‘Unearthed‘ is Jonathan Baldock’s first solo exhibition in Germany. As its title suggests, the presentation mines the British artist’s 20-year oeuvre spanning textiles, ceramics and installation. Bringing together a constellation of works which have never been shown together before and, in many cases, have not been on display for over a decade, the exhibition highlights the artist’s prolific and varied practice. The mystical and theatrical character of Baldock’s work is palpable in the historical exhibition rooms of Göttingen’s medieval Old Town Hall. Folkloric motifs reflect the artist’s longstanding interest in mythology and engage with the environment in an uncanny way. The exhibition includes works and costumes which Baldock has activated through performance, perceiving his body not only as a thinking and feeling tool, but as a thinking and feeling canvas. 

Just as the ethos of Baldock’s practice lies in affording attention to the forgotten or overlooked, the exhibition foregrounds previously unseen connections between his works, tracing a root system of recurring materials and themes. The artist employs textural, malleable materials like cloth and clay to investigate themes of trauma, mortality, and spirituality as they relate to the body. The ritualism of Baldock’s time consuming physical techniques, such as hand-stitching, unveils how slow, craft-based practices unfurl gradually and in parallel with their creator’s own trajectory. Baldock’s choice of materials and technique inform the contextual richness of his compositions, which are often biographical in their reflection on human form and our inner psyche. The act of making is crucial for the artist as it allows the work to embody the sociocultural, economic and historical context of itself and its creator. A humorist at heart, Baldock playfully balances this heavy subject matter with bright colours and witty compositions. His practice unravels the hardships, inequalities and absurdities of human existence, reflecting on our relationship to ourselves, one another and the earth. 

Jonathan Baldock was born in 1980 in Kent, UK. He lives and works in London. Baldock works across multiple platforms including sculpture, installation and performance. He graduated from Winchester School of Art in 2003 with a BA in Painting, followed by the Royal College of Art, London with an MA in Painting in 2005. Baldock’s recent solo exhibitions include presentations at Stephen Friedman Gallery in London (2023), at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery in New York (2022) and at Accelerator in Stockholm (2021). He has recently participated in group shows including ‘Re-materialized: The Stuff That Matters’ at kaufmann repetto in New York (2023) and ‘Strange Clay’ at Hayward Gallery, London (2022). 

Curated by Sarah Crowe and Alke Heykes.

The exhibition will take place at the Altes Rathaus in cooperation with the City of Göttingen’s Fachdienst Kultur. We thank our funding partners: Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst, Stadt Göttingen, Landschaftsverband Südniedersachsen e.V. and Sparkasse Göttingen.