Mark Barker
11 – 15 October 2023
Frieze London

Shahin Zarinbal is pleased to present a solo presentation of new works by Mark Barker rendered in a broad range of media developed specifically for the fair.  

Mark Barker’s work is concerned with the permeability of the body. He uses a variety of materials to describe how a body moves, breathes, consumes and excretes, and how these processes intertwine with architecture. His practice is characterised by careful and considered material investigations.

Barker’s drawings and sculptures are developed through observation and research, with sources ranging from sanitary design to rabbit anatomy.  Adopting a multifaceted approach to making, he articulates experiences of living alone in a body, its mechanics, and its limits.

In his ongoing photographic examinations, Barker documents the ventilation screens of different models of portable toilets. Positioned just above head height these vents grant privacy while providing an economical escape route for any unwanted odours.

Mark Barker, born 1983 in Hertfordshire, UK, currently lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Recent exhibitions include: Zürich Biennale, Kunsthalle Zürich, 2023 (g), Stone Soup (with Terence McCormack), Roland Ross, Margate, 2022 (two-person), The Main Entrance, Shahin Zarinbal, Berlin, 2022 (g), Happy Hour, Zarinbal Khoshbakht, Cologne, 2021 (s), Fly, Robin Fly, Mécènes du Sud Montpellier-Sète, Montpellier, 2021 (g), I’m On Fire, Spoiler Aktionsraum, Berlin, 2020 (g), Perhaps A window?, Stadium, Berlin, 2020 (g), Viva la Fiesta, French Riviera, London, 2020 (g), The Pits, Zarinbal Khoshbakht, 2019 (s), Super Erotic Group Show, Salon 8, Hamburg, 2019 (g), La Religione dei Ricordi, Villaggio Bizantino, Enna, Sicily, 2018 (g), Doubt, 29 Percy Street, London, 2017 (g), Let’s See, Where Were We? In The Pit of Despair, Amsterdam Art Weekend, De Ateliers, Amsterdam, 2017 (g), The White Shadow, Peles Empire, Berlin, 2016 (g), Mark Barker, Southard Reid, London, 2015 (s), The Ultimate Vessel, Koppe Astner, Glasgow, 2015 (g). Barker participated in the Villa Lena residency, Italy, in 2018. In 2022, Barker was artist in residence at the Villa Serpentara/Villa Massimo in Olevano/Rome, Italy, for which he was selected by the Akademie der Künste, Berlin. 

Photography by Lewis Ronald

Mark Barker
11 – 15 October 2023
Frieze London

Shahin Zarinbal is pleased to present a solo presentation of new works by Mark Barker rendered in a broad range of media developed specifically for the fair.  

Mark Barker’s work is concerned with the permeability of the body. He uses a variety of materials to describe how a body moves, breathes, consumes and excretes, and how these processes intertwine with architecture. His practice is characterised by careful and considered material investigations.

Barker’s drawings and sculptures are developed through observation and research, with sources ranging from sanitary design to rabbit anatomy.  Adopting a multifaceted approach to making, he articulates experiences of living alone in a body, its mechanics, and its limits.

In his ongoing photographic examinations, Barker documents the ventilation screens of different models of portable toilets. Positioned just above head height these vents grant privacy while providing an economical escape route for any unwanted odours.

Mark Barker, born 1983 in Hertfordshire, UK, currently lives and works in Berlin, Germany. Recent exhibitions include: Zürich Biennale, Kunsthalle Zürich, 2023 (g), Stone Soup (with Terence McCormack), Roland Ross, Margate, 2022 (two-person), The Main Entrance, Shahin Zarinbal, Berlin, 2022 (g), Happy Hour, Zarinbal Khoshbakht, Cologne, 2021 (s), Fly, Robin Fly, Mécènes du Sud Montpellier-Sète, Montpellier, 2021 (g), I’m On Fire, Spoiler Aktionsraum, Berlin, 2020 (g), Perhaps A window?, Stadium, Berlin, 2020 (g), Viva la Fiesta, French Riviera, London, 2020 (g), The Pits, Zarinbal Khoshbakht, 2019 (s), Super Erotic Group Show, Salon 8, Hamburg, 2019 (g), La Religione dei Ricordi, Villaggio Bizantino, Enna, Sicily, 2018 (g), Doubt, 29 Percy Street, London, 2017 (g), Let’s See, Where Were We? In The Pit of Despair, Amsterdam Art Weekend, De Ateliers, Amsterdam, 2017 (g), The White Shadow, Peles Empire, Berlin, 2016 (g), Mark Barker, Southard Reid, London, 2015 (s), The Ultimate Vessel, Koppe Astner, Glasgow, 2015 (g). Barker participated in the Villa Lena residency, Italy, in 2018. In 2022, Barker was artist in residence at the Villa Serpentara/Villa Massimo in Olevano/Rome, Italy, for which he was selected by the Akademie der Künste, Berlin. 

Photography by Lewis Ronald