Martin Breindl
Martin Breindl, 2018, photo by Ksenia Yurkova
MARTIN BREINDL * 19.7.1963 in Vienna, Austria, is visual artist, media artist, theoretician and curator. He studied at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna and at the University of Vienna. He is co-founder of alien productions. He works in the fields of media-performance, installation, net.art, radio art, sound art, video art and visual arts. Since 2001 he is one of the curators of FLUSS – society for the promotion of photo- and media art, based in Wolkersdorf, Austria; from 2005 to 2008 co-curator of the International Photographic Triennial Backlight in Tampere, FIN. In 2018 he was visiting professor for visual culture at the School of Art, Dept. of Art, Design and Architecture at the Aalto University in Espoo, FIN. Since 2020, together with Ksenia Yurkova, he organises and curates the artist in residence program AIR InSILo in Hollabrunn, Lower Austria. He currently lives and works in Vienna and Hollabrunn.

alien productions was founded 1997 by the artists Martin Breindl (A), Norbert Math (I), Andrea Sodomka (A) and August Black (USA) as an artists’ network for theory and practice of new technology and media. All the artists – either separately or together or in co-operation with other artists, technicians and scientists – have worked in the field of technological art since 1985. The range of their works includes media-performances and -installations, electronic music, net.art, radio art, sound art, interactives, video, visual arts and artistic photography. Major projects are: “Alien City”, “The Well-Tempered Kitchen” and “Embedded Systems” among others. Typical for some of their interactive installations is the use of high end medical interfaces, like a computer aided biofeedback system in “Autoregulative Spaces” or a non-mydriatic fundus camera for “The Thought Projector”. Since 2013 they are working on their long-term project “metamusic” which involves a flock of grey parrots as creative partners in an artistic research process, and since 2021 on “Performing Utopia”, an opera for artifical intelligence. [alien productions: http://alien.mur.at/].


Residencies:

2014 Artist in Residence, Stadt Judenburg, A
2013 Artists in Residence, European Cities of Advanced Sounds Network, EU [ap]
2012 Artists in Residence, Kunstwerk Krastal, A [ap]
2005 Artists in Residence, UnitedMediaArts, Durham, CAN [ap]

Awards and grants (incl. alien productions, selection):

2019 award of distinction of Lower Austria for media art
2016-18 PEEK (Programme for Arts-based Research) of the FWF
2014 CYNETART ARTE Creative Commission
2008 award of Lower Austria for presentation and mediation of contemporary visual art (Non-Profit Galleries)
2006 award of the province of Lower Austria for media art
1995 Austrian state grant for visual arts
1994 award of the province of Lower Austria for visual arts
1992 grant of the Austrian ministry of culture for visual arts
1990 award of the province of Lower Austria for visual arts

Exhibitions, installations, performances and projects (incl. alien productions, selection):

2023 Too Bad for the Egg, Performance, ORF Radiokulturhaus, Wien, A, art’s birthday 23
2022 Performing Utopia, an AI opera, Fylkingen, Stockholm, SE, musAIc festival.
Fallen wie Kirschblüten, Hidden Museum, Fraxern, A
Identities – The Inner Border, Pawelhaus, Bad Radkersburg, A
HZWEIO, generative Klanginstallation, Hollabrunn, A, Viertelfestival NÖ [mit Bernhard Kathan]
HZWEIO, generative Klanginstallation, Flachau, A, festival minus20degrees [mit Bernhard Kathan]
2021 Performing Utopia, esc medien kunst labor, Graz, A
Plane Catchers, AIR InSILO, Hollabrunn, A
2018 Ultima Thule. Island als Narration, Fluss – Initiative für Foto- und Medienkunst, Wolkersdorf, A
2017 ANIMA_L, Fluss – Initiative für Foto- und Medienkunst, Wolkersdorf, A
Autoregulative Spaces . The Quantified Self, liquid music fin2, Wies, A
metamusic, kristallin #45, Salzamt, Linz, A
Seascapes, Prozor Gallery, Belgrade Photo Month, Belgrad, SRB (mit Wolfgang Müllner)
2016 Seascapes, Atelier Setzer-Tschiedel, European Month of Photography, Wien, A (mit Wolfgang Müllner)
Buchstaben, Worte, Texte in fotografischen Bildern, Fotoforum Innsbruck, A
2015 metamusic, Höhenrausch, OK Linz, A
HZWEIO, generative Klanginstallation, Fraxern, hidden museum, A [mit Bernhard Kathan]
Bodies/Antibodies, Invasion of the Barbarians, Poznań, PL
2014 The Well-Tempered Kitchen, Invasion of the Barbarians, Poznań, PL
metamusic, CYNETART Festival, Dresden, GER
Alien City, Sound City Days, Kunsthalle, Kosice, SK
Tiefensonde, K.U.L.M, A
2013 metamusic, ECAS und musikprotokoll im steirischen herbst, Graz, A
Social Wirtshaus Web, Eferding, festival der regionen OÖ, A
Tiefensonde, Retz, Viertelfestival NÖ, A
2012 In die Stadt einschreiben, Art in public space Styria, Graz, A
Essen mit Tieren, Event, Museumszentrum Mistelbach [mit Heinz Cibulka]
Tiefensonde, kunstwerk krastal, A
2011 Hear the Light! See the Sound! Eisenstadt, A, Budapest, HU, Bayreuth, GER, Weimar, GER, Bratislava, SK, Leipzig, D, London, GB, Zagreb, HR, Luzern, CH
Ich male Ihr Problem, Schiers, Ein Museum in Bewegung, CH
Alien City Window, Eikon SchAUfenster, Museumsquartier, Wien, A
Perpetuum Mobile | Airwaves, Prellenkirchen, Viertelfestival NÖ, A
2010 Vapor Trails of Europe, mur.sat, a space art project by mur.at Graz, A, LEO
Bodies/Antibodies, Roxy/ NoD, Prag, Experimentální prostor, CZ
Ich male Ihr Problem, Galerie Splitter Art, Wien, A
2009 RAPTORreloaded, bird defense through sound art, Falkenstein, Viertelfestival NÖ, A
2008 Alien City, Austrian Cultural Forum, Tokyo, J
Tiefenrausch, OK Offenes Kulturhaus OÖ, Linz, A
Transformator, Kunstraum Engländerbau, Vaduz, FL (mit starsky und Martin Walch)
The Thought Projector, LightInsight; NTT ICC [Intercommunications Center], Tokyo, JP
Der Gedankenprojektor, ZeitRaumZeit; Künstlerhaus Wien, A
Homogenisator, MITO Settembre Musica; Hangar Bicocca, Milano, I
Der Gedankenprojektor, ARS Electronica 08; Linz, A
2007 Der Gedankenprojektor, Künstlerhaus Graz, A
Personale, Galerie SplitterArt, Wien, A
Transmission, Museum Walzengravieranstalt, Guntramsdorf, Viertelfestival NÖ, A
Cross-Talk, Sound Dimension; Koldo Mitxelena Kulturunea, San Sebastián, E
Das Schnelle Wort, x-tended, media-art from Austria; Egon-Schiele-Museum, Neulengbach, A
2006 Cross-Talk, Fotogalerie Wien A (mit Machfeld)
2005 Die wohltemperierte Küche, mit dem Ensemble “die reihe”; Tulln, A
Das Schnelle Wort, Interfaces, Galerie IG Bildende Kunst, Wien, A (mit Sandor Ajzenstat)
Personale, Galeria Wozownia, Torun, PL
ncc - netART community congress; Dom im Berg, Graz, A
Alien City, soused[ka]; Austrian Cultural Forum, Praha, CZ
Fabulous Festival of Fringe Film; Symphony Barn, Durham, CAN
Personale, Durham Art Gallery, Durham, CAN
2004 Zwischenraum, Galeria Szyperska, Poznán, PL
Ars Electronica 04, Linz, A
Alien City, sused[ka]; Dom Fotografie, Poprad, SK
Alien City : Mobile Home, Virtual Frame, Project Space Kunsthalle Wien, A
The Well-Tempered Kitchen, Viertelfestival NÖ, A
2003 Arbeitsmuster, Factory / Artothek NÖ, Krems, A
Alien City, Listening In the Sound Kitchen, University of Princeton and Baltimore, USA
Alien City, Traumlandschaften; Puschkinskaja 10, St.Petersburg, RUS
2002 The Well-Tempered Kitchen, Stazione di Topolò / Postaja Toplolove IX; Topolò, I
Alien City, Altermedium 02; Dom, Moskau, RUS and Mussorgsky Ural Conservatory, Jekaterinburg, RUS
2001 Alien City, musikprotokoll im steirischen herbst 01; Dom im Berg, Graz, A
Alien City, hamburger musikfest; musikhalle hamburg, GER
2000 GATEways, Event on site-on line-on air: Melbourne-Beograd-Wien-Erfurt/Weimar-Vancouver
The Well-Tempered Kitchen, liquid music – stadtsignaturen; Judenburg, A
Re-Play. the beginnings of international media-art in Austria ; Generali Foundation, Wien, A
1999 Sound Drifting, OK Center for contemporary art, Linz, A (ein Kunstradio-Projekt)
Embedded Systems – the Mix, Klangkunstfestival UND II; Wiesbaden, GER
Wir waren ja nur Mädchen, Residenztheater - Marstall, München, GER
Autoregulative Spaces, Biofeedbackinstallation; “European Forum Alpbach”, A
1998 Wir waren ja nur Mädchen, OK Center for contemporary art, Linz, A
Wortstaub Partikelwelt, Museum der Wahrnehmung, Graz, A [mit Petra Ganglbauer, Peter Pessl]
Body Augmentation, Resistance Fluctuations; ACE Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
The Stage is Vacant, Austrian Artists Take Space; Otis Gallery, Los Angeles, USA
1997 Escenario vacio, Centro de la Imagen, Mexico City, MEX
Klangatoll, permanente Installation, Kulturlandschaft Paasdorf, A
Recycling the Future IV; Radiokulturhaus Wien, A
Embedded Systems, 2000 minus 3, artspace plus interface; Graz, A; Steirischer Herbst 97
Recycling the Future I; documentaX; Hybrid Workspace, Orangerie Kassel, GER
1996 Body Augmentation, Musik und Licht; Podewil, Berlin, GER
Die Differenzmaschine, sonambiente. festival für hören und sehen; Berliner Ensemble, Berlin, GER
1995 LIFEStations, StadtRaum Remise, Wien, A [mit Eva Rotter]
1994 State of Transition, telematic live-radio-internet-event; Neue Galerie Graz - V2 Rotterdam –
Internet - ORF Kunstradio (with Gerfried Stocker, Joel Ryand et al.) Neue Galerie Graz, Studio, Graz, A
Zeitgleich; Kunsthalle Tirol, Hall, A
L'arte dell ascolto; Rimini, I
1993 Progetto Civitella d'Agliano, I
Österreichische Triennale zur Fotografie 1993; Neue Galerie Graz, A
Trigésimo Festival de Música Religiosa; Templo de la Encarnacion, Popayán, COL
3er Festival Internacional de Música Contemporánea; Centro Cultural, Bogotá, COL
1992 Im Augenblick; Haus Wittgenstein, Wien, A
Das Andere Mittelalter; Kunst Halle Krems, A
Galerie Eigen+Art, Berlin, GER
1991 Österreich Heute; Konzerthaus Wien, A
Interferenzen III; Museum Moderner Kunst Wien, A (with Igor Lintz-Maués)
1990 NÖ Landesmuseum, Blau Gelbe Galerie, Wien, A

Radio art (incl. alien productions, selection):

2021 alien productions; „Performing Utopia. Eine Radiooper“, ORF Kunstradio
2013 alien productions; „Social Wirtshaus Web“, ORF Kunstradio
2012 alien productions; „Tiefensonde02“, ORF Kunstradio
2010 alien productions; „Vapor Trails of Europe“, EBU Ars Acustica, mur.sat
2009 alien productions; „RAPTORremixed“, ORF Kunstradio
2001 Martin Breindl; „Famous/Glamorous“, ORF Kunstradio
1999 alien productions; „Wortstaub Partikelwelt. Brainwaveversion“, ORF Kunstradio
1997 alien productions; „Embedded Systems. Eine Housemusik“, ORF Kunstradio
1996 Sodomka/Breindl/Math/Mechtler/Ganglbauer; „ Algebraische Muster“, ORF Kunstradio, ORF Zeitton
1995 Sodomka/Breindl/Math; „The History of the Future of Memory“, ORF Zeitton
1994 Sodomka/Breindl; „Klangnachricht mit Redefragmenten“, ORF Zeitton
1991 Martin Breindl; „Ornamentale Reise“, ORF Kunstradio
Sodomka/Breindl/Math; „Frozen Moments - Ungefähre Wirklichkeit“, ORF Studio Neuer Musik

Curatorships, Teaching (selection):

2018 Visiting Professor for Visual Culture, Aalto University, Espoo, FIN
2012 Im Takt von Hell und Dunkel. Personal Show Heinz Cibulka Museumszentrum Mistelbach, A , CoCa Torun, PL (curator)
2010-16 Workshops about media art at Fondazione Studio Marangoni, Florenz, I
2005-09 Co-curator of the Triennial BACKLIGHT in Tampere, FIN
since 2005 Member of Oracle, International Photocurators Organisation
since 2001 Curator of FLUSS - society for the promotion of photo and media art
2001-02 Content Designer of ORF Kunstradio Online
Jury member of the International Computermusic Conference 2004, New Orleans, USA, Grand Prix Fotofestiwal 2009, Lodz, PL , Kulturpreise des Landes NÖ, Medienkunst, 2009, a.o. Lectures, workshops and portfolio reviews: University of Princeton USA, UMBC University of Maryland Baltimore USA, Universität Luxembourg, Mussorgsky Konservatorium in Jekaterinburg RUS, ICC InterCommunicationsCenter Tokyo JP, SAGA University Kyoto JP, M55projects, Athen, GR, and in the farme of festivals and symposions: Mission Jeunes Artistes/Printemps en Septembre Toulose F, Transmediale Berlin GER, Fotofestiwal Lodz PL, Backlight Tampere FIN, Tranzistor Zagreb HR, City of Women Ljubljana SLO, European Month of Photography, Vienna, A, a.o.

Discography, DVD (selection):

alien productions: Tiefensonde; CD, Kunstwerk Krastal, 2013
alien productions: in state of transition; CD, EIKON, 2012
alien productions: RAPTORreloaded; DVD, Edition Kunstradio Wien, 2009
martin walch, starsky, alien productions: TRANSFORMATOR; DVD, 2009
alien productions: Die wohltemperierte Küche; CD, pumpkin records; pump 10-2004
alien productions: Alien City; ORF Landesstudio Stmk., ORF Ö1, Zangi Music; ORF DVD 706, 2003
Sodomka/Breindl: wir waren ja nur Mädchen; CD, OK Centrum OÖ, Linz, 1998

Monographies (selection):

alien productions, in state of transition; with texts by Werner Fenz, Daniel Gilfillan, José Iges, Marta Smolinska, Wien, EIKON, 2012
wir waren ja nur Mädchen; Linz, OK Centrum für Gegenwartskunst Oberösterreich, 1998
Sodomka/Breindl, State of Transition; Katalog: Neue Galerie am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz, Gesellschaft der Freunde der Neuen Galerie, 1994
Ursula Pürrer Helmut Rainer Andrea Sodomka Martin Breindl *MANIFESTO*; catalogue of the Niederösterreichischen Landesmuseums, Neue Folge Nr. 229, Vienna, 1990

Published texts (selection):

alien productions, Autoregulative Räume and 4°C; in: liquid music /fin2, Wien, 2017
Martin Breindl, About the Impossibility of (not) Disappearing; in: Surrender to Spaces, Fotografien und Zeichnungen von Elisa Andessner (2012-2015), Linz 2015
Martin Breindl, Twitter . Messages out of Abandoned Nests; in: eyes on, Monat der Fotografie Wien, Salzburg, Fotohof edition, 2014
Martin Breindl, Gateway to the World; in: Art in Public Space Styria, Projects 2009, Wien, Springer, 2011
Martin Breindl, The Reality-Producing Machine; in: Art in Public Space Styria, Projects 2007-2008, Wien, Springer, 2010
Martin Breindl, Folding Space. And Beyond; Kunstradio [Art Radio] and the “on air - on line - on site” Projects: A Report from Experience; in: frakcija, performing arts journal # 45-46; Zagreb, 2008
Martin Breindl, Underexposed Snapshots From the Future; in: Backlight 05 - 7th International Photographic Triennial in Tampere, Finland, Tampere: Photographic Centre Nykyaika, 2005
Martin Breindl, Bewegung in Möglichkeitsformen; in: weiche welten liesl ujvary, Wien, Wiener Stadt- und Landesbibliothek, 2004
Martin Breindl, Microcosmos and Macrocosmos; in: Sound Drifting, i silenzi parlano tra loro; Wien, Triton, 2000
alien productions, Wortstaub Partikelwelt; in:Decodierung – Recodierung (Deterritorialisierung – Reterriorialisierung): Ein Lesebuch; Hg.: Toni Kleinlercher; Wien, Triton Verlag, 2000
Martin Breindl, Autoregulative Räume; in: Materie, Geist und Bewusstsein, Europäisches Forum Alpbach 1999; Wien, Ibera Verlag, 2000
Martin Breindl, Ein Haus zum Sprechen bringen; in: wir waren ja nur Mädchen; Linz, OK Centrum für Gegenwartskunst Oberösterreich, 1998
Martin Breindl, IMMERSIVE SOUND - The World in A Box; in: Audio Art, Kunst in der Stadt 2; Bregenz, Bregenzer Kunstverein, 1998
Martin Breindl, lo res vs. hifi. Kunst Internet; in: Positionen 31, Beiträge zur Neuen Musik: Internet; Berlin, Verlag Positionen, April 1997
Sodomka/Breindl/Math, Nahe Ferne.Zeitgleich; in: Zeitgleich; Wien - Hamburg, Triton Verlag, 1995