About

Artist statement

As an enthusiast of microcosmic structures and organic, elementary particles Denise Schellmann researches the building blocks of her life artistically. Her versatile artwork is based on her many years of experience as a natural scientist, working between crystal structures and cell structures, between life and death in cancer research. Similar to a chemical synthesis, she transforms her scientific experience mixed with current personal impressions and interests into a new expressive and at the same time playful filigree formal language. If Cy Twombly was inspired by classical myths for his artistic expression, in Schellmann’s works elementary particles and microcosmic structures unmistakably tell their own stories. The artist specifically focuses on her complex and meticulous creative process, in which order, tangles, analytics and intuition playfully alternate. Denise Schellmann realises the result as a „cartography of her intuitive processes“ which can be experienced in her graphics, sculpture, installation, performance and video art.

Denise Schellmann lives and works in Vienna.

Curriculum Vitae

2014 – 2019 Masterclass „Art & Science“ (Virgil Widrich), University of Applied Art Vienna, Austria, master thesis in cooperation with CERN, Geneva
2012 – 2014Education in fine arts by Loys Egg
2008 – 2012 Autodidactic artistic works
2006 – 2010  Doctoral thesis of natural sciences, Department of medicinal/pharmaceutical Chemistry University of Vienna, Austria
1999 – 2006Diploma studies of pharmacy, University of Vienna, Austria
Denise Schellmann 2023 | Michael Schellberg (performative communications), Rupert Kasper (camera), Frank Schwiklewski (cut)
Denise Schellmann 2020 | Rupert Kasper (camera); Katharina Senn (cut)
KAP – ein Podcast über Kunst, Kultur, Architektur, Wissenschaft und Forschung
Podcast: Der liebe lange Tag | Wenn das Werkzeug die Führung übernimmt – Ein Gespräch mit Denise Schellmann
KAP – Ein Podcast über Kunst, Kultur, Architektur, Wissenschaft und Forschung
KAP – Ein Podcast über Kunst, Kultur, Architektur, Wissenschaft und Forschung

Selected exhibitions

July 2023, „Expeditionen in Farbe“, solo exhibition, Punto Volante, Vienna

June 2023, „HUMAN_NARTURE“, group exhibtion, Künstlerhaus, Vienna

May 2023, „Tschak Boom #XL“, group exhibition, Ministry of Artists, Vienna

April 2023, Under the Radar Filmfestival, Vienna

Jan 2023, „Modern Alchemy“ by Billi Thanner & Alexandra Feusi, group exhibition, DISTRICT4art, Vienna

Dec 2022, „Tschak Boom #1“, group exhibition, Ministry of Artists, Vienna

July 2022, „Ein Tropfen Kunst für den Sterntalerhof“, group exhibition, IP Forum, Vienna

June 2022, „Whatever you do – I love it“, group exhibition, Galerie Michaela Stock, Vienna

June 2022, Charity Auction, Dorotheum, Vienna

May 2022, „Linz is ned fad“, group exhibition, TIGER LINE, Linz

May 2022, „Celebrate Curiosity | Works on Paper“, solo exhibition, Enoteca Amici Miei Volta, Perchtoldsdorf

March 2022, „Im Wald der Fiktionen“, group exhibition, Stadtgalerie Raumimpuls, Waidhofen/Ybbs

Aug 2021, „Konvergenzen II“, group exhibition, Galerie im Turm, Baden bei Wien

Aug 2021, „The apocalypse of the white elephant“, group exhibition, Comenduirea Garnizoanei, Timisoara

June 2021, „The conceptual world of Ines Rieder / Visualizing a woman’s studio archive“, group exhibition, Galerie Michaela Stock, Vienna

June 2021, „(You) made my day.“, duo exhibition, 12-14 contemporary, Vienna

May 2021, Charity Auction, Dorotheum, Vienna

Sept 2020, „ZWISCHENRÄUME“, solo exibition, Salon real / virtual || Galerie Michaela Stock, Vienna

Jul 2020, „Summerlock reloaded“, group exhibition, Schleifmühlgasse 12–14, Vienna

Apr 2020, „14 DAYS stay home notice“, group exhibition, INSTINC space, Singapore

Mar 2020, „NO PITY“, group exhibition, Galerie Michaela Stock, Vienna

Nov 2019, „The Arscientic Andism“, solo exhibition, Galerie am Park, Vienna

Sept 2019, „Meet the Universe“, group exhibition, University applied Arts in cooperation with HEPHY, ART@CMS program at CERN, Aula der Wissenschaften, Vienna

July 2019, „Origin Poetics“, group exhibition, Art@CMS programme, KASK, Ghent, Belgium

June 2019, „Origin Poetics“, group exhibition, Art@CMS programme, CERN Geneva

June 2019, Diploma Exhibition, University of Applied Arts, Vienna

May 2019, „An Uncertain Straight“, group exhibition, gallery wasserwasser, Vienna

May 2019, „Boxels“, group exhibition, part of Biennale sessions, La Biennale di Venezia, Italy

March 2019, „Ein Raum ohne Bücher ist ein Körper ohne Seele“, group exhibition, Künstlerhaus, Vienna

Feb 2019, charity auction for Wiener Tierschutzverein, Dorotheum, Vienna

Okt 2018, „Konvergenzen“, group exhibition, Kulturdrogerie, Vienna

June 2018, Open Art 2018 Summerstage, group exhibition curated by Thomas Draschan, Vienna

June 2018, Art@CMS group exhibition, CERN, Cessy France

March 2018, „Auflösung – Im Spannungsfeld des Zwischenraumes“ solo exhibition, Bergerhaus, Gumpoldskirchen, Austria

June 2017, „Circuit Training – A Foray Into The World Of The Large Hadron Collider“, group exhibition „Art&Science“ masterclass and „Sitespecific Art“, University of Applied Arts in cooperation with CERN (Art@CMS and HEPHY), das weisse Haus, Vienna

June 2017, „Nervy Glass“, micro live drawing performance, group performance, performance class Peter Kozek, University of Applied Arts, Transmediale Kunst, Brigitte Kowanz, Galerie Schleifmühlgasse 12-14, Vienna

Apr – Aug 2016, „beyond the borders“, group exhibition, Galerie Mondi, Mondi HQ, Vienna

Nov 2015, „The Essential Rhythm – A Drawing Into Space“, solo exhibition, INSTINC Artspace, Singapore

Nov 2015, ICEP – charity art auction, OFID, Palais Deutschmeister, Vienna

Nov 2015, Affordable Art Fair, F1 Pit Building, Singapore

May 2015, „Consequential choice: Versions of atlas making“, group exhibition, masterclass „Art & Science“ University of Applied Arts, Angewandte Innovation Lab, Vienna

Jan 2015, „Urbo Kune, Konstellation 7“, live drawing performance with Klangforum, Netzzeit, Forum für experimentelle Architektur, Landesgalerie Burgenland, Eisenstadt, Austria

Dez 2014, „Urbo Kune, Konstellation 6“, live drawing performance with Klangforum, Netzzeit, Forum experimentelle Architektur, Babenbergerhalle, Klosterneuburg, Austria

Feb 2014, „Transformations“, group exhibition, Galerie Merikon, Vienna

Grants, Nominations

May 2020, working schilarship, Stadt Wien, Austria

May 2018, Sepp Schellhorn grant, Artist in Residence der Seehof Goldegg, Austria

Feb 2016, Kapsch Contemporary Art Prize Nomination

Sept 2015, state support Land Niederösterreich Auslandskultur, INSTINC Artist in Residence Programm, Sept – Nov 2015, Singapore

The Arscientic Andism – my romantic manifesto || 2020, shortfilm 17min

Awards

April 2023, Under The Radar Festival Vienna, Austria, AUDIENCE AWARD

Nov 2020, Mediterrean Film Festival Cannes, France, BEST FIRST TIME FILMMAKER

Oct 2020, Polish International Film Festival, Warsaw, BEST EXPERIMENTAL

Nominations

Feb 2021, Top Indie Film Awards, Tokyo, BEST EXPERIMENTAL, BEST EDITING, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA, BEST MESSAGE

Official Selections

Feb 2021, 18th In The Palace international short film festival, Sofia, Bulgaria

Jan 2021, Jaipur International Film Festival, India

Dec 2020, Near Nazareth Film Festival, Israel

Jul 2020, Open Window International Film Challange, Kolkata

Artist residencies

May 2018, Sepp Schellhorn Stipendium, der Seehof, Goldegg

Sept – Nov 2015, INSTINC Artist in Residence Programm, Singapur

Press releases

Foto: Petra Rautenstrauch