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| Lars Jan | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lars Jan |
| Birth date | 1980s |
| Birth place | Los Angeles, California |
| Occupation | Artist, filmmaker, designer, educator |
| Years active | 2000s–present |
| Known for | Multidisciplinary performance, installation, film |
Lars Jan is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, designer, and educator known for immersive installations and performance works that explore environmental, social, and technological systems. His practice intersects contemporary art, film, theater, and science, engaging institutions, festivals, and civic spaces worldwide. Jan's projects have been shown at museums, biennials, and cultural organizations, and he has collaborated with theater companies, universities, and media outlets.
Jan was born in Los Angeles and raised in Southern California, where he engaged with regional cultural institutions such as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Getty Center, California Institute of the Arts, and local theaters. He studied at institutions connected to performance and design communities including the California Institute of the Arts and later pursued graduate work that brought him into networks around the Royal College of Art, Yale School of Art, and other arts academies through residencies and fellowships. Jan's early formation involved exchanges with organizations like the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and arts festivals such as the Hammer Museum programs and New York Film Festival–adjacent forums.
Jan co-founded the interdisciplinary studio/team FutureNow and established a collaborative practice that has produced works for venues ranging from the Museum of Modern Art to regional theaters. His career includes contributions to film festivals including the Sundance Film Festival, collaborations with performing arts organizations such as The Public Theater, and commissions from cultural institutions like the Walker Art Center, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Tate Modern. Jan has worked with contemporary composers and choreographers associated with institutions like the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the National Theatre, and the Royal Opera House. He has engaged with fellow artists and collectives linked to the Serpentine Galleries, Stedelijk Museum, Centre Pompidou, and international biennials such as the Venice Biennale and Sharjah Biennial.
Jan's signature projects include large-scale installations and live performances that have been presented at venues like the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Palais de Tokyo. Prominent works have toured festivals including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Hay Festival, and media platforms such as the BBC and PBS. Jan's projects often involve collaborations with scientific institutions such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and conservation organizations like the World Wildlife Fund and Ocean Conservancy. He has produced documentaries screened in contexts including the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Telluride Film Festival, and the Toronto International Film Festival.
Jan's aesthetic synthesizes cinematic technique, live performance, and interactive design, drawing on influences from filmmakers and institutions such as Andrei Tarkovsky, Werner Herzog, Stanley Kubrick, and programming at festivals like Cannes Film Festival and Venice Film Festival. Themes in his work engage with environmental crises, climate change dialogues associated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, human migration topics present in forums like the United Nations and UNESCO, and technological ethics debated at conferences such as SXSW and TED. His practice intersects with discourse from artists and theorists exhibited at venues like the New Museum, MoMA PS1, and Institute of Contemporary Arts.
Jan's work has received support and recognition from foundations and awards including the Guggenheim Fellowship, the MacArthur Foundation–affiliated programs, and grants from organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council. He has been honored at film and arts ceremonies including the Sundance Film Festival awards programs, the Venice Biennale commissions, and prizes given by institutions like the Harvard Radcliffe Institute and residencies at centers such as the Headlands Center for the Arts and MacDowell Colony.
Jan has held faculty and visiting appointments at universities and conservatories including the California Institute of the Arts, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, and programs affiliated with the Rhode Island School of Design and Columbia University. He has lectured at forums hosted by the Brookings Institution, cultural symposia at the New School, and public programs at museums like the J. Paul Getty Museum and Smithsonian Institution. Jan's public engagement includes workshops at community centers, collaborations with civic entities such as the City of Los Angeles, and artist residencies supported by organizations including the Fulbright Program and Guggenheim Foundation.
Category:American artists Category:Contemporary artists Category:Living people