Douglas Davis
Year of birth, place
Year of death, place
Role at the ZKM
- Artist of the Collection
- Artist of the archive
Biography
Douglas Matthew Davis studied from 1948-1950 at the Abbott Art School, Washington D.C., from 1952-1956 at the American University, Washington D.C., and from 1956-1958 at Rutgers State University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
After graduating, Davis initially worked as an art critic and editor and wrote for the magazines Art in America, Artforum, Village Voice and Newsweek. In 1967, he started organizing events and performances and began working with video in 1970. Davis is considered a pioneer in the use of television and radio broadcasts. With live performances in galleries and museums and videotapes of the actions, he initiated a dialog with the audience in front of the screen. The aim was to overcome traditional one-way communication through personalized interactions. From 1994, Davis used the internet for his artistic actions.
The estate of Douglas Davis has been part of the ZKM since 2024.