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ABOUT

In Susi Gelb’s artistic cosmos, the boundaries between nature and technology, the organic and the artificial, are blurred and ultimately dissolved. The artist oscillates between the concepts of control and chance, merging algorithm, randomness, entropy and material agency, to create environments that lead a certain life of their own.

In the studio, Susi Gelb is something of an alchemist – testing materials, processes, new technologies, interactions. Outside she is highly aware of the context. This is how a sculpture may glow in the dark, with its embedded phosphorescence. And this is also how a palm tree grows impossibly in the middle of Odeonsplatz in Munich. Her multimedia installations modify the perception of space, physics, time. 

Susi Gelb (born 1985 in Bad Tölz, Germany) is based in Berlin, Germany. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in 2014. She has been artist in residence Fogo Island Arts (Newfoundland, Canada), at w-o-l-k-e (Brussels, Belgium) and Malimage Monitor Center (Sri Lanka). She recently exhibited at Nir Altman (Munich, Germany), Like a little disaster (Polignano a Mare, Italy), der Stuhl (Seoul, South Korea), Museum Schloss Moyland (Bedburg-Hau, Germany), The Lighthouse (Zurich, Switzerland), and at Frieze London within the Curated Section (London, UK). In 2015 Susi Gelb co-founded the nomadic artist-run space easy!upstream in Munich, and has curated several exhibitions.

Nature is never finished, exhibition booklet, 2024
UNSEE, exhibition booklet, 2024
UNSEE, exhibition text, 2023
Loopzring, Zurich, Preview PDF, 2022
Loopzring, Zurich, Press Release, 2022
Unworlding, Booklet, Frieze London 2021
User-defined landscape, exhibition booklet, 2020
User-defined landscape, exhibition text by Dominikus Müller, 2020 (EN)
User-defined landscape, Ausstellungstext von Dominikus Müller, 2020 (DE)
Enzyklopädie von S bis G, 2013, 118 pages, layout: Laura Sirch, editor: Felix Gaudlitz

SELECTED PRESS

Kubaparis: Soft Liquids, Hard Shells, June 2024
1e9: Ein Dirigent mit neuem Orchester – Die Kuenstlerin Susi Gelb über ihre Kooperation mit Ki, Oktober 2022
Tagesspiegel, Mehr Berlin: Leuchtendes Beispiel, Juli 2020
Gallerytalk, Interview: Verflochtene Hierarchien, Juni 2020
Vice, diese Künstlerin erschafft mitten in München tropische Oasen, Juli 2017
Gallerytalk.net, Albino-Schlange auf LED Screen, Juli 2017
UND Magazin, Dreimal Tropen, Juli 2017
ZEIT Magazin, Die Spartanische, Mai 2017
Freundart: Unspaced Measures, interview with Madeleine Freund, 2014
Hallertauer Zeitung, Autos auf dem Dach wie hilflose Maikäfer, Juni 2010

Born in Bad Tölz, DE
Based in Berlin, DE

Since 2015 Susi Gelb co-operates the nomadic artist-run space easy!upstream

Prizes and Residencies
2024 Residency, Kunstraum Konrad, Puchberg am Schneeberg, AT
2023 Resicency, The Arctic Hideaway, Bodø, NO
2021 Neustart Kultur Stipend, DE
2019 Leif Rumke Prize, Munich, DE
2019 Residency, Fogo Island, Newfoundland, CA
2018 Bavarian Art Award, Munich, DE
2017 Studio Grant, Bavaria, DE
2017 Residency at Malimage Monitor Center, Hikkaduwa, LK
2016 First prize, competition by invitation „Public Art Munich 2017“, DE
2015 Nominee of Georg Meistermann Stipend, Bonn
2014 Residency, w-o-l-k-e, Brussels, BE
2013 Catalogue Grant by lfa Bank, Munich, DE
2010-2014 Federal Grant for emerging artists, Cusanuswerk, Bonn, DE

Education
2014 Diploma, Academy of Fine Arts Munich, DE
2013 First State Examination, Academy of Fine Arts Munich, DE
2012 Master Student of Professor Olaf Metzel
2008-2014 Academy of Fine Arts Munich, Germany, with Professor Magdalena Jetelová, Professor Olaf Metzel, Professor Julian Rosefeldt
2008-2014 Residencies and guest studies in South Korea, Portugal, Belgium, Serbia, Kosovo, Georgia, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Turkey

Lectures and Artist Talks
2022 Capri-Batterie, Artist Talk with Dr. Alexander Grönert, Museum Schloss Moyland, Kleve, DE
2022 Vortices, Artist Talk, Lighthouse, Zurich, CH
2019 Polar Vortex, Artist Talk, Fogo Island Arts, Newfoundland, CA
2018 Mythological systems, Artist Talk, Citrus North, Munich, DE
2018 Artist Talk at Platform, Munich, DE
2013 Encyclopedia, Artist Talk at Klasse Metzel, Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, DE
2010-2013 Organisation of the lecture and workshop series jour fixe at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich with Ayse Erkmen, Mona Hatoum, Santiago Sierra, Monica Bonvicini, Bruce LaBruce, Daniel Buren, Wolfgang Tillmans, Hans Haacke et al.

Solo and Duo Exhibitions
2025 Easy abyss, strobe, New York, US (upcoming)
2024 Soft liquids hard shells, with Davide Allieri, Kunstraum Konrad, Puchberg am Schneeberg, AT
2023 Art Cologne, with Josephine Baker, Cologne, DE
2023 Unsee, Nir Altman, Munich, DE
2023 Wanderer, with Geum Bi Hwang 금, Der Stuhl, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, KR
2023 C, with Niko Abramidis &NE, Marathokampos, Samos, GR
2023 Liste Art Fair Basel, CH
2022 LOOPZRING, Lighthouse, Zurich, CH
2021 Reality is a Fake, with Catalin Pislaru, Artissima, Turin, IT
2021 Unworlding, curated by Cedric Fauq, Frieze London, UK
2021 T2051MCC, Bellevue di Monaco, Munich, DE
2020 User-defined landscape, Nir Altman, Munich, DE
2019 49°, with Niko Abramidis &NE, Fogo Island Arts, Newfoundland, CA
2018 MYTHE EN PLACE, with Regine Rode, Cité Internationale, Paris, FR
2018 Fluidity device, Escape Hatch, New York, USA
2017 NO SUCH THINGS GROW HERE, public art project, Munich, DE
2015 Field office, Menath Metal Museum, Puchheim, DE
2015 Full size original ∞ loading, with Gabi Blum, Kunstarkaden, Munich, DE
2014 Night yellow, w-o-l-k-e, Brussels, BE
2014 Results, easy II, Headegg, Munich, DE
2014 Unspaced measures, Diploma Show, Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, DE
2013 Enzyklopädie von S bis G, curated by Felix Gaudlitz, Knust x Kunz, Munich, DE
2012 ESC, with Carola Keitel, Galerija FLU, Belgrade, RS

Group Exhibitions
2024 Invited, Werkschauhalle, Spinnerei Leipzig, DE
2024 Serpentinite, PAW, Karlsruhe, DE
2024 Nature is never finished, Galerie Borchardt, Hamburg, DE
2023 An insurmountable tension to the level of an incommensurability, Like a Little Disaster, Polignano a Mare, IT
2023 Control and Coincidence, Villa Grunewald, Berlin, DE
2022 Jahresgaben Kunstverein München, Munich, DE
2022 Backbord, Steuerbord, Empfangshalle Munich, DE
2022 Kritamon Oracle, Marathokampos, Samos, GR
2022 Amid Summer Night, Auction for Joan Jonas, Haus der Kunst, Munich, DE
2022 100 Jahre Joseph Beuys, Gegenüberstellungen, Museum Schloss Moyland, DE
2021 Jahresgaben Kunstverein München, Munich, DE
2021 100 Jahre Joseph Beuys, Gegenüberstellungen, Museum Schloss Moyland, Kleve, DE
2021 Various Others, Nir Altman, Munich, DE
2020 Jahresgaben, Kunstverein München, Munich, DE
2020 TROST, Galerie der Künstler, Munich, DE
2020 transformative figures, Schaulager Basel, CH
2020 ground level, Berlin, DE
2019 Jahresgaben, Kunstverein München, DE
2019 Disruptive Scenario, Z Common Ground, Munich, DE
2019 Inspiration Meisterwerk, Museum Villa Roth, Burgrieden-Roth, DE
2019 Imitations, Kunsthaus Raab, Munich, DE
2018 Jahresgaben, Kunstverein München, Munich
2018 CITRUS NORTH (artist & curator), Schwabinger Tor, Munich
2018 I shot Mercury to make this exhibition, Galerie Nir Altman, Munich
2017 Jahresgaben, Kunstverein München, Munich, DE
2017 PIN. Auction, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, DE
2017 3000 years Rhadamanthys Foundation, easy!upstream, Munich, DE
2016 Jahresgaben, Kunstverein München, Munich, DE
2016 Spreez at Dash, Dash Gallery, Kortrijk, BE
2016 Coral North (artist & curator), Schwabinger Tor, Munich, DE
2016 Machinery (artist & curator)/ easy!upstream Munich, DE
2016 Hybrids, Curated by We Are Hercules, Agip Gas Station, Munich, DE
2016 Upstream!edition (artist & curator), easy!upstream Munich, DE
2015 Art Unanchored, M.S. Stadt Wien, Vienna, AT
2015 It’s more like an elevator, Halle 12 Werkschau, Leipzig, DE
2015 Animal Friends, RSTR4, Munich, DE
2015 Jahresgaben, Kunstverein München, Munich, DE
2015 Idle upgrade illusion, easy!upstream Munich, DE
2014 Infame Esilio, studio5, Berlin, DE
2013 Quarterly Statement, easy!upstream, Munich, DE
2013 Take the manet and run, AdBK, Munich, DE
2013 II:NA-EN-DE-NA-EN-DE-NA-WIDA:II, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, DE
2013 I Never Read, Art Book Fair Basel, Volkshaus Basel, CH
2012 Doublings, curated by Gregor Schneider, Kunsthalle am Hamburger Platz, Berlin, DE
2012 Underworld, Galerie f5,6, Munich, DE
2011 Noordkaap EU Tour, Istanbul, TR
2011 Jetklasse Tbilisi, Tiflis, GE
2010 Pullout, Space Hamilton, Seoul, KR
2010 Jetklasse Seoul, Space Hamilton and Gallery27, Seoul, KR
2010 Kunst und Klima, Munich Re Insurance, Munich, DE
2010 Hermetisch Zwart, Eergiehuis Dordrecht, NL
2010 Zimmer frei, Hotel Mariandl, Munich, DE
2010 art goes green, Praterinsel Munich, DE
2010 Goldenes Dorf, Ruhr.2010, Recklinghausen, DE
2010 Kunstmeile Mainburg,  Mainburg, DE
2009 Jetklasse Lisboa, Fábrica do Braço de Prata, Lisbon, PT
2009 invasion occupation transformation, Norwich, UK
2009 Meine Projektion ist größer heller und schneller als deine, Akademiegalerie, Munich, DE
2008 Tirana Munich – so near so far, Lothringer 13, Munich, DE

Commissions and Public Art
2023 Ananti, Interior Design for Kerkis Echo, Stiftung Federkiel, Munich, DE
2021 T2051MCC, Set Design for the Climate Conference, Bellevue di Monaco Munich, DE
2020 First Price at Public Art Competition, Lenbachplatz, Schrobenhausen, DE
2017 No such things grow here, Public Art, Munich, DE
2010 Payback, Public Art, Mainburg in der Hallertau, DE