Uma Breakdown
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Statement
Hi I’m Uma, I’m a disabled artist/writer/researcher/game-designer interested in animals, horror films, queer feminist literature, ecology and play. My specific research interests include the work of Hélène Cixous, Jean Genet, and the enacted politics of art that supports audience agency. My art is made through images and writing, and things which are combinations and/or extensions of these; like games, performances, publications, and installations.
Everything I make is about some combination of love, grief, hallucination, and an excess of joy. With Bella Paloma I make video games about the divine and occult providence of transfemme existence.
I believe strongly that art should be a welcoming, exciting invitation for speculation and collaboration.
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Select recent and upcoming exhibitions
2024
Earth A.D. 3
QUAD, Derby. (Forthcoming touring solo exhibition and digital artwork 2022-2024)
Areas Of Effect: Planar Systems, Critical Roles, and Gaming
Imaginaries
Arebyte, London. (Group exhibition )
Shape Open
London. (Group Exhibition)
2023
Earth A.D. 2
FACT, Liverpool. (Touring solo exhibition and digital artwork 2022-2024)
The Well of Sickness Shimmering
Overkill Festival, Amsterdam. (Digital artwork w/ Bella Paloma)
Take Care
Travelling Gallery, Edinburgh/throughout Scotland. (Group exhibition)
Joy of Destruction
Backlit, Nottingham. (Group exhibition )
Out of Scale
Transmedialle, Berlin. (Group exhibition )
2022
Allied Editions
Frieze, London. (Art fair)
Hinterlands
Baltic, Gateshead. (Group exhibition)
Earth A.D.
Wysing, Cambridge. (Touring solo exhibition and digital artwork 2022-2024)
How to Practise Grieving in Eight Movements
Klosterruine, Berlin. (Group exhibition)
Surface of Scum
MAYK, Bristol. (Digital artwork w/ Bella Paloma)
2021
Animal Agency
17th Athens Digital Art Festival, Athens. (Digital commission)
Take The Moonlight by The Tail
Arebyte, London. (Digital artwork)
Lich Way Party Train
Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge. (Digital artwork)
Rhizodome
Gwenba.com. (Digital group exhibition)
Unfolding Shrines
Shape Arts, London. (Augmented Reality group exhibition)
Post-Doom
Akademie Schloss Solitude, Stuttgart. (Digital artwork)
2020
Animal Agency
FACT, Liverpool. (Digital artwork)
All Flesh is Grass
Kim? Contemporary Art Centre, Riga. (Group collaborative exhibition and role playing game)
2019
Polymorph Other
Queens Hall Arts Centre, Hexham. (Group exhibition)
2018
Broken Diorama
Dublin Digital Radio. (Radio play)
Paperworks
SERF, Leeds. (Performance)
Sex and Other States
South Kiosk, London. (Performance and group exhibition)
Polymorph Other
IMT Gallery, London. (Group exhibition)
Its Origins are Indeterminate
The Whitechapel Gallery, London. (Performance)
The Inhuman Ecstacy of Toxic Waste
Wormworm.org (digital commission)
2017
Creature of Havoc
SERF, Leeds. (Solo project)
Waste: A Symposium
Birkbeck College, London. (video installation)
Janusware: Cycle 2
Res. London. (Group exhibition)
Janusware: Cycle 1
Res. London. (Solo exhibition and performance)
Heretics #12
Rádio Quântica (Radio play)
2016
Green Fuzz
Xero, Kline & Coma, London. (Two person exhibition w/ Alfie Strong)
(It's All) Tropical Presents Blind Date
The Royal Standard, Liverpool. (Performance w/ Alfie Strong)
The Dying Midwest of Thulsa Doom
Chisenhale Studios, London. (Performance)
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Education
Northumbria- Sunderland Consortium/ PhD
September 2016- March 2020, Newcastle
AHRC funded PhD based in the art department of Northumbria University, title “Becoming Ahuman: making it desirable to abandon certainty, including certainty of the self and play in this chaotic situation”.
Royal College of Art/ MA
September 2006- July 2008, London
Sculpture school. Funded by RCA fees and maintenance bursary, and award from The Coates Foundation.
University of East London / First Class BA (hons)
September 2006 - July 2008, London
Fine Art department.
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Select memberships, residencies, fellowships:
2024
2024 International Digital Fellow
Quad, Derby.
Trustee
Broken Grey Wires, Liverpool
2023
Shortlisted for The Arts Foundation Award: Digital Art
The Arts Foundation, Manchester.
2022
Unseen Futures Fellow
Abandon Normal Devices, Manchester.
Digital Residency with Alice Rekab
Arcade-Campfa, Cardiff.
Access Steering Group Member
Wysing Arts Centre
2021
Digital Solitude Assembly
Arc Bucharest.
Access Advisory Group Member
FACT, Liverpool
Net//Work
British Council / Wysing Art Centre, Cambridge.
Post-Doom
Akademie Solitude, Stuttgart.
2020
Shortlisted for Adam Reynolds Award
Shape Arts, London
Fact Together
FACT, Liverpool.
2017
Crip Theory
Wysing Art Centre, Cambridge.
2016
Work/Leisure
Abingdon Studios, Blackpool.
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Recent publications
2023
“Trans Death Magic”
Exhibition text for Slug Town, Newcastle.
“The Dolls and The Egg”
collaborative text with Belladonna Paloma in “Almanac”. (Forthcoming)
“Middlesbrough Art Week 2023”
Review in “Corridor8”. (Forthcoming)
“The Graveyard of Extension”
in “Deleuzine Vol. 2”.
“Uma Breakdown and Johanna Hedva talk LA Noir”
Two part podcast series at “Unseen Futures Kinopio”, Abandon Normal Devices, Manchester.
“Two Plus Two Makes Four: The Auxiliary, Middlesbrough”
Review in “Corridor8”.
The Speculative Dismemberment of Agent Leon Kennedy”
In “A Wet and Heavy Noise”. Market Gallery, Glasgow.
2022
“Waste Work”
In “TEXTUR Issue 4”. Textur, Berlin.
2021
“Appropriate Technology”
In artist Holly White’s publication “Leaving Biosphere 2”. CCA, Glasgow.
2020
"Oh_The _Guilt_Puss_3"
In “Chain/Mail Issue 1: North East”. Corridor8
“As Plain as its Meaningless Name”
In “On Care”. Ma Bibliothèque, London.
“Dungeons & Disaster”
In “Online Resources”. NewBridge Project, Newcastle.
2019
“Widening Circles”
In “The Graveside Orations of Carl Einstein”. Ma Bibliothèque, London
“Horse Bites Fence”
Co-editor w/ Elena Colman and Rebecca Bligh of this Arts Council England funded publication concerning art, disability, and radical solidarity.
2018
“Gauge Fanfic”
In “The Bodies that Remain”. Punctum Books, Santa Barbara.
“Axpansion”
In “PaperWork Issue 3: Iilwimi lipsing”. Paperwork, London
“Farmer 9”
In “Alembic”. Res., London.
2017
“Interview”
In “Lossy Ecology”. Flat Time House, London.
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Recent teaching, workshops, conference papers, artist talks.
2024
“Tartarus in Bloom”.
Public talk with Dr Amy Hale and Belladonna Paloma, at Quad, Derby.
“Undertale Delete”.
Guest lecture at SODA, Manchester Metropolitan University.
“Relics”.
Public talk with Joseph Buckley, Dr Karen Di Franco and Dr Alice Rekab, at FACT Liverpool.
“Artist Advisor”.
Syllabus Artist development programme, venues across the UK.
2023
“A Knife Made of Refuse”.
Public talk at The Center for Discursive Inquiry at CalArts, Santa Clarita.
“Forest of Doom 2”
Workshop for “2023 Youth Festival”, Wysing Arts Centre.
“Uma Breakdown and Johanna Hedva”.
Public talk at FACT, Liverpool.
“Secret passages and arcane puzzles for the contemporary studio”.
Workshop for “Into The Wild” artist development programme at Chisenhale Gallery, London.
“My Coffin is a Spaceship”
Public talk with Evelyn Wh-ell for “Art/Work Association”, at Auto-Italia South East, London.
“Put Your Controller on the Floor”
Guest lecture delivered at Reality Check Festival, Enschede
“Associate Lecturer in Fine Art”
Newcastle University, Newcastle.
“Hellbound Hearts or, “I was rooting for Mephistopheles, and contemptuous of Faust”
Guest lecture and seminar, Yale University, Newhaven..
“Esprit de corps / Corpse Explosion”
Guest lecture delivered at Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford.
“Art as a Road Trip
Workshop delivered at Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford.
2022
“Art as a Monster that Always Comes Back”
Guest lecture delivered at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.
“An Anthology of Dead Ends”
Guest lecture delivered at University of Huddersfield.
“Uma Breakdown in Conversation with Angela YT Chan and Dr. Tom Dillon”
live online event for Wysing Arts Centre.
“Worldbuilding and Wellbeing”
Panel member for “Peer to Peer UK/HK”, Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong, and QUAD, Derby.
“Forest of Doom”
Workshop delivered at “2022 Youth Festival”, Wysing Arts Centre.
“Art as a Road Trip”
Workshop delivered at “Jerwood Art FACT Fellowship”, FACT, Liverpool.
“Theft and System”
Workshop delivered at University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield.
"Practice Based Art PhD Methodologies"
Workshop delivered at Reading University, Reading.
2022
“Art as Waking up to a Nightmare”
Workshop delivered at "Horror Programme", University of The Underground, Berlin.
"Art as a Road Trip"
Workshop delivered at "AMPlify", Wysing Arts Centre, Cambridge.
"Open Screen Panel Discussion"
Panellist for "Arebyte Open Screen", Arebyte Gallery London.
"Art as a Road Trip"
Workshop delivered at "FACT Together", FACT Liverpool.
"They Played us Like a Damn Fiddle"
Workshop delivered at "TROUBLE IN OUTER HEAVEN: PORTABLE OPS PLUS", Southwark Park Galleries.
“Dungeon Mechanics”
Workshop delivered at "Feminist Painting School", Baltic, Gateshead.
“Broken Vibes”
Artist talk delivered at "Merged Futures 3", Northampton University.
2020
“Lead Maker”
International Centre for Life, Newcastle.
2019
“Biofilm Mansion Theory, or Making as Collaboration with Disorder”
Conference paper delivered at “Interdisciplinary Conversations Around Making”, Newcastle University.
“Coming Soon, From Your Cemetary: Horror / Play / Instability / Desire”
Guest lecture delivered at Reading University.
“There is no reason for you to live: ‘No World Dreamers, Sticky Zeitgeist episode 2: Aperitif’ as trans* Écriture Féminine”
Conference paper delivered at “Beyond the Console: Gender and Narrative Games”, London South Bank University, London.
“Research Assistant to Prof. Patricia McCormack”
Three month AHRC funded placement.
2018
“Smeared into The Environment: Queer Horror and The Ahuman”
Conference paper delivered at “Horror, Cult, Exploitation II”, Northumbria University.
“Alembic II: Chrominance”
Panellist for publication launch, Res. Gallery, London.
“Wild Pop: A Symposium”
Artist talk at Newcastle University.
“Smeared into The Environment: Queer Horror and The Ahuman”
Conference paper delivered at “Don't Look: Representations of Horror in the 21st Century Symposium”, University of Edinburgh.
“Biofilm Assemblages and Ahuman Horror”
Conference paper delivered at “Current Research in Speculative Fiction”, University of Liverpool.
“The Revolutionary Praxis of Urban Galls”
Conference paper delivered at “Open Graves Open Minds & Supernatural Cities present: The Urban Weird” University of Hertfordshire.
2017
“Appropriation”
Taught semester long module on BA Fine Art programme, Northumbria University.
“Dog-Tech 1”
Conference paper delivered at “CDT Conference”, Baltic Gateshead.
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Select awards and funding
2022
North East Artist Fund
North East CVAN
Trailblazer Fund
Bristol + Bath Creative R+D
2021
Develop Your Creative Practice Bursary
Arts Council England
2nd prize for “Animal Agency”
Athens Digital Art Festival Audience Award,
2020
ArtsAdmin Bursary
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Select press and interviews
2023
“Uma Breakdown: Earth A.D. 2”
Corridor8
“Save Room”
Container
“An Interview with Uma Breakdown”
Art in Liverpool
2021
“Free Your Mind. Death Will Come, Uma Breakdown in Conversation with Johanna Hedva”
akademie-solitude.de
“Unfolding Shrines is some of the most ambitious augmented reality art we have seen in the last year”
The Art Newspaper
“The best virtual things to do at home in April”
TimeOut
2020
“In Conversation: Uma Breakdown and Lesley Taker”
Fact.co.uk
2019
“Art, The Anthropocene, and the Grim Dark Future of Warhammer 40k”
Roman Road Journal
2016
“(It’s All) Tropical present Blind Date”
Corridor8
“Review: Blind Date: (it’s all) Tropical at The Royal Standard”