Mark Jeffery

Mark Jeffery (B. 1973, UK) is a performance artist, choreographer, collaborator, and curator. He is Chair of The Performance Department and Full Professor at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Since 1994 Mark has developed unconventional collaborations with visual artists, video artists, sound artists, code artists, dancers, and cows.

In 2012, he co-founded the language, performance, and technology collective Anatomical Theatres of Mixed Reality (ATOM-r). ATOM-r premiered its first work The Operature in 2014 at the National Museum of Health and Science, Chicago. In 2017 ATOM-r premiered Kjell Theøry at The Graham Foundation Chicago. In 2018, ATOM-r presented Rhinestone Cowboy, performed with cows at 606, Chicago. ATOM-r presented I Love The Dead at Gallery 400, Chicago in February 2023.

Since 2020 he has collaborated with Lucy Cash on their film and installation project Winterage: Last Milk.

Mark was a former member of the internationally renowned Goat Island Performance Group from 1996 – 2009. Goat Island toured and taught extensively across North America and Europe. In 2019, The Chicago Cultural Center presented an exhibition dedicated to the work of Goat Island.

Recent performances include: Graham Foundation, Chicago, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Chisenhale Dance Space, London, Alfred De Vrove, Prague, International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago, Performance Arcade, Wellington, NZ, 606 Trail, Chicago, Gallery 400, Chicago, SAIC Galleries, Chicago.

He is organizer of IN>TIME Tri Annual performance festival in Chicago.

Since Summer 2019 Mark has collaborated with Kelly Kaczynski on a residency project at The Poor Farm, Wisconsin and since 2023 NIDO LIVING IN THE PLAY, Monte Castello di Vibio, Italy.

Since summer of 2018, Mark has created a performance space in his home, called Ohklahomo. The space allows for emerging and established artists to connect, make new work and always includes a dinner.