Andrew Renton works as a writer and curator. He is interested in the different languages and registers that might be possible in response to the work of art. As a curator his recent concern has been with the ethical encounter with the object, its physicality and context. He has extensive experience and research in contemporary collecting practices.
Academic qualifications
1981 – 1984 B.A. (Hons.), University of Nottingham
1985 – 1989 Ph.D., University of Reading
Teaching
He took over running the Curating programme in 2003, and redesignated the programme into its current MFA format, as well as establishing a practice-based PhD in the field.
Prior to Goldsmiths he was Slade Curator at Slade School of Art, and has lectured widely internationally.
Professional projects
He has curated many shows internationally, including the first Manifesta in Rotterdam1996, Walter Benjamin's Briefcase, Porto 1994, Browser in Vancouver 1997 and London 1998, Total Object Complete with Missing Parts, Glasgow 2001, Stay Forever and Ever and Ever at South London Gallery, 2007, Come, Come, Come into my World at the Ellipse Foundation, Lisbon, 2007, Front of House at Parasol Unit, London 2008, and the first ArtTLV biennial in Tel Aviv, 2008. He co-curated Koen van den Broek's retropective at SMAK, Ghent in 2010.
Until ecently he was the founding Director of Marlborough Contemporary Gallery in London where he curated some 30 exhibitions. He wrote a weekly column for the Evening Standard on art matters, and is the author and editor of numerous articles, books and monographs on art. He was a member of the jury for the 2006 Turner Prize, and is a board member and trustee of several arts organisations such as the Showroom and the Drawing Room. He advises many collections, museums and institutions, and the British Government Art Collection.
Publications and research outputs
Book
Front of HouseRenton, Andrew, ed. 2008. Front of House. London: Parasol unit: foundation for contemporary art. ISBN 978-0-9560247-0-1
hobbypopMUSEUM on Main StreetRenton, Andrew. 2019. hobbypopMUSEUM on Main Street. In: , ed. hoppypopMUSEUM: Saved Images. Berlin: DISTANZ Verlag/Dortmunder Kunstverein, pp. 11-20. ISBN 9783954762729
'Werner Buttner's Paintings: From 'Werner' to 'Art' and Back AgainWilliams, Gilda; Kramer, Fritz W.; Falkenberg, Harald; Wiebel, Peter and Slyce, John. 2016. 'Werner Buttner's Paintings: From 'Werner' to 'Art' and Back Again. In: Andrew Renton, ed. Werner Buttner: Coincidence in Splendour. London: Black Dog, pp. 175-180. ISBN 978-1-910433-75-1
"The Contested Space of Curating"Renton, Andrew. 2014. "The Contested Space of Curating". In: Viktor Misiano and Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, eds. The Manifesta Journal Reader. St Petersberg: Arca, pp. 76-84. ISBN 978-5-91208-176-7
“Technique Anglaise: Current Trends in British Art”Renton, Andrew; Gillick, Liam; Paley, Maureen; Furlong, William; Cooke, Lynne and Schubert, Karsten. 2014. “Technique Anglaise: Current Trends in British Art”. In: John Slyce and Phoebe Adler, eds. Contemporary Art in the United Kingdom. London: Black Dog Publishing, pp. 162-173. ISBN 978 1 907317 68 2
Bergotte's Vermeer and other HistoriesRenton, Andrew. 2010. Bergotte's Vermeer and other Histories. In: Wouter Davidts, ed. Crack: Koen van den Broek. Amsterdam: Valiz, Amsterdam; S.M.A.K., Ghent; Lannoo, Tielt, pp. 62-71. ISBN 978 90 78088 41 7
Broken Surface: Belated FormsRenton, Andrew and White, Laura. 2008. Broken Surface: Belated Forms. In: Laura White, ed. Laura White: the Stuff of Images. Manchester: Castlefield Gallery, unpaginated. ISBN 978-0-9559557-1-6
Threshold and its Shadow (for YS)Renton, Andrew. 2007. Threshold and its Shadow (for YS). In: , ed. Yehudit Sasportas. Der israelische Pavillon auf der Biennale Venedig. Israeli Pavilion 52nd Biennale Vezezia and Dumont, pp. 39-61. ISBN 978-3832177737
In Lieu of the FaceRenton, Andrew. 2007. In Lieu of the Face. In: , ed. Portrait, Landscape, Process, Monochrome. London: Alexia Goethe Gallery, pp. 6-13. ISBN 978-1906463007
Only you can make this world seem rightRenton, Andrew. 2007. Only you can make this world seem right. In: , ed. Jesper Just - Film Works: Film Works 2001-2007. Rotterdam: Witte de With Centre for Contemporary Art, pp. 82-99. ISBN 978-9073362734
Another Memory of the Old HomeRenton, Andrew. 2007. Another Memory of the Old Home. In: , ed. Ângela Ferreira: Maison Tropicale. Lisbon: Institutos das Artes & Ministério da Cultura, pp. 60-77. ISBN 978-972-99322-8-1
“Public and Private Collecting”Renton, Andrew. 2006. “Public and Private Collecting”. In: , ed. Frieze Projects: Artists' Commissions and Talks: Artists Commissions and Talks 2003-2005. London: Frieze, pp. 137-145. ISBN 978-0955320101
“Browser: a Second Visit to the Archive”Renton, Andrew. 2002. “Browser: a Second Visit to the Archive”. In: , ed. Potential: Ongoing Archive. Amsterdam and Southampton: Artimo Foundation Breda, pp. 60-65. ISBN 978-9075380484
Five Pieces for A.M.Renton, Andrew. 2002. Five Pieces for A.M. In: , ed. Nothing is Sudden – Arbeiten mit Licht. Köln: StadtRevue Verlag, pp. 10-21.
Andrew Renton and Sacha Craddock in ConversationRenton, Andrew. 2002. Andrew Renton and Sacha Craddock in Conversation. In: , ed. The Producers: Contemporary Curators in Conversation. Gateshead and Newcastle: Baltic and University of Newcastle, pp. 9-46. ISBN 978-1903655139
CorrespondenceRenton, Andrew. 2002. Correspondence. In: , ed. Ghada Amer. London: Gagosian Gallery, pp. 7-19. ISBN 978-1880154755
Charlie Roberts: JuicyRenton, Andrew and Roberts, Charlie. 2016. Charlie Roberts: Juicy. In: "Juicy", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 24 Nov 2016 - 8 January 2017.
Sigalit Landau: 'Salt Bride'Renton, Andrew and Landau, Sigalit. 2016. Sigalit Landau: 'Salt Bride'. In: "Salt Bride", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 26 July - 17 September 2016.
Grear Patterson: True RomanceRenton, Andrew and Patterson, Grear. 2016. Grear Patterson: True Romance. In: "True Romance", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 24 June - 23 July 2016.
Laurence Kavanagh: 'March'Renton, Andrew and Kavanagh, Laurence. 2016. Laurence Kavanagh: 'March'. In: "'March'", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 11 May - 18 June 2016.
Narelle Jubelin: 'Flamenco Primitivo'Renton, Andrew and Jubelin, Narelle. 2016. Narelle Jubelin: 'Flamenco Primitivo'. In: "Flamenco Primitivo", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 5 February – 12 March 2016.
Pamela Golden: 'Charlie Don’t Surf'Renton, Andrew and Golden, Pamela. 2015. Pamela Golden: 'Charlie Don’t Surf'. In: "Charlie Don’t Surf", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 11 November - 30 December.
Ângela Ferreira: 'Talk Tower for Ingrid Jonker'Renton, Andrew and Ferreira, Ángela. 2015. Ângela Ferreira: 'Talk Tower for Ingrid Jonker'. In: "Talk Tower for Ingrid Jonker", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 5 August - 5 September 2015.
Jason Brooks: 'Origins'Renton, Andrew and Brooks, Jason. 2015. Jason Brooks: 'Origins'. In: "Origins", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 10 June 18 July 2015.
Diango Hernández: 'The Book of Waves'Renton, Andrew and Hernández, Diango. 2015. Diango Hernández: 'The Book of Waves'. In: "The Book of Waves", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 29 April – 5 June 2015.
Werner Büttner: 'The Marking of the Abyss'Renton, Andrew and Büttner, Werner. 2015. Werner Büttner: 'The Marking of the Abyss'. In: "The Marking of ther Abyss", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 4 March – 18 April 2015.
João Onofre: 'Tacet'Renton, Andrew and Onofre, João. 2014. João Onofre: 'Tacet'. In: "Tacet", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 18 November 2014 – 10 January 2015.
Sigalit Landau: 'Knafeh'Renton, Andrew and Landau, Sigalit. 2014. Sigalit Landau: 'Knafeh'. In: "Knafeh", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 17 September – 1 November 2014.
Ian Whittlesea: A Breathing BulbRenton, Andrew and Whittlesea, Ian. 2014. Ian Whittlesea: A Breathing Bulb. In: "A Breathing Bulb", Marlborough Contemprary, United Kingdom, 6 August - 6 September 2014.
Koen van den Broek: Cut Away the SnoopyRenton, Andrew and van den Broek, Koen. 2014. Koen van den Broek: Cut Away the Snoopy. In: "Cut Away the Snoopy", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 25 June – 2 August 2014.
Laurence Kavanagh: 'May'Renton, Andrew and Kavanagh, Laurence. 2014. Laurence Kavanagh: 'May'. In: "Laurence Kavanagh: 'May'", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 7 May–20 June 2014.
Graham Gussin: FORSAKENFOCUSVERTIGOPREDICTIONRenton, Andrew and Gussin, Graham. 2014. Graham Gussin: FORSAKENFOCUSVERTIGOPREDICTION. In: "FORSAKENFOCUSVERTIGOPREDICTION", Marlborough Contemporary, United Kingdom, 7 Mar to 12 April 2014.
Koen van den Broek: Curbs and CracksRenton, Andrew; van den Broek, Koen and Verhoeven, Thibaut. 2010. Koen van den Broek: Curbs and Cracks. In: "Curbs and Cracks", Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent, Belgium, 28 January to 10 May 2010.
Art TLV 08: Open Plan LivingRenton, Andrew. 2008. Art TLV 08: Open Plan Living. In: "Art TLV: Open Plan Living", Helena Rubenstein Pavilion, Museum of Tel Aviv and others, Israel, 27 September 2008 - October 18 2008.
Front of HouseRenton, Andrew; Corrales, Marcos; Jubelin, Narelle and Ferreira, Angela. 2008. Front of House. In: "Front of House, London", Parasol Unit, United Kingdom, 16 April - 29 May 2008.
