Krzysztof Wodiczko lives in New York and Cambridge, USA. Wodiczko is known for large-scale public projections, and interactive instruments and vehicles created in order to empower marginalised individuals and communities, and give light to societal injustices.
2016 Biennial Year Find out more
Wodiczko has executed over 80 site-specific projections on public buildings and monuments in 40 cities worldwide.
For Wodiczko , a flashback means traumatic re-emergence of memories from the past, characterised by psychological conditions such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). His presentation of works at FACT for Liverpool Biennial 2016 brings together exhibits from over 40 years spent working in collaboration with marginalised communities such as war veterans and the homeless. Wodiczko’s large-scale installation Guests (2009) originally commissioned for the 53rd Venice Biennale, forms a central part of the exhibition, reflecting in this context on the current migratory crisis and debates around immigration. Veteran Helmet was created in 2015, and uses technology and prosthetics to aid veterans suffering from PTSD to share their experience of the condition. Other works include the Homeless Vehicle Project (1988–89), for which Wodiczko worked with members of the homeless community in New York to create tools to aid their survival and communication.
He has presented solo exhibitions at venues such as the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, USA (2009); Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C, USA (1988); Fundacio Antoni Tapies, Barcelona, Spain (1992); De Appel Foundation, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (1995); and Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw, Poland (2005). He has participated in Documenta VI and Documenta VIII and has been featured in numerous biennial exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale (1986, 2000, 2009), Whitney Biennial (2000), Kyoto Biennial (2003), Biennale de Lyon (1993), and Sydney Biennale (1979, 1982). His most recent work is featured at Muzeum Sztuki, Lodz, Poland (2015).
Krzysztof Wodiczko at Liverpool Biennial 2016
Alien Staff, 1993
Wood, rubber, plastic, speaker, videocassette recorder and video monitor
Guests, 2009
Projection installation, 17 min
Vehicle-Podium and other early vehicles, 1972
Personal Instrument, 1969
Homeless Vehicle Project, 1987-89
Poliscar, 1991
The Mouthpiece, 1994-97
Ægis Project, 1998
Dis-Armor Project, 1999-2000
War Veteran Helmet, 2015
Arc de Triomphe: The World Institute for the Abolition of War, 2010
The Tijuana Projection, 2001
Abraham Lincoln: War Veteran Projection, 2012
War Veteran Vehicle, 2009
Kunstpodium Projection Basel, 2009
Drawings: Vehicle-Café (i), 1977-79, Vehicle-Café (ii), 1977-79, Vehicle-Café (ii), 1977-79, Vehicle-Platform (ii), 1977-79, Vehicle, 1977-79, Vehicle Podium, 1977-79, Vehicle 1, (i), 1973, Vehicle 1, (ii), 1973, Vehicle 1, (iii), 1973, Vehicle 1, (v), 1973, Vehicle 1, (v), 1973, Vehicle 1, (vi), 1973, Vehicle 1, (vii), 1973
Paper, ink; drawings
Vehicle 1, 1973
Set of six photographs
Vehicle 1, 1973
Set of twelve photographs
Video-Documents: Tijuana, Projection Tijuana, Mexico, 2001, Video, 36 min, Lincoln, Projection, New York, US, 2012, Video, 15 min, Re-activation of vehicle 1, 1971-1973, Łódź, Poland, 2015, Video, 2 min, War Veteran Helmet, Łódź, Poland, 2015, Video 6 min, War Veteran Helmet Vehicle, Liverpool, UK, 2009, Video, 9 min, Alien Staff, Paris, Helsinki, Stockholm, New York, 1992, Video, 27 min, Ægis, New York, US, 1998, Video, 17 min, Dis-Armour, Hiroshima, Japan, 2000, Video, 8 min, Kunstmuseum, Basel Projection, Basel, Switzerland, 2006, Video, 10 min
All exhibited at FACT
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Krzysztof Wodiczko, Installation view at FACT Liverpool Biennial, 2016. Photo Mark McNulty -
Krzysztof Wodiczko, Guests, 2009. Installation view at FACT. Photo: Jon Barraclough -
Krzysztof Wodiczko, Guests, 2009. Installation view at Northlight (Brierfield) Mill, 2017. Photo: Pete Carr -
Krzysztof Wodiczko, Guests, 2009. Liverpool Biennial 2016 at FACT Liverpool. Photo by Jon Barraclough -
Krzysztof Wodiczko, Homeless Vehicle Project, 1987-89. Installation view at FACT. Photo: Jon Barraclough
Krzysztof Wodiczko at FACT
“How to find a provocative, creative and useful place for oneself as an artist – that’s the question I ask myself.”
Artist Krzysztof Wodiczko reflects on over 40 years spent working in collaboration with marginalised communities such as war veterans and the homeless. Wodiczko is well known for large-scale public projections and interactive instruments and vehicles, created in order to empower individuals and give light to societal injustices. His presentation at FACT for Liverpool Biennial 2016 brings together exhibits such as Homeless Vehicle Project (1988-89), The Guests (2011) and Veteran Helmet (2015).
Film by Carl Davies, FACT Video Production Services
Krzysztof Wodiczko: Guests at Northlight (Brierfield) Mill
“Instead of feeling safe, they suffer repetition of their trauma”
Reflecting on the current migratory crisis, Krzysztof Wodiczko’s large-scale art installation Guests (2009) is presented in the extraordinary setting of a derelict cotton mill in Brierfield, Lancashire. In collaboration with In-Situ, the artist is interrogating issues around migration and the displacement of people, engaging with local communities, policy-makers and visitors to the area. The iconic Northlight (Brierfield) Mill, where the work is presented for four weekends only until 11 June 2017, is a Grade II listed building which dates back to 1832.
Guests is part of the Liverpool Biennial touring programme, which brings works by international artists presented at the 2016 festival of contemporary art to six arts organisations in the North of England.
Video by Carl Davies, FACT Video Production Services