empire, Bonython Gallery, Adelaide, SA Australia
1980
Eyre (Painting & Ceramics) Greenhill Galleries, Adelaide, SA Australia
1978
Laurens Tan, Adelaide Fine Art & Graphics, SA Australia
2011
Ming to Nirvana, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing
2010
Fat Art 2010, Today Art Museum at North Sanlitun Village
Dialog IV, Bild Volksbad/ University of Applied Sciences, Jena, Germany
ZhongJian/ Midway – contemporary art touring Australia by15 Chinese and Australian artists
Asian Landmark: A Toyota Art Project, Iberia Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing
2009
2009 ANZ Australian Film Festival, Sanlitun Village Beijing
Labyrinth III: Dangerous Liaisons, Li Gallery, Cao Chang Di, Beijing
ZhongJian/ Midway, Fine Arts College of Shanghai University 99 Creative Center, Shanghai and tour of China
One World One Home, Qing Tong Museum, Ordos, Inner Mongolia
Another Silk Road, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia
Coming Home curator Kate Croll, Linda Gallery 798, Beijing
2008
2D/ 3D Negotiating Visual Languages, PKM Gallery Beijing
From Mao to Now- Armory Gallery Olympic Park Sydney
Vernacular Terrain 2 IDAp, Creative Industries Precinct, Queensland University of Technology
2007-08
Journey/Process, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong
Cuisine & Country: Art & Food, Australian National Exhibition Tour
2007
Art for Television 1994-98, MAAP ArtRage, Griffith University, Qld
2005
McClelland Contemporary Sculpture and Award, Melbourne
Helen Lempriere National Sculpture Award, Melbourne
2005
43rd Fisher’s Ghost, Winner Open Art Prize, Campbelltown Arts Centre
2004-05
Isle of Refuge, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney, Monash University Art Museum & Australian Tour
2004
Gambling in Australia: Thrills, Spills and Social Ills, Sydney Powerhouse
2002
Deeper Places, Casula Powerhouse, Sydney, Australia
1997
Pan Pacifica Multimedia Festival, Groningen, Holland
Lawyers Guns & Money, Experimental Art Foundation, Adelaide
Cyberculture, National Survey of Digital Art, Sydney
1996-98
Vegas of Death, Death: An Insight on Life: Penrith Regional Gallery and Lewers Bequest and Australian National Tour
1994-97
Elvis + Marilyn: 2 x Immortal, Boston Institute of Contemporary Art & Tour of 11 Art Museums, USA
1991
Australian Perspecta 1991, Art Gallery of New South Wales
Collections
Art Gallery of Western Australia (1984); Artbank Australia (1988); Arts Council of South Australia; Australian Embassy, Beijing (2007-08); Australian Embassy, Paris (1990); Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada (1998); Campbelltown Arts Centre, Sydney Australia (2005); Casula Powerhouse; Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris (1990); Craft Council Northern Territory; Curtin University of Western Australia; Galerie Cannibal Pierce, Paris (1990); Griffiths University, Queensland; Hunan Normal University, China (1987); Ipoh Gardens Development (Aust,1995); Lanyon House, ACT; Laura Civic Centre, South Australia (1980); Modern Sky Music, Beijing (2010); Moet & Chandon Foundation, Epernay, France (1990); New Parliament House, ACT; Orange Regional Gallery, NSW (1989); Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery, Tasmania (1984); Queensland Art Gallery; Queensland University Art Museum; South Pacific Forum Collection (National Gallery of Australia); Tamworth City Gallery; University of Wollongong, NSW; Wollongong City Gallery, NSW and private and corporate collections in Australia, China, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, USA.
