Melanie Gilligan facts for kids

Melanie Gilligan (born 1979) is a Canadian artist who lives in New York City. She creates art using video, live performance, written stories, art displays, and music.

Melanie Gilligan finished her art studies at Central Saint Martins in 2002. She also studied at the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Independent Study Program from 2004 to 2005.

Melanie Gilligan's Art Projects

Exploring Stories with Video Art

Melanie Gilligan is known for her interesting video projects. One of her films is called Popular Unrest. It's a long film that was shown online and as an art exhibition. A critic named Aileen Burns said that Melanie uses professional actors. She mixes different filming styles to make stories that feel like documentaries. The film is divided into episodes, like a TV show, and has a surprising ending.

Another film by Melanie Gilligan is Crisis in the Credit System, made in 2008. This film starts with a workshop at a bank. The characters play a role-playing game. It shows how people in finance, like hedge-fund managers, try to make money. The film also gets a bit surreal, like when a financial analyst tries to predict the stock market while under hypnosis. This film helps people think about how money and the economy work.

In 2009, Melanie made a film called Self-Capital. This film was shot at the Institute for Contemporary Art in London. One actress plays four different characters in the film. She acts as a therapist and a patient, and also as a customer and a cashier.

Where Melanie Gilligan's Art Has Been Shown

Melanie Gilligan's art has been shown in many places around the world. These are some of the important exhibitions where her work was displayed:

• "The Little Things Could Be Dearer", MoMA PS1, New York, USA (2014)
• "Everyone Is Unique – You Most Of All", Kunstverein Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (2015)
• "British Art Show 8", Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds, UK (2015)
• Chisenhale Gallery, London, UK (2010)
• Kölnischer Kunstverein, Cologne, Germany (2010)
• "Crisis in the Credit System", Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Toronto, Canada (2012)
• "Popular Unrest", VOX Centre de l’image contemporaine, Montreal, Canada (2012)
• "The Common Sense", Casco, Utrecht, The Netherlands (2014); Museum De Hallen, Haarlem, The Netherlands (2014); de Appel arts centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2015)
• Künstlerhaus – Halle für Kunst & Medien, Graz, Austria (2016)
• Trondheim kunstmuseum, Trondheim, Norway (2016)
• "parts-Wholes", The Wattis, San Francisco, USA (2017)
• "Popular Unrest", Kunsthaus Glarus, Glarus, Switzerland (2017)

Live Performances by Melanie Gilligan

Melanie Gilligan has also created and performed live art pieces. These are some of her performances:

• "The Miner's Object 2006", Tate, 2007
• "Untitled 2011", Tate Modern, 2011

Awards and Recognition

Melanie Gilligan has received awards for her artistic work. These awards recognize her talent and contributions to the art world:

• Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award for Visual Arts (2009-2010)
• Illy Present Future Prize (2010)