Jason File
1976, USA
Lives and works in New York City and London.
Now showing:
Whitechapel Gallery, “The London Open 2022”, June 30 - Sept. 4, 2022
Biography
Jason File (b.1976, USA) is an artist and international lawyer based between London, UK and New York, NY, where he is a studio holder at the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts in Manhattan. He is a former United Nations war crimes prosecutor and lecturer at the Royal Academy of Art (KABK), Netherlands, who holds degrees in fine art from the Chelsea College of Arts, London, and the KABK. He also holds degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and law from Yale (1998), Oxford (2000) and Yale Law School (2004).
File’s work has been recognized through awards including the Zabludowicz Collection Future Map Prize (UK), ArtPrize Juried Grand Prize Finalist (USA) (selected by Hrag Vartanian) and Celeste Prize selected artist (Italy) (selected by Andrew Hunt). Solo and two-person exhibitions include The Ryder Projects, London and Stroom, The Hague. Group exhibitions include: Whitechapel Gallery, London; Historical Museum of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Sarajevo; NARS Foundation, Brooklyn; Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; GEMAK, The Hague; Cøpperfield, London; Grand Rapids Art Museum, Michigan; International Print Biennale, Newcastle; SPACE, London; Atelierhaus der Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna. Artist talks include: Yale University; Paul Mellon Centre for British Art, London; and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. Art fairs include: London Art Fair and Art Rotterdam. Press includes Art Monthly, Frieze and Artforum.
Education & Residencies
2020-2022
Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York
2018
NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, New York
2012-2013
Royal Academy of Art (KABK), The Hague
2009-2013
Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London
Summer 2011
École du Louvre, Paris
2001-2004
Yale Law School
1998-2001
University of Oxford
1994-1998
Yale University
Solo & Two-Person Exhibitions and Projects
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022
Whitechapel Gallery, London
”The London Open 2022”, curated by Emily Butler, Inês Costa and Wells Fray-Smith, selected by Maria Bukhtoyarova, Shezad Dawood, Christine Eyene, and Stephan Tanbin Sastrawidjaja
2020
Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, New York, NY
”Freedom is an Act”, New Members Exhibition, with Allen Ball, Laura Anderson Barbata, Odette England, Katya Grokhovsky, Anina Major, Nazanin Noroozi, Whitney Oldenburg, Susan Silas, curated by Natalia Nakazawa, selected by Carmen Hermo, David Everitt Howe, Sarah S. King, Alex Paik and Sarah Watson
2018
Historical Museum of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Sarajevo
"Reconciliations 2", curated by Elma Hodžić
NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY
"fluid CURRENCY", curated by Adele Eisenstein
2017
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
"Lockers v2", curated by Diego Diez
2016
The Ryder, London
"End User: Jason File, JonesSmithJohnson, Jonas Lund and Carey Young"
Showroom, London
"Mead Scholars and Fellows Showcase"
2015
GEMAK, The Hague
"The Observer Effect", co-curated with Waalko Dingemans
2014
Grand Rapids Art Museum, Michigan
"[DIS]COMFORT ZONES: ArtPrize at GRAM 2014", curated by Cindy Buckner
Rushgrove House, London
"Rushgrove House Project II"
Atelierhouse der Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien (Semperdepot), Vienna
"London | Vienna | Calling"
2013
Embassy Tea Gallery, London
"Passion for Freedom"
Royal Academy of Art (KABK), The Hague
Graduation Show
Chelsea College of Art and Design, London
Degree Show
Billytown, The Hague
"Big Bang"
2012
Chelsea College of Art and Design, London
"Translations"
Art Fairs
Selected Performances & Screenings
2015
Cøpperfield Gallery, London
11 March 2015
2013
Embassy Festival, The Hague
7 September 2013
International Club, The Hague
”Eight Hours Overtime”
March 2013
Royal Academy of Art (KABK), The Hague
”Open Day Exhibition”
January 2013
2012
Royal Academy of Art (KABK), The Hague
”Public Voting”
10 October 2012
2010
SW1, London
”Half-Mile Radius”
6 May 2010
Collections, Commissions, Grants & Awards
2018
The Netherland-America Foundation, Cultural Grant Winner
Grant awarded for NARS Foundation Residency (one of 13 recipients including the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, the Denver Art Museum, and Ars Nova)
2017
Daiwa Foundation Prize, Finalist
Selected by Richard Cork, Mami Kataoka, Julian Opie, Jonathan Watkins
2014
Mead Fellowship, University of the Arts London
ArtPrize 2014, Juried Grand Prize Finalist (time-based category)
Selected by Hrag Vartanian
Celeste Prize, selected artist
Selected by Andrew Hunt
2013
Royal Academy of Art Thesis Prize
2011
Chelsea College of Art and Design, Special Collections
Acquisition of Financial Crisis in the Art World, 2010, ed. 1
Tate Britain, London
Short-listed for Tate Hoarding competition
Books, Articles & Postings
2021
Juliet Magazine, Laura Guarnier, “Collect, rework, return: In ‘From a common past’ 11 international artists transform the traumatic events of recent history into a collective narrative,” 29 April 2021 (in English and Italian)
The Times (London), Edward Fennell, “Righting Wrongs”, 4 October 2018
Yale Law School, “Jason File ’04 Links Art and Human Rights Law,” 28 September 2018
2017
Resolution 827 (Berlin: Archive Books, in association with MoCA Belgrade, SMBA and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 2017), ed. Jelle Bouwhuis and Zoran Erić, ISBN 978-3-943620-50-4, pp.94-102
2016
Art Monthly, Review, London Roundup, November 2016
Frieze, Review, "Around Town: The Hague", September 2016
Chris Lewis, Too Fast to Think (London: Kogan, 2016), ISBN 978-0-7494788-65, p.159-60
The Londonist, "The Best Independent Art Exhibitions of 2015", 26 December 2015
The Observer Effect, GEMAK, The Hague, catalogue essay by Philip Peters (2015)
Metropolis M, George Vermij, "The Observer Effect", 9 August 2015 (in Dutch)
Artlyst, Art Review, "Summer Art Exhibitions Not To Miss in London in 2015", 22 July 2015
The Londonist, Tabish Khan, "Can A £1 Coin Be Worth £10,000?", 1 June 2015
Artlyst, "Contemporary Art and Law Explored in New London Group Exhibition", 1 June 2015
FAD, "Top 6 Art Exhibitions to see in London this week", 31 May 2015
Chelsea College of Arts, "Fine Art Graduate Jason File: Mead Fellowship Exhibition," 22 May 2015
Paul Carey-Kent, Top Ten Exhibitions in London, May 2015
Justice Hub, "Jason File," 27 March 2015
Traction Magazine, "The Ryder Projects," February 2015
University of the Arts London, "Ones to Watch: Jason File," 17 April 2014
Artforum, "Zabludowicz Collection Announces 2014 Future Map Prize Winner," March 2014
Arts London News, Edwige Dubois, "Ovalhouse Honours Two Chelsea Alumni," 19 February 2014
oe24.at, "London Vienna Calling erobert Wien," 15 January 2014
2013
Metropolis M, Hinde Haest, "Blood, Sweat, Tears, Diploma: KABK Den Haag," 29 July 2013
Kunstbeeld, "Lichting 2013: KABK," 13 July 2013
Hagazine, "Graduations 2013 KABK verkend," 13 July 2013
The Holmes Report, Chris Lewis, "Getting the Connection," 8 July 2013
Mister Motley, Hanne Hagenaars, "De KABK-selectie," 7 July 2013
Jegens & Tevens, Esther Didden, Review, "Big Bang," 18 March 2013
Trendbeheer, "Big Bang @ Billytown," 16 March 2013
2011
Pimlico People, James Mass, "Chelsea College of Art and Design student wins Tate Britain competition," 24 June 2011
X Marks the Bökship, “Extra Copies,” 19 March 2011
2010
Arts London News, Andrew Willis, “XHIBIT showcases UAL’s Emerging Talent,” 11 March 2010
Lectures, Talks, Teaching and Radio/Television
Yale Law School
Lecture, “The Art of International Criminal Law”, 26 Sept. 2018
Drawing Room, London
Artist’s Talk, “Drawing as Testimony”, Drawing Research Forum, 11 Sept. 2017
2015
Yale University, Whitney Humanities Center
Speaker and Panelist, 17 October 2015
Humanity in Action International Conference, Leiden University, Netherlands
Speaker, 27 June 2015
Cøpperfield, London
Panelist on Roundtable Discussion on Law as an Artistic Medium, 24 June 2015
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam
Artist's Talk and Panel Discussion, 23 April 2015
Galerie West, The Hague
Artist's Talk and Panel Discussion, "What is the Common Good?," 22 April 2015
Stroom, The Hague
Artist's Talk and Finissage, A Crushed Image, 12 April 2015
Dutch National Public Radio 1
Radio Interview by Botte Jellema, 21 March 2015 (in Dutch)
Stroom, The Hague
Artist's Talk, Stroom Circle, 20 March 2015
2014
WOOD Radio 106.9FM/1300AM, Grand Rapids
Radio Interview, 10 October 2014
Contemporary Art Society, UK
Artist's Talk at International Print Biennale, Hatton Gallery, Newcastle, 28 June 2014
Wander, The Hague
Residency Advisor (advisor for artist-in-residence Simon Farid), Jan-Mar 2014
Writing, Curating and Advising
2017
Exhibition Catalogue Text, "Evidence of Aesthetics and Aesthetics of Evidence," for Resolution 827 (Berlin: Archive Books, in association with MoCA Belgrade, SMBA and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam), 2017, Ed. Jelle Bouwhuis and Zoran Erić, ISBN 978-3-943620-50-4, pp.94-102
2016
Exhibition Catalogue Text, "An Existential Moment," for Tim Loveless: Srebrenica, Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, 9 July 2016 - 30 August 2016 (English / Bosanski (Bosnian) / Hrvatski (Croatian) / Српски (Serbian))
2015
The Observer Effect, GEMAK, The Hague
17 July - 15 August 2015 (co-curated with Waalko Dingemans)
Exhibition Catalogue Text, "Justice, Uncompressed," for A Crushed Image (20 years after Srebrenica), Stroom, The Hague, 22 March - 12 April 2015 (English / Nederlands)
2014
See You In The Hague, Post Script - Evidence on Trial, 8 December 2014
2013
Memorabilia, Authenticity and the Subversion of Commodity, 2013 (BA Thesis)