Marcus Coates was born in London in 1968. He lives and works in London, UK

The Land We Live In, The Land We Left Behind

 with percussionist Terry Day, William Morris Museum, 2017; 

, Fundació Joan Miró, Barcelona, 2011; 

, Kunsthalle, Zurich, Switzerland, 2009; 

, Tate Triennial, Tate Britain, London, 2009. 

At the core of Marcus Coates’ work is a relationship to the unknowable.

From his attempts to become animal to his vicarious experiences on behalf of individuals he seeks to uncover degrees of understanding and knowing, testing our definitions and boundaries of autonomy. Coates devises processes to explore the pragmatism and insight that empathetic perspectives and imagined realities can offer, explicitly addressing a need to create functional and inclusive languages where conventional strategies of understanding and rationalisation prove inadequate.

The form and purpose of his work continues to develop in consideration to society’s needs which he responds to by working with individuals, communities, institutions, organisations and the general public. In this way he sees the role of art practice as a necessary and pragmatic service to counter the limitations of cultural tools. Coates has collaborated with people from a wide range of disciplines including anthropologists, ornithologists, wildlife sound recordists, choreographers, politicians, gallerists, curators, psychiatrists, palliative care consultants, musicians, primatologists amongst others.

A photograph looking down at Mortimer Street, Fitzrovia, taken on a sunny afternoon, whilst the streets were quiet. 

Installation views of 'Kaleidoscope' the inaugural group exhibition at Workplace in 50 Mortimer Street, Fitzrovia, London.

London

WORKPLACE

Commercial Gallery

Kaleidoscope

plaster casts of hands contorted into animal silhouettes on a plinth

Installation photographs of Marcus Coates' exhibition 'The Last of Its Kind' at Workplace in Mayfair

The Last of Its Kind

Installation image of Marcus Coates at Workplace | London

Installation images of Marcus Coates at Workplace | London

You Might As Well Ask A Crow

Installation shot of Sleeper at Workplace in London

Installation shot of Sleeper at Workplace London

Sleeper

An image of Curtain, 2011 - a photograph by Rachel Lancaster of a large felt theatre curtain

Installation images of 'Double Double' a group exhibition of works by by Eric Bainbridge, Noel Clueit, Marcus Coates, Jo Coupe, Jacob Dahlgren, Rachel Foulion, Dean Hughes, Rachel Lancaster, and Eftihis Patsourakis at Workplace | Gateshead

Gateshead

Workplace Foundation

Double, Double

A still from Marcus Coates film 'Radio Shaman' a bespectacled man in a suit holds a stuffed hare and wears a stag's head in front of a stained glass cathedral window. 

Installation shots of False Witness - an exhibition of artworks by Eric Bainbridge, Marcus Coates, Francis Gomila, Laura Lancaster, Ant Macari, and Cecilia Stenbom at Workplace in Gateshead

False Witness

a portrait of the artist in front of a green abstract painting

Marcus Coates in front of a swirling green abstract painting wearing a red t-shirt and blue latex gloves

Marcus Coates

Related Exhibitions

London

Newcastle