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 teaches at the Professional Association of Visual Artists in Berlin (BBK-Berlin) and is associated lecturer at the Hof University of Applied Sciences. He was lecturer at the Berlin University of the Arts, University of Paderborn, department of media studies as well as at the University of Oldenburg, department of art and visual culture.

Spahn presented his work in national and international exhibitions (Selection):
Karachi Biennale 2017, Pakistan; Bienal de Artes Mediales - Santiago de Chile 2017; “Feedback” West Den Haag 2017; Wagner Museum Bayreuth 2017; Maximilian Forum, München 2017; “T2F” Karachi, Pakistan 2016, “Venkatappa Gallery” Bangalore, India 2016, „Montag Modus“ Collegium Hungaricum Berlin 2016; Bodenlos – Vilem Flusser und die Künste 2015-2017, Akademie der Künste, Berlin and Galerie AMU, Prague; Croatia; Musrara Mix 2015, Jerusalem, Israel; 2010 Biennial of Miniature Art in Serbia; 2010 Media-Scape in Zagreb, 2005 Biennial in Prague, Czech Republic; 2003 The Kosovo Art Gallery in Pristina, Kosovo; 2000 Biennial of young Art in Genua, Italy;

He was also exhibiting at international Festivals of Media Art (Selection):
EMAF - European Media Art Festival 2017; “Shiny Toys” Mühlheim 2016; Transmediale 2012 and 2014, Berlin, Germany; PIXEL09 and 15 in Bergen, Norway; 2009 The Art of the Overhead in Malmö, Sweden; 2008 and 2009 Internationales Klangkunstfest in Berlin, Germany;

Commissioned work “Southern Cross, Remediation” IwalewaHaus Bayreuth, Germany 2015;

He was resident at:
BangaloREsidency - Srishti Institute of Art, Bangalore 2017
Stiftung Künstlerdorf Schöppingen 2017/18
Maggelan 2020, Punta Arenas, Chile 2018

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

Publications:

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