Michael MACGARRY (b. 1978)
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 2023
2010
inkjet on cotton paper
edition 1/5
2200 x 1100 cm
Luanda, Angola, 2019
2010
inkjet on cotton paper
edition 1/5
112 x 273 cm
Lagos, Nigeria, 2027
2010
inkjet on cotton paper
edition 1/5
112 x 253 cm
BIOGRAPHY
Michael MacGarry is a Johannesburg-based visual artist and filmmaker whose multidisciplinary work addresses socio-political and economic narratives within a post-humanist autobiographical framework. With a Master of Fine Arts from the University of the Witwatersrand (2004), MacGarry’s career spans over two decades, during which he has achieved significant international recognition.
Central to MacGarry’s practice is the exploration of objects as narrative vessels, particularly those repurposed from his immediate environment. His sculptures and installations often incorporate industrial materials with found elements of structural engineering, which he transforms into tools, weapons and other conceptual artefacts.
MacGarry’s art reflects his deep engagement with global socio-political dynamics, including the enduring impact of colonialism and the complexities of contemporary African identities. His projects often incorporate film and video, further expanding his storytelling capabilities. His films have been featured at more than 30 international film festivals, including the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival.
He is a recipient of an El Ray Award for Excellence in Narrative Short Filmmaking (Barcelona Film Festival 2015), a finalist for the Huysmans Young African Filmmaker Award 2015 (Belgium) as well as Jury Awards from 19th VideoBrasil (Sao Paulo), K3 Internationales Film Festival (Austria) and 13th International Festival Signes de Nuit (Paris).
MacGarry has exhibited extensively, both in South Africa and abroad. His works have appeared in major institutions such as the Tate Modern in London, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) in Cape Town.
He has published four monographs on his work.
MacGarry was the recipient of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award in 2010.