Ruth Schnell

Ruth Schnell is an Austrian media artist, professor for media arts and curator. She has been working with computer-aided tools since the mid-1980s. Her artistic research focusses on examining the perception of images/sound/language in connection with different concepts of reality. Her corpus of work furthermore explores the nature of human perception as well as the relationship between perception and the body. She is considered an expert in dynamic projection. Large scale pieces such as Territorism (2002), Gegen die Zeit (2001/2008) or Topography of Movement (2016) use digital image production and differing movement patterns to remodel real space through cinematic sequence. Moreover, she has done pioneering work by investigating spatial and contextual implications of the after-image phenomenon in different series of works using LED light sticks. In recent years she has extended her body of work with pieces exploring aspects of immersion, such as fulldome and mixed reality environments.
 
Since 2010 she is Head of the Digital Arts Department at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. In this function, she has been conducting several international artistic research projects such as the HRSM project Socially Aligned Visual Art Technology and Perception (since 2017), the PEEK arts-based research project DIGITAL SYNESTHESIA (FWF) (2013-2016) or the EU-Culture-project E/M/D/L – European Mobile Dome Lab (2014-2015). These projects contribute to the development of artistic languages connected to new media and new technologies and research at the intersection of art and technology.
 
Her work has been widely acclaimed and exhibited nationally and internationally. Latest exhibitions include venues like The Galaxy Museum of Contemporary Art in Chongqing / China, the PrintScreen Festival 2019 in Holon / Israel or the iX Symposium 2019 in Montréal / Canada, where she also received the Visionary Pioneer Award. In 1995 she represented Austria at the 46th Biennale di Venezia.

TEACHING AND CURATORIAL PRACTICES

2017: Concept and idea FUTURE ROOM (with Gerald Bast, Martin Kusch and Peter Weibel), exhibition ÄSTHETIK DER VERÄNDERUNG. 150 Jahre Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien, Vienna

2016: Workshop on Digital Arts at Summer School Venice

2011- present: Head of the Department of Digital Arts at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, AUT

2009- present: Curator Schauraum (a non-profit art space dedicated to digital arts), Museumsquartier Wien, Vienna, AUT

1999: Interim director of Master Class for Visual Media Design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna

1990–1996: Teaching activity at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Austrian Film Academy (Film and Television Dept.) in Vienna

1994–1995: Guest professor for video and media art at the University of Visual Arts in Bratislava, Slovakia

1987- present: Teaching activity at the University of Applied Arts Vienna


ARTISTIC RESEARCH

2020-2024 LeFo — Teaching and research infrastructure for digital arts Universities, (BMBWF), cooperation between Donau University Krems (Dr. Oliver Grau), University of Arts Linz (Dr.in Christa Sommerer, Dr. Laurent Mignonneau), and University of Applied Arts Vienna (Prof. Ruth Schnell - Project leader), AUT

2020-2024 Spot On MozART — Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) cooperation between Mozarteum University Salzburg (Prof. Elisabeth Gutjahr), University of Applied Arts Vienna (Prof. Ruth Schnell), AUT

2020-2023 PEEK arts-based research project */Neuromatic Game Art: Critical play with neurointerfaces/*, artist researcher, AUT

2017- present: Project leader, Socially Aligned Visual Art Technology and Perception (HRSM-project), AUT

2014-2015: E/M/D/L – European Mobile Dome Lab, artistic research project, project leader and artistic research, Athens, Dresden, Montreal, Plymouth, Vienna

2013-2016: PEEK arts-based research project DIGITAL SYNESTHESIA (FWF), project leader and artistic research, AUT

2011- 2012: 3D-Druck, Prototyping, research project with teaching artists, Digital Arts Department, University of Applied Arts Vienna, GRC, DEU, CAN, GBR, AUT

2008–2010: d_lia, digital library at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, archiving project of the university library with the Ursula-Blickle-Archiv and with scholars and scientists Jurjevec-Koller, Hubert Sielecki, Virgil Widrich, AUT

2006–2009: CORPOrealities, science project, transdisciplinary research project with the Vienna University of Medicine and the University of Applied Arts Vienna, AUT

2006–2008: PodSpot, research project with Tom Fürstner and students of Digital Arts at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, AUT
2007- present: Video and media art consultant for the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts, and Culture


AWARDS AND RESIDENCIES

2019: Visionary Pioneer Award – iX Symposium 2019, Society for Arts and Technology [SAT], CA

2008: Austrian honorary prize for video and media art, AUT

2005–2006: Artist in residence at ZKM, Karlsruhe, DEU

2004: Artist in residence at 18th Street Art Center, Santa Monica, in cooperation with Californian Science Center, Los Angeles, USA

2001: International art prize of the federal state Vorarlberg, AUT

2000: International grant for working in the USA (together with Alfons Schilling) from the Austrian Ministry for Arts with Steina Vasulka, AUT/USA

1990: Prix Ars Electronica recognition prize, Linz, AUT; Prize from the State of Vorarlberg, AUT

1993: International Studio grant (6 months) in Tokyo from the Austrian Ministry for Arts, AUT/JPN; Invited artist with the international project "Babel", symposium and workshop at the University of Media in Cologne (headed by Fabrizio Plessi), carried out by UNESCO and University of Media in Cologne, DEU; Invited artist to the international workshop "Light Art with Laser" in Mohomirovce, SVK

1992: Rudolf-Wacker-Preis, AUT


ADVISORY BOARDS

2015: Memorial (public art project), member of the jury, Bregenz, Austria

2013: Bahnhofsvorplatz (public art project), member of the jury, Hohenems, Austria

2007- present: Video and media art consultant for the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts, and Culture, AUT

2003: Member of the jury Nationalpark Thayatal, information building with media environments (headed by Wolf Prix of Coop Himmelb(l)au), Austria

2001–2005: Member of advisory board and competition jury for art and architecture for the Vorarlberg government’s Department of Culture


ACADEMIC EDUCATION

2009: Habilitation at the University of Applied Arts Vienna in Digital Arts with an emphasis on video installations and interactive environments

1984–1988: Visual media art (Prof. Peter Weibel), University of Applied Arts Vienna

1980–1987: Art education (Prof. Peter Weibel), University of Applied Arts Vienna

1978–1980: Painting, University of Applied Arts Vienna and University of Art and Design Linz

1976–1977: Visual arts (Prof. Arch. Laurids Ortner), University of Art and Design Linz, Austria