Statement

BBKP is an abbreviation of the surnames of four artists; Nathan Birchenough, Nicholas Brown, Craig Kao and Savvas Papasavva.

BBKP is a group of artists from various backgrounds who deliberately lose their individual identities in a many-pronged practice encompassing drawing, photography, woodwork, electronics and programming, in a mimicry of engineering, science and craft.

These interactions often occur in happenings, transportation or participatory workshops in which new works develop through learning and disseminating practical knowledge, within a novel environment.

Motivated by their individual curiosities, they have created a disparate body of works. Mixing their enthusiasm for political, social, historical and even medical concerns, their process of performative interactions with one another and a wider audience leads to sculptural artefacts, boats, music and cameras. Objects and tools are often built from hi and low tech materials which influence a process acutely sensitive to, but often ignoring, the character of materials. Objects are shown in performative installations in art- and non-art contexts, reconstructing myths of the process which led to their existence, and moulded by pragmatic problem solving.

BBKP's works vary from tiny photos taken with monkey nut cameras, a mechanical memento mori conjuring the memory of Fred Dibnah, Olympic rings made from toilet seats, and a giant green boot which stamped on the steps of Tate Britain. In their last major participatory project, D Eye Y (2013), they mixed works produced by members of the public with their own bespoke cameras, photographs, and videos, forcefully propelling the public as artist; within a museum of objects infused with stories of their own creation. Artefacts are shown in installations, in which they reconstruct the myths of the process which led to their existence.

Biography

Birchenough (b. 1985 Merseyside), Brown (b. 1980 California), Kao (b. 1983 Taiwan) & Papasavva (b. 1985 London) together from the artist group BBKP. Living and working in London the four artists develop worked through residency, educational and shared experiences.  These include D Eye Y, Pump House Gallery (2013); Boat Project, THIS (2011); Transition 8, Newlyn Gallery (2008) and when (i) disappear, Camden Arts Centre (2007).

Artist CV

Selected Solo Events

Feb/2013 D Eye Y, Pump House Gallery

Residency
May/2014 The Never Ending Boat Project, Floating Island Gallery
Feb/2011 Boat Project, Tottenham Hale International Studio
Aug/2011 Dockers' Delight, Departure Arts Centre
Sept/2008 Transition 8, Newlyn Art Gallery
May/2008 (three) range chicken, Freightliners City Farm
Dec/2007 when (i) disappear, Camden Arts Centre

Educational Workshops
Nov/2017 Peanut Pinhole Camera Workshop, The Photographer's Gallery
May/2016 Slit-scan Workshop, The Photographer's Gallery
May/2015 Musical Instrument Workshop, Pump House Gallery
May/2015 Pinhole Photography Workshop, Pump House Gallery
July/2014 Slit-Scan/Pinhole Photography Workshop, Freud Museum
Feb/2013 Photography Workshop, Portrait Gallery
Sept/2011 Umbrellas Workshop, Chisenhale Gallery, Victoria Park
July/2011 I Can't It Stand (sic), Tate Britain
July/2008 Taiwanese Sports Day, Regents Park
May/2008 Reserve Characters, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

Group Events
Nov/2017 Hyperanalogue Geekender & Party, The Photographer's Gallery
Jul/2015 #Transacting, Chelsea Parade Ground
Jul/2015 Ivan Kupala Art Coup, Pushkin House
Nov/2013 Superlative TV, Apathy
Oct/2013 Asia Elect, Kobi Nazrul Centre
Oct/2012 BYOB London 2012
July/2012 'CULTURAL OLYMPIAIN'T' an Anti-Olympic Poster Bid, studio1.1
March/2012 Beyondzero, Flexi Space, Stockwell Studios
March/2012 Big Wheel, Construction Gallery, Tooting, London
July/2010 Wingfield Barns and Potato Festival, Suffolk (Brown & Kao)
June/2010 Between a Hole and a Home, James Taylor Gallery (Birchenough & Papasavva)
Sep/2009 & Dec/2009 Trident Way 1 / 2, Departure (Birchenough & Papasavva)
May/2008 It's a Funny Old World, Lolapalooza Gallery
Nov/2007 return it (two), My Life in Art gallery
July/2007 to take a-way (one), Nolias Gallery
Feb/2007 Adaptation of Aristophanes' Birds, Cochrane Theatre
Aug/2006 Land Marks, Lethaby Gallery
Feb/2006 Performances based on Kafka's Metamorphosis, Cochrane Theatre