Ben Moore, British Curator and Artist, Founder of Art Below
Ben Moore is a British artist and curator. In 2006 he founded Art Below, a contemporary art organisation that uses billboard space to showcase art in the London Underground and overseas: ‘Turning Ad Space into Art Space’.
The organisation has an important position within the movement of contemporary art in public space and has nurtured an international community of artistic talent showing the works of thousands of artists in London, Tokyo, Berlin and Los Angeles.
Moore’s mission: ‘To enrich the everyday life of the travelling public by giving fresh insight into the very latest in contemporary art whilst at the same time providing a platform for emerging and established talent.’
EXHIBITIONS CURATED BY BEN MOORE
ART WARS 9, Old Brompton Gallery, London December 2019
ONE SMALL STEP, ART WARS 9, OLD BROMPTON GALLERY, LONDON
UNMISSABLE, The Other Art Fair at Truman Brewery, London. March 2019
Further Information: Ben Moore
Art Below’s partnerships include The Other Art Fair, Saatchi Art, Hospital Club, Art Rooms, Mayfair Art Weekend, and Don’t Panic, which involved an installation of Banksy’s work at London Bridge Underground Station which was then famously visited upon and ‘modified’ by Banksy.
Through Art Below Moore has managed to voice a strong interest in humanitarian affairs and supported Peace One Day by showcasing their AKA Peace Project throughout the London Underground which included works by Antony Gormley, Ryan Gander and Gavin Turk. In 2017 Moore collaborated with Anish Kapoor and organised a billboard at LA’s Grand Union Station for the artist to showcase his anti Trump artwork.
In tandem with running Art Below Moore has curated exhibitions at galleries and museums including London’s V&A, Saatchi Gallery, Somerset House and The Pacific Design Centre in Los Angeles.
In 2003 Moore’s older brother Thomas went missing and since then he has worked closely with Missing People Charity. He started up the Missing Tom Fund to raise awareness and funds to support the ongoing search for his brother.
In 2013 to raise funds and awareness for Missing Tom, he conceptualised and curated ‘Art Wars’ at Saatchi Gallery, an exhibition of stormtrooper helmets worked upon by artists including Damien Hirst, Jake and Dinos Chapman, David Bailey, Alison Jackson, D*Face, Antony Micallef and Yinka Shonibare. The exhibition was a sell out success and attracted media attention world wide.
Since then Art Wars has travelled to Sweden, Miami and Los Angeles with new and well-known artists taking part including Anish Kapoor, Retna, Ben Eine, Mr Brainwash, Joe Rush, UnSkilled Worker and Blek Le Rat.
In 2018 Moore conceptualised ‘UnMissable’ an exhibition of portraits of missing people. He was commissioned by the Missing People charity to curate the exhibition to mark their 25th Anniversary. ‘Unmissable’ was unveiled at The Other Art Fair hosted by Saatchi Art in March 2019 and featured portraits of missing people by Charming Baker, Samira Addo, Chris Moon, Nina Fowler and Carne Griffiths. The exhibition became the highlight of the fair attracting national coverage from radio, television, newspapers and magazines.
In 2019 to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landings Moore curated ‘One Small Step’ a unique exhibition featuring 12 leading artists – in-line with the 12 men who have walked on the moon since 1969 – who each transformed an astronaut helmet into a work of art. Participating artists included Joana Vasconcelos, Chris Levine, Mr. Brainwash, UnSKilled Worker, Hayden Kays, and Ben Eine.
The exhibition toured as the headline feature of The Other Art Fair in London, Los Angeles and Dallas and raised over £100,000 for MAG (Mines Advisory Group) whose mission is to clear landmines and unexploded bombs from conflict-affected communities, where one small step can be the difference between life and death.
A deep personal interest and fascination with the crucifixion of Christ was the source of Moore’s inspiration behind curating ‘Stations of the Cross’ 2014 and 2015 at St.Marylebone Church and in 2018 at St.Stephen’s Walbrook Church. The 40 day long exhibitions included works by Francis Bacon, Sebastian Horsley, Mat Collishaw, Wolfe Lenkiewicz, Polly Morgan, Paul Fryer and Antony Micallef. Art Below showcased many of the works on billboard space at London Underground stations that had a resounding link to the theme including Kings Cross, Temple, Angel, Charing Cross and St.Paul’s.
Each and every exhibition was highly publicised partly due to the provocative and controversial nature of certain works including a painting by Antony Micallef of Jesus being sentenced to death by Simon Cowell which was famously banned from being shown on the tube in 2014. In 2015 a life size crucifixion cast of Pete Doherty and in 2018 a sculpture of a crucified stormtrooper was the source of a world wide media storm in equal measures.
In 2018 Moore was invited to curate two three month residency exhibitions for Re:Centre, a new art and lifestyle centre at Thames Wharf, Hammersmith, London. He curated two exhibitions ‘Choose Your Hero’ 2018 and ‘Plei’ 2019.
Moore is on the arts committee for Macmillan charity and has been awarded Art Lyst Power 100 award in 2013, 2015 and 2017. He is currently working on exhibitions for Parkinsons UK Charity, The Other Art Fair and Glastonbury Festival.