ABOUT + CV
Biography
Patrick Altes is an artist of French/Spanish origins, whose work has been deeply informed by his own personal history. Born in Algeria, he has made a distinctive contribution to the postcolonial discourse and the emerging Franco-Algerian art movement. As a young adult, he lived in South Africa for two years under the apartheid.
He was working at the University of Fort Hare, a key institution in higher education for black Africans, which counted among its former students a number of prominent leading opponents of the apartheid. This was his first-hand experience of a society based on discrimination, repression and deprivation of civil and political rights for a large part of the population. It deeply marked him and fuelled in him a sense for the politically, socially and humanly acceptable.
“Tolerance”, his latest major exhibition at Gerald Moore Gallery, addresses the political and cultural changes that are unfolding across the UK and the world today. It confronts negative cultural stereotypes and advocates for tolerance and respect in times of angst, division and separatism. With perilous journeys depositing migrants on European – and now, British – shores, Altes turns his attention to the harrowing circumstances that increasingly accompany migration and resettlement.
He is interested in the evolving relationship between the contemporary world and our deeper humanity.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2025
- 9th International Festival of Contemporary Art, Algiers, with Galerie Civ-Oeil
- “This Too Shall Pass” group show, BlackShed Gallery, Robertsbridge
2024
- 8th International Festival of Contemporary Art, Palais de la Culture Moufdi Zakaria, Algiers
- DZ, Algerian Cultural Festival with Culturama, P21 Gallery, London
- Arcadia, Galerie Civ-Oeil, avec le soutien de l’Institut Francais, Oran, Algerie
2023
- ‘Timelessness of a Church’, St Barnabas Church, curated by Janet Rady in partnership with the Behnoode Foundation, London
2022
- Two-man show with Hay Hill Gallery, Vintners Place, London
- Hastings Open 2022, group show, Hastings Museum,
- HastingsSummer Show, group show, Rye Art Gallery, Rye
- Memo, note to self, Art and Memory, group show, Rye Art Gallery
2021
- Lane House Arts Gallery, A Sense of Space, group show, St Leonards-on-Sea
- Ad Lib Gallery, the 21st Century will be colourful, group show, Wimbledon
- AL BASMA, group show, Diwaniya Art Gallery, Algiers
- A Walk on the Bridge, Hay Hill Gallery, London
2020
- IdEntiTy, group show curated by ArtBridge and Art MooreHouse, Moore House, London
- “Legacy”, 3D virtual exhibition with Janet Rady
- London Art Fair, Islington. With Janet Rady Fine Art.
2019
- “Tolerance”, solo show curated by Janet Rady, with the support of the Arts Council England, Gerald Moore Gallery, Mottingham, London
- Drawing Life, group show, Lewes Depot, Lewes “Migration”, solo show, A Wave of Dreams Arts Lab, St Leonards-on-Sea
- “A Wave of Dreams”, group show A Wave of Dreams Arts Lab, St Leonards-on-Sea
2018
- The Singularity of Peace, The Forgotten Heroes 1419. Manbré Warf. Hammersmith, London
- Summer Show, Gallery of African Art (GAFRA), Mayfair, London
- Migration, Two-artist show with Ronald Muchatuta, Gallery of African Art (GAFRA), Mayfair, London
- Beyond Bridges, Group Show, Caravan peace-building exhibition, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
- Group show, Janet Rady curating for Wet Paint Gallery, London
2017 Oran 4th Biennale of Contemporary Art, Museum of Modern Arts of Oran (MAMO), Algeria.
2016
- Africa, my Africa, Exhibition with Lahd Gallery at GAFRA (Gallery of African Art), London
- Art16, London Global Art Fair, with Lahd Gallery, London
- The Bridge, Group Show, Caravan peace-building exhibition, Chicago
2015
- 7th International Festival of Contemporary Arts (FIAC), Museum of Modern and Contemporary Arts of Algiers (MAMA), Algeria
- The Bridge, Group Show, Caravan peace-building exhibition, New York
- Art Bahrain Art Fair, with Janet Rady Gallery, Bahrain.
- Algerianism 1, Nour Festival, co-curator and exhibited artist, London.
- The Bridge, Group Show, Caravan peace-building exhibition, Metz, France
- Frayed Ideologies, Hay Hill Gallery, London
- The Bridge, Group Show, Caravan peace-building exhibition, St-Martin-in-the-Fields, London
- Summer show, Uusitalo Gallery, Inkoo, Finland
- The Bridge, Group Show, Caravan peace-building exhibition, Westown Hub’s gallery, Cairo, Egypt
- The Bridge, Group show, Caravan peace-building exhibition, St Germain-des-Prés, Paris.
- Group show, Hay Hill Gallery, London.
2014
- A Story of Revolutions, solo show, Eldon Gallery, Portsmouth, as part of Being Human, the first UK festival of the Humanities.
- 3rd Mediterranean Contemporary Art Biennale, Oran, Algeria.
- A Story of Revolutions, solo show, Contemporary Art Space, Chester.
- A story of revolutions, solo show of digital works and paintings, Triskel Art Center, Cork, with the support of the Anna, Lindh Foundation, Cork University College, The University of Portsmouth, the French Embassy in Ireland, The Leverhulme Trust and the participation of the Cité Nationale de l‘Histoire de l’Immigration.
2013
- Sanctuary: Home, Away, Common Ground, collaborative exhibition of 5 African and 5 European artists, Brunei Gallery, SOAS University, London.
2012
- Algerian Cultural Festival, Rich Mix, London
- London’s Burning, group show curated by Ben Kidger, Landmark Gallery, Teddington.
- Group show, Konstoform Art Gallery, Helsinki, Finland.
- Group show, SEGRO project, Royal Society of Arts, London.
2011
- Helsinki International Art Fair, Uusitalo Gallery, Helsinki, Finland. Summer Show, Uusitalo Gallery, Helsinki, Finland.
- I Must Not Break The Law, Creative Junction and YOT, Slough.
2010
- San Diego Art Fair, Garboushian Gallery, San Diego.
- Art and Science, Ropetackle Art Centre, Brighton.
- Paint, Beldam Gallery, group show curated by George Mogg, Brunel University London.
2009
- Art and Medicine, group show, British Institute of Radiology, London.
- Art and Medicine, group show, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton.
2008
- Hidden Beasts, solo show, Artist Residence Gallery, Brighton.
- Location, group exhibition, Quay Arts Gallery, Isle of Wight.
- Wounded Healers, solo show, Menier Chocolate Factory, London.
- Wounder Healers, solo show, Lighthouse, Brighton.
2007
- Where to Draw The Line, solo show as part of Visions of our Future, University of Sussex, Brighton.
2006
- Creatures of Gaia, solo show, Neutral Space Gallery, Brighton
- Recent Work, Solo exhibition, Galerie Le Pont des Arts, Narbonne, France.
2005
- Creatures of Gaia, Galerie L’Acadie, Cajarc.
- Recent Works, Solo show, Château des Pignes, Albefeuille Lagarde, France.
- Centre Culturel des Minimes, Toulouse, France
- Centre Culturel, Les Amidonniers, Toulouse, France.
2002
- Galerie Carla Bayle, solo show, France.
RESIDENCIES
2012-2013
The Leverhulme Trust Fellowship. Collaborative project with the University of Portsmouth, School of Language and Area Sudies. French settlers diaspora and Franco-Algerian relationship.
2011
Working Across Borders. Networking scheme between East Sussex, Northern France and Belgium.
2007-2008
The Leverhulme Trust Fellowship. One-year collaborative project with the Oncology team of the Royal Sussex Hospital, Brighton and the University of Sussex Medical school. This residency led to a series of exhibitions in Brighton and London as well as a publication in the Lancet Oncology.
2008
Portland Residency, Portland Quarry Land Art.