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Wolfgang Spahn

Wolfgang Spahn is an Austrian-German visual artist based in Berlin. His work includes interactive installations, miniature-slide-paintings and performances of light & sound. His art explores the field of analogue and digital media and focusses on both their contradiction and their correlation. That's why he is also specialized in re-appropriated and re-purposed electronic technologies.

Spahn's immersive audio-visual performances merge the technically distinct production of images and sounds. In this respect the data stream of a digital projector becomes audible whereas the sound created by electromagnetic fields of coils and motors will be visualised.

Spahn is fascinated by patterns and structures, be it in graphics, photo, video or electronic technology. He seeks to carve out the beauty of disruption, thus subverting the perfect surface that contemporary new media industry is trying to achieve.

For his creations he explores the abilities of hardware, constantly pushing its limitations in order to make it serve his artistic concept. Recently he developed analogue synthesizers as well as analogue computers and analog neuron networks and uses them to create abstract light-and-sound-sculptures.

Spahn is associated lecturer at the University of the Arts, Sound Studies and Sonic Arts.

Spahn presented his work in national and international exhibitions.And he was also exhibiting at international Festivals of Media Art.

Solo Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

2019 “Self-Similar and Strange” Art Claims Impulse, Berlin, Germany
2018 „Maailmankaikkeus“ (with Antti Pussinen and Dominik Eggerman) Diskurs Berlin, Germany
2018 “Symbolic Grounding” (with Christian Faubel) Glasmoog KHM, Köln, Germany
2018 “Symbolic Grounding” (with Christian Faubel) Gallery Diskurs, Berlin, Germany
2013 “Direction“ IWALEWAHAUS, Bayreuth, Germany
2011 “Analog_ien“ Galerie Durynek und Kammler, Eichstätt, Germany
2009 “Asymmetische Systeme II: Eis Sprung” Galerie Ardes, Berlin, Germany
2005 “Klima - Wandler …und wo sind die Myzelien” Galerie 35, Berlin, Germany
2003 “Himmel und Hölle“, Galerie 35, Berlin, Germany
2002 “Wir bau´n uns einen Führerbunker“, Galerie 35, Berlin, Germany
2001 “buy.onic“, Hot Pixel Gallery, Berlin, Germany
2000 “Kinetische Lichtobjekte“, Kunstverein ACUD, Berlin, Germany
1998 “Malanggan und was von SERO sonst noch übrig blieb“, Gallery 3te Etage, Tacheles, Berlin, Germany
1996 „Wechselstrombildung“, Orange Age, Berlin, Germany


Selection of Group Exhibitions:

Selection of Group Exhibitions:

2019 “KB19 - The Second Karachi Biennale” Karachi Pakistan
2019 “Open Labs” Science Gallery Dublin, Irland
2019 “Feedback #4: Marshall McLuhan and the Art” College for Creative Studies, Detroit, USA and University of Windsor, Canada
2018 “More than Human” Museum Kesselhaus, Berlin, Germany
2017 Karachi Biennale 17, Pakistan
2017 Bienal de Artes Mediales, Santiago de Chile, Chile
2017 “Feedback #1: Marshall McLuhan and the Art” West Den Haag, Netherland
2017 “Bodenlos – Vilem Flusser und die Künste” Galerie AMU, Prague
2017 “Remix Wagner” Wagner Museum Bayreuth, , Germany
2017 “Double Road” Maximilian Forum, München, , Germany
2016 “T2F” Karachi, Pakistan
2016 “Venkatappa Gallery” Bangalore, India
2016 „Montag Modus“ Collegium Hungaricum, Berlin, Germany
2015-16 “Bodenlos – Vilem Flusser und die Künste” Akademie der Künste, Berlin, , Germany
2015 “Musrara Mix” Jerusalem, Israel
2010 10th Biennial of Miniature Art, Gornji Milanovac, Republic of Serbia
2010 “Media-Scape” Zagreb, Republic of Croatia
2010 “Kunstraum Mausoleum” St. Matthäus Kirchhof, Berlin, Germany
2005 International Biennale of Contemporary Art, National Gallery Praque, Czech Republic
2003 “Cmimi - Muslim Mulliqi Prize” The Kosovo Art Gallery in Pristina, Republic of Kosovo
2002 “Arte in Contemporanea” Modena, Italy
2002 “Hicetnunc” Villa Manin di Passariano, Italy
2000 “Arti Visive 3” Genua, Italy


Selection of Media Art Festivals:

Selection of Media Art Festivals:

2018-19 Marler Medienkunst-Preis, Skulpturenmuseum Glaskasten Marl, Germany
2018 “Monitoring” 35. Kasseler Dokfest, Kassel, Germany
2017 EMAF - European Media Art Festival, Osnabrück, Germany
2016 “Shiny Toys” Mühlheim, Germany
2015 PIKSEL15, Bergen, Norway
2015 B-Seite, Mannheim, Germany
2014 Transmediale14, Berlin, Germany
2012 Transmediale 2k+12, Berlin, Germany
2009 PIXEL09, Bergen, Norway
2009 “The Art of the Overhead” Malmö, Sweden
2009 “tiefKLANG” Internationales Klangkunstfest, Berlin, Germany
2008 “farb_laut” Internationales Klangkunstfest, Berlin, Germany;


Commissioned work:

Commissioned work:

2015 “Southern Cross, Remediation” IwalewaHaus Bayreuth, Germany


Residencies:

Residencies:

2018 Maggelan 2020, Punta Arenas, Chile
2017-18 Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen, Germany
2016 BangaloREsidency - Srishti Institute of Art, Bangalore, India



About

Article Kontrollierte Entropie von Ulf Schleth, 2016

Video by Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan Bangalore, 2016

Interview by West Den Haag, 2017

Article Jeder Pakistaner ist ein Künstler Biennale in Karatschi by Ingo Arend, 2017

Video Painting with Lights by Art TV Pakistan, 2017


Publication:

Art of Wagnis Christoph Schlingensief's Crossing of Wagner and Africa



Wolfgang Spahn is a visual & sound artist based in Berlin. His work includes installations, performances of light & sound and miniature-slide-paintings. His art explores the field of analogue and digital media and focuses on both their contradiction and their correlation.
He is faculty member of the Sound Studies and Sonic Arts, Berlin University of the Arts.

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OPEN HARD- & SOFT-WARE

Here is most of the hard- and software the artist developed for his artwork.
DER NULLEFFEKT
PAPER-PCB
- Analog Computer
- Pop Neuron
- Paper-Duino
- Paper Synthesizer
- Paper Bits
- Raspberry Pi Hats
- VGA Synthesizer
- Sound Boards
ART COOPERATION

TEACHING

Miscellaneous

Old Web-Side
In Progress


Credits
Contact

Except where otherwise noted.
© 2018-22 Wolfgang Spahn. All Rights Reserved.