Amikam Toren transfigures verbal language, fragments, meaning and interpretation into visual language. In his work “A Users Guide to Married Life” he transforms the bland graphics of signage into an expression of the emotional values of a shared existence. He guides the viewer through the ‘reading’ experience of symbols creating a new narrative.
Amikam Toren is a conceptual artist whose work engages with Arte Povera, Minimalism, Gutai and covertly with Pop Art. Toren has been the subject of major solo exhibitions at The Serpentine Gallery (1976); ICA, London (1979); Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2013, 1990); Chisenhale Gallery, London (1991); Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol (1991); Rotterdam Kunststichtung, Rotterdam (1989); Serpentine Gallery (1976); Ramat-Gan Museum of Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv (2000); as well as galleries in Basel, Berlin, Paris, Cologne, London and Tel Aviv. Internationally, his work has been represented at the Paris Biennale (1967); Venice Biennale (1984). Recent group exhibitions include Unorthodox, Jewish Museum, New York (2016); Imago Mundi at Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice (2015); Hite Foundation, Seoul (2013); Whitechapel Gallery, London (2012); Common Ground, Biennale Architettura, Venice (2012); 4th Guangzhou Triennial, Guangdong Museum of Art in China (2012); The John Moores Painting Prize (2012); The Jerwood Drawing Prize, London (2011); Neuberger Museum of Art, New York (2009); The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne (2008); Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (1997). He has had several solo exhibitions at Anthony Reynolds Gallery in London since 1985.
Recent solo exhibitions include Palpable, works from 1973 – 2002, Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco (2017); Blue Beard (Self Portrait in Time), Piper Keys, London (2016); The End of The World as we Know It (reproductions and momentos), Art Seen, Nicosia, Cyprus (2015); Reproductions, Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London(2013);
Toren has work in the permanent collections of Tate, London; British Arts Council, London; and Vehbi Koç Foundation, Istanbul. Also, works have entered major private collections in Istanbul, Madrid, New York, Dallas and London.
