Dr. Amanda Beech makes artworks, writes and collaborates on curatorial projects. Her research looks to the possibilities of a de-ontologised, realist critique in the context of neo-liberal democracy. Examining both the problems of ontological identification when understood as necessary for power, and alternatively; the tenability of a politics of aesthetics that secures realism from idealism in a politics of contingency, these political and philosophical issues are taken to a research of art's material and forceful claims both in the architecture of exhibition making and in discrete works. She is a member of the steering committee for The Political Currency of Art Research Group and a Co-Director of the Curating Video Research Group; both are intercollegiate collaborations.
Working in a range of media including video, drawing and sculpture her work explores the relationship between democracy and violence in neo-liberalism by scrutinising the forceful rhetoric within narratives of freedom, which play out in philosophy, politics, literature and popular culture. The work constructs narratives that take in particular biographies, sites, social mythologies and mixing them with the bounds of philosophical inquiry. Operating as a space of seductive power, will and force the work looks to a world that emphasises decisiveness as its guiding principle and that deals with our share in it.

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Recent work includes a collaborative project with Diann Bauer, Predator and Pests, LoBe Gallery, Berlin, 2010, group show: Let us Pray For Those Now Residing in the Designated Area, DNA Gallery, Berlin, trio exhibition with Roman Vasseur and Diann Bauer 2008, Commonwealth, MGK127, Toronto, 2009, and The Institute of Pyschoplasmics, Battersea Pump House Gallery, London, 2008 with catalogue essay ‘Matters of Freedom’.
Recent solo projects include Sanity Assassin, 2010, a solo exhibition at Spike Island, Bristol with the accompanying publication of the same name published by Urbanomic, 2010. Sanity Assassin was supported by an AHRC research award to make a new work in Los Angeles in association with the Getty archives and Villa Aurora and the SWAC residency at Spike Island in 2009 to complete the work. The work explored the aesthetics of a discordant dialectical modernity and the pragmatic realism of liberal conservativism in post war LA. Identifying the two sets of politics to share the same logic of nature, the work examines the ideality of psychological and geographic affiliations that are produced in these subject positions. The research continues to investigate these issues in art making, live discussion and writing.

Solo Exhibitions
2010 Sanity Assassin, Spike Island, Bristol
2009 Image-Force, Urbanomic Studio, Falmouth.
2008 Statecraft The Temple of Utopias, temporary gallery, Harlow, Essex.

Curatorial Projects
2010 The Contingency of Curation, Conference at Tate Britain, May 28th 2010 and book, AND publishing.
2009 Co-editor of Project Biennale, book published as a collaboration between MA CWCP Chelsea and MA Curating students from Essex and Sheffield Hallam University. Launched at the Venice Biennale 2009 and Press Conference event at SIA Gallery, Sheffield.
2008 One Way Street, KX Gallery Hamburg, Germany and Sheppard Gallery Reno, USA. Co-curated with Jaspar Joseph-Lester and Matthew Poole as Curating Video.

Group Exhibitions
2010 Predators and Pests, LoBE Gallery, Berlin
2010 The Real Thing, Late at Tate, Tate Britian
2010 The Mortar of Distribution, Lobe Gallery Berlin
2009 Greetings comrades, the image has now changed its status, Brunswick Arts Centre, Australia, curated by Bridget Crone.
2009 Commonwealth, MGK127, Toronto, Canada.
2009 Let us Pray For Those Now Residing in the Designated Area, DNA, Berlin, Germany.
2008 The Mortar of Distribution, with Roman Vassuer, Artprojx, London.
2008 The Institute of Pyscholplasmics, Pump House, London.
2008 In A Manner of Speaking, Transmission, Glasgow.

Publications
2010 Body Count’ co-authored journal article with Robin Mackay, Parallax, Volume 16 Issue 2, 119
2008 'Matters of Freedom' in The Institute of Pyschoplasmics, Pump House Gallery, cat. Eds. Pil and Galia Kollectiv.
2008 'We Never Close – Techno-Culture and the Force of Law' in Episode: Pleasure and Persuasion in Lens Based Media, Artwords press, London, 2008, eds. Amanda Beech, Jaspar Joseph-Lester and Matthew Poole.

Selected Presentations, Panels and Conference Papers
2010  Audiovisual Posthumanism, The University of the Aegean, Sept 24-26Transmission Hospitality, Conference Sheffield Hallam University, 1-3rd July. Paper; ‘Becoming Unstuck’ Imploded Action, Dissonant Affects, Spike Island, Bristol. Symposium with Bridget Crone, Mikko Canini, Jaspar-Joseph-Lester, Marie-Anne McQuay. Paper; “What would we mean by realism?’
2009 In Dialogue with Robin Mackay, Spike Island SWAC artists’ talk
Image- Force, Urbanomic Studio Falmouth, interview with Robin Mackay
Transmission: Host, Friend, Sheffield Hallam University
Apocalypto Horse Hospital, London – Discussion seminar
2008 Respondent to Andrea Philips and Valerie Fraser, panel discussion “is community the fantasy of architecture?” as part of a series of discussions for Art and the New Town, Harlow Essex. Chair Matthew Poole.
2008 'Critique of Irony' – paper for the panel discussion for The Institute of Pyschoplasmics, Pump House Gallery, London. Panelists: Amanda Beech, Suhail Malik, Roman Vasseur, chairs, Pil and Galia Kollectiv.
2008 Panel Convener and panel session. Episode: the Pleasure and Persuasion of Lens Based Media. Tate Britain, London. Panelists: Johanna Sumiala, University of Helsinki, Finland, Suhail Malik, Goldsmiths University, London, and Graham Harman, American University of Cairo, Egypt.
2008 Co-organiser Curating Video, Chelsea College of Art, London, paper “Art and Security”. Panelists: Amanda Beech, Callum Storrie, Ann Tallentire, Matthew Poole, chair, Jaspar Joseph-Lester
2008 On Arts Writing, Chelsea College of Art, London. Panel discussion with JJ Charlesworth and Mark Wilsher.

 

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Amanda teaches across critical writing and studio practice and organizes the core visiting speaker programmes across all Modules

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Amanda’s research looks to the possibilities of a de-ontologised, realist critique in the context of neo-liberal democracy. Examining both the problems of ontological identification when understood as necessary for power, and alternatively; the tenability of a politics of aesthetics that secures realism from idealism in a politics of contingency, these political and philosophical issues are taken to a research of art's material and forceful claims both in the architecture of exhibition making and in discrete works.
The CCS (Centre for Curatorial Studies, Dept. Art History, University of Essex) with Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Kent, offers a unique support for students wishing to research areas connected to the research group Curating Video, including students in Fine Art, Curating, Writing around questions of video and other lens-based media.

Professor Amanda Beech (UoK), Dr. Jaspar Joseph Lester (SHU), and Matthew Poole (UoE) currently co-direct the research group Curating Video and are involved in organising exhibitions, symposia, public lectures, seminars, and reading groups as ongoing collaborative research between them. The research support includes PhD. students that they supervise at each college in this activity as a way of developing and augmenting the already existing and successful PHD. research environments for students studying fine art, curatorial practice and theory, and art history at research level at each of the three universities.

Supervision of students remains the sole preserve of Professor Beech at UoK, Dr. Joseph Lester at SHU, and Mr. Poole at UoE, but at key points throughout the academic year lecture, seminars and reading groups are arranged to bring the students together within the specific research mileu of Curating Video. Also, fees paid by the students at each of the institutions for their PhD. study remain within each department separately. The research group utilise the gallery KynastonMcShine based in New Cross, London and hold regular sessions there which students are invited to attend.

Research, Pedagogy and Peer Esteem
External Examiner MA Curatorial Practice, Falmouth.
Member of the Advisory Board for the Journal Collapse.
Co-Director of Curating Video Research Group
Steering Committee – The Political Currency of Art Research Group

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Amanda’s work crosses the fields of culture and political philosophy, drawing on both continental and analytical philosophy. She is interested in hearing from students wanting to study at postgraduate research level with subject areas relating to the contemporary critiques of:

• Aesthetics and politics of art
• Society
• Violence
• Rhetoric
• Freedom
• Neo-liberalism
• Democracy
• Power
• Realism, representationalism and antirealism
• Contingency

The CCS (Centre for Curatorial Studies, Dept. Art History, University of Essex) with Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Kent, offers a unique support for students wishing to research areas connected to the research group Curating Video, including students in Fine Art, Curating, Writing around questions of video and other lens-based media.

Professor Amanda Beech (UoK), Dr. Jaspar Joseph Lester (SHU), and Matthew Poole (UoE) currently co-direct the research group Curating Video and are involved in organising exhibitions, symposia, public lectures, seminars, and reading groups as ongoing collaborative research between them. The research support includes PhD. students that they supervise at each college in this activity as a way of developing and augmenting the already existing and successful PHD. research environments for students studying fine art, curatorial practice and theory, and art history at research level at each of the three universities.

Supervision of students remains the sole preserve of Professor Beech at UoK, Dr. Joseph Lester at SHU, and Mr. Poole at UoE, but at key points throughout the academic year lecture, seminars and reading groups are arranged to bring the students together within the specific research mileu of Curating Video. Also, fees paid by the students at each of the institutions for their PhD. study remain within each department separately. The research group utilise the gallery KynastonMcShine based in New Cross, London and hold regular sessions there which students are invited to attend

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