Ruth Schnell, born 1956 in Feldkirch (A).
Media artist, curator, professor for media arts, Head of the Department of Digital Arts at the University of Applied Arts Vienna
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
1978–1980 Painting, University of Applied Arts Vienna and University of Art and Design Linz
1980–1987 Art education (Prof. Peter Weibel), University of Applied Arts Vienna
1976–1977 Visual arts (Prof. Arch. Laurids Ortner), University of Art and Design Linz, Austria
Professional experience (selection):
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
Since 2009: Curator Schauraum (a non-profit art space dedicated to digital arts), Museumsquartier Wien, Vienna
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
1993: Six-month artist residency in Tokyo, Japan, from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education and Art
1993: Guest artist in Babel, project consisting of a symposium and workshop at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (director: Fabrizio Plessi), organized by UNESCO in cooperation with the Academy of Media Arts Cologne
1993: Guest artist in international workshop on light art with lasers in Mohomirovice, Slovakia
Since 1987: Teaching activity at the University of Applied Arts Vienna
Awards and Grants (selection):
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
1993: International Studio grant (6 months) in Tokyo from the Austrian Ministry for Arts, AUT/JPN
1993: 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
1993: Invited artist to the international workshop "Light Art with Laser" in Mohomirovce, SVK
1992: Rudolf-Wacker-Preis, AUT
1990: Prize from the State of Vorarlberg, AUT
1990: Prix Ars Electronica recognition prize, Linz, AUT
Public juries and advisory boards:
Since 2007: Video and media art consultant for the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts, and Culture
2015: Memorial (public art project), member of the jury, Bregenz, Austria
2013: Bahnhofsvorplatz (public art project), member of the jury, Hohenems, Austria
2001–2005: Member of advisory board and competition jury for art and architecture for the Vorarlberg government’s Department of Culture
2003: Member of the jury Nationalpark Thayatal, information building with media environments (headed by Wolf Prix of Coop Himmelb(l)au), Austria
Artistic research projects (selection):
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
Since 2017: Socially Aligned Visual Art Technology and Perception (HRSM-project), project leader, AUT
2013-2016: PEEK arts-based research project DIGITAL SYNESTHESIA (FWF), project leader and artistic research, AUT
2014-2015: E/M/D/L – European Mobile Dome Lab, artistic research project, project leader and artistic research, Athens, Dresden, Montreal, Plymouth, Vienna
2011/12: 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