Markus Hanakam
was born 1979 in Essen, Germany. After studying two years at the University
Essen (Faculty for Art and Design), 2000-2002, he moved to Vienna, Austria
where he graduated at the University of Applied Arts in 2006 with a Master
degree in Art Education, 2009 Master degree in Sculpture and Multimedia.
Roswitha
Schuller was born in 1984 in Friesach, Austria. She studied at the University
of Applied Arts Vienna (2002-2007) and graduated 2007 with a Master degree in
Art Education, 2009 Master degree in Sculpture and Multimedia. 2008-2012 Ph.D.
studies at the University of Applied Arts, she holds a Doctoral Degree in Art
Sociology.
Since 2004 they
collaborate as duo, their work is shown at Museums and Festivals in an
international context, including Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin, Eyebeam
Center for Art and Technology, New York, Palais de Tokyo, Paris, ISEA 2011,
Istanbul, 4th Moscow International Biennale for Contemporary Art
2011 among others.
The artefacts made by the two artists who live in
Vienna are often shape-shifters, changing their exterior forms and reappearing
in different contexts. As artists and researchers they are engaged in
restructuring the visual art rulebook and building up idiosyncratic systemic
orders and new visions of the world in their videos and objects. In the process
they reflect and ironize various historical and contemporary artistic
strategies as well as their means of expression. They work primarily in the
realm of video, interactive computer applications, drawing and applied forms of
art.
They gained
several awards like the MAK Schindler Fellowship in Los Angeles as well as the
State Grant for Fine Arts from the Federal Chancellery of Austria. Their short
Film “INVASION” is awarded as Jury Selection Work at Japan Media Arts Festival
2012. Markus Hanakam & Roswitha Schuller are visiting curators at
Medienwerkstatt Wien 2014. Hanakam & Schullers first large publication
Trickster (De Gruyter ed.) is released in autumn 2016.http://www.hanakam-schuller.com/