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Althea Thauberger facts for kids

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Althea Thauberger (born in 1970 in Saskatoon, Canada) is a Canadian artist. She makes films, videos, and other art. Her work often involves working with groups of people or communities. She likes to explore social issues and ideas about power. Her projects often happen outside of traditional art galleries. She has worked in places like military bases and old factories.

About Althea Thauberger

Althea Thauberger lives and works in Vancouver, Canada. She is a professor at the University of British Columbia.

Thauberger studied photography at Concordia University. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2000. Then, she completed her Master of Fine Arts at the University of Victoria in 2002. She also studied at the European Graduate School in 2009–2010. Before joining the University of British Columbia, she taught at other universities. These included Emily Carr University of Art and Design and Simon Fraser University. She was also a guest professor in Prague and a visiting professor at Concordia University.

Althea Thauberger has won several awards. In 2003, she received a Vancouver Arts Development Award. She was also a finalist for the Sobey Art Award. In 2011, she won the VIVA award. This is a top award for visual arts in British Columbia.

In 2009, Thauberger visited Kandahar, Afghanistan. She was part of a Canadian Forces Artists Program. There, she created a project called Kandahar International Airport (2009). For this work, twelve female soldiers acted as themselves. They were filmed at the Kandahar International Airport. This airport is a famous building from the 1960s.

Important Art Projects

Preuzmimo Benčić (Take Back Benčić) (2014)

This is an experimental film that lasts 57 minutes. It was filmed in Rijeka, a city in Croatia. The film is set at Benčić, an old factory. This factory used to be managed by its workers. The film explores ideas about work, social classes, and different ways of governing. It also looks at the history of the former Yugoslavia.

Thauberger started this film to discuss the factory's importance. She also wanted to talk about changes in Rijeka's economy. She worked with 67 local children for the film. The children played two roles. Some were "artists" who could temporarily use the factory complex. Others were "mayors" who talked about their plans for the factory. By using children, Thauberger made the film feel like a game. But it still made people think about serious issues. These issues included how creative projects can affect a community's economy. Preuzmimo Benčić is like older forms of theatre. These include Bertolt Brecht’s Lehrstücke and Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. In these types of theatre, actors and audience learn together. Thauberger believes this project explores how work, art, and play are connected. She found working with children helped everyone use their imagination and empathy.

Marat Sade Bohnice (2012)

Thauberger made Marat Sade Bohnice with Akanda. Akanda is an experimental theatre group in Prague. This 47-minute film is set at Bohnice. Bohnice is the largest psychiatric clinic in the Czech Republic. The film shows a performance at the hospital. It is a new version of the 1963 play Marat/Sade. The film also includes interviews Thauberger did with patients and staff. By including hospital staff and residents, Thauberger adds a human touch to her work. She connects the play's ideas about revolution to modern feelings about institutions. Marat Sade Bohnice explores ideas about art and therapy. It also questions what it means to be free or not free.

Where Her Work Has Been Shown

Althea Thauberger's art has been shown in many places. These include:

She also took part in the 2014 Biennale de Montréal.

Solo Exhibitions

Collections

Althea Thauberger's art is part of the permanent collection at the National Gallery of Canada.

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