BIOGRAPHY

  • Matthias Moll­ner was born on 22nd of Octo­ber, 1984 in the Low­er Aus­tri­an town of Gmuend, in the bor­der­land to the for­mer CSSR.

  • Until the age of 9, he lived with his par­ents and younger broth­er in the parish house of a vil­lage in north­ern Low­er Aus­tria. Both par­ents worked in Chris­t­ian pro­fes­sions and gave their sons catholic-lib­er­al val­ues on the way.

  • Mollner’s child­hood was char­ac­ter­ized by an almost unlim­it­ed free­dom, which allowed him to fol­low his research urge and to explore the world on his own. He devel­oped a close con­tact with the sur­round­ing nature. He found ani­mals and plants in the large gar­den of the house as well as on the farm of the neigh­bours, where he worked as a wel­come assis­tant. There he brought cows to the pas­ture or helped with the hay­mak­ing.

  • Ear­ly on he saw him­self as an adven­tur­er and explor­er. Moll­ner dug holes in the ground of the parental gar­den and showed first per­for­mances. At that time, the term art had no mean­ing for him, but here he already devel­oped the struc­tures that will dis­tin­guish him as a lat­er artist. The rep­re­sen­ta­tion of the body in space became his most impor­tant tool.

  • As a child, Moll­ner strug­gled with skin and res­pi­ra­to­ry dis­eases that severe­ly restrict­ed his phys­i­cal con­di­tion for a long time. The heal­ing of the dis­ease in ear­ly ado­les­cence gave him the oppor­tu­ni­ty to deal with his own body also ath­let­i­cal­ly for the first time. He start­ed with swim­ming and rock climb­ing and trained reg­u­lar­ly.

  • Dri­ven out of the parish house by an insane priest at the age of 9, a forced migra­tion of the fam­i­ly took place to a new place of res­i­dence half an hour’s dri­ve away. This first big caesura had last­ing con­se­quences. Moll­ner now lived in a very con­ser­v­a­tive and closed-mind­ed milieu and had to fight for his free­dom. He was a good stu­dent, but he strug­gled with the social tight­ness sur­round­ing him.

  • Music was an impor­tant means for him to sat­is­fy his cre­ative hunger. He start­ed play­ing the drums and became a mem­ber of the local brass band.

  • The expe­ri­ences that Moll­ner made with the fog­ging effect of alco­hol as a in the coun­try­side liv­ing teenag­er caused him to break away from social con­ven­tions and hence­forth to refrain from any fur­ther drug use.

  • After com­plet­ing ele­men­tary school, Moll­ner attend­ed the School of Met­al Design in Steyr (Upper Aus­tria) from 2000–2004, where he received an arts and crafts train­ing as a black­smith and met­al sculp­tor. Here he was sup­port­ed inten­sive­ly and could ful­ly devel­op his abil­i­ties. But here too, the desire for free­dom was stronger. Moll­ner felt more and more as an artist than a design­er. He began to deal fine art on his own, start­ed to paint, built sculp­tures, instal­la­tions and envi­ron­ments. After com­plet­ing his train­ing, his path was decid­ed. He became a free­lance visu­al artist.

  • From 2005 Moll­ner real­ized first pub­lic exhi­bi­tions and per­for­mances. Through con­tact with old­er artists, he soon became part of a net­work in which he reg­u­lar­ly showed his projects.

  • From the begin­ning his art has been crit­i­cal and exis­ten­tial. The inten­si­ty of expe­ri­ence is an impor­tant cri­te­ri­on for him, espe­cial­ly in his own work.

  • In addi­tion to artis­tic work, Moll­ner also start­ed to curate the exhi­bi­tions of oth­er artists.

  • In 2010 Moll­ner start­ed a life, love and work part­ner­ship with the 15 years old­er dancer and per­for­mance artist Ger­da Schorsch. Under their brand MOLLNER & SCHORSCH they real­ized sculp­tur­al-the­atri­cal per­for­mance projects, exhi­bi­tions and films. With their „base­camp“ project, the duo mixed up the urban space of Vien­na; In gueril­la style, promi­nent squares were played, objects were placed on rub­bish bins and muse­um facades and per­for­mances with pigs were showed. After two years of inten­sive work Ger­da Schorsch died unex­pect­ed­ly in the spring of 2012 from a can­cer. This deep cut was also a new begin­ning in Mollner’s artis­tic work.

  • Repeat­ed­ly he worked in coop­er­a­tion with oth­er artists. From 2016 to 17 he real­ized projects with his for­mer life part­ner, the Iran­ian artist Negin Rezaie.

  • Since 2021 he is a mem­ber of the Kün­stler­haus, soci­ety for visu­al Artists Aus­tria.

  • Mollner’s artis­tic work is not lim­it­ed to indi­vid­ual areas with­in a closed (art) sys­tem. In addi­tion to the works that he shows in exhi­bi­tions or as per­for­mances, his spe­cial­i­ty is the exam­i­na­tion of pub­lic space. His artis­tic resources are diverse. Var­i­ous media such as per­for­mance, sculp­ture, instal­la­tion, pho­tog­ra­phy, image, video and music are mutu­al­ly depen­dent and con­stant­ly being recom­bined.

  • His ear­ly con­tact with nature is also reflect­ed in his art. In his works, he refers to human exis­tence and how it relates to its envi­ron­ment. It fol­lows a cri­tique of the cur­rent cap­i­tal­ist sys­tem and the attempt to take an alter­na­tive path.

  • Moll­ner works with humans and ani­mals.

  • He lives in Vien­na and Low­er Aus­tria.

2022

  • Can any­body hear me___Group Show (object)___ip.forum___Vienna
  • Con­gress of the Knowing___Sculpture, installation___Public space under the Lentos Art Museum___Linz/Donau
  • Leere und Dichte___Group Show___Dokumentationszentrum für mod­erne Kun­st Niederösterreich___Sankt Pölten___ Low­er Aus­tria

2021

  • The Hole House___Performance (at the Live Art Varieté)___Central___Linz
  • Play­ing in a hole___Solo Show (objects and photographs)___Kulturdrogerie___Vienna
  • Querver­schiebung eines Wurm­lochs — Eine Raumkörperanatomie___Performance and installation___Domenig Steinhaus___Steindorf/Ossiacher See___Carinthia
  • flo­ra pondtemporary___Group Show (per­for­mance sculp­ture “Wormhole”)___Stiftsteiche Sankt Florian___Upper Aus­tria
  • Natur ! PRO_dukt/___Group Show in pub­lic space and Trais­mauer cas­tle (instal­la­tion “A Vil­lage for Worms”, sculp­tures, pho­tos, pictures)___Traismauer___ Low­er Aus­tria

2020

  • A bed is a seri­ous place___Performance and instal­la­tion with audi­ence participation___NonStopScheiner___Institut for Art in pub­lic space Styria/Museum Joanneum___Graz

2019

  • Galerie ModulArt___Group Show___Vienna
  • Evo­lu­tion Rev­o­lu­tion Worm___Solo Show and performance___Symposion Lindabrunn___Lower Aus­tria
  • Wormhole___Sculpture and per­for­mance in pub­lic space___Symposion Lindabrunn___Lower Aus­tria
  • Kriech mit mir durch Wald und Flur___Performance and installation___Kunstverein URHOF 20___Grünbach am Schnee­berg

2018

  • FIFFI (Fun­da­men­tal Impo­tence Fol­lows Fuck­ing Ignorants)___Performance in pub­lic space___Body and free­dom festival___Zuerich, Switzer­land
  • Abtauchen___Performance___Alte Schmiede, Kun­stvere­in Vien­na
  • YOU where is your revolution?!___Solo Show___Hörnesgasse 10 – Room for Con­tem­po­rary Art___Vienna

2017

  • The Glasshouse___Sculpture, 24-hour live per­for­mance in pub­lic space and video___Mistelbach___Lower Aus­tria
  • Die Mueck­en kreisen___Live per­for­mance at OKTO TV___Setzkasten___Vienna
  • The Glasshouse – Wolk­ers­dorf Objekte___Group show in pub­lic space___Wolkersdorf___Lower Aus­tria

2016

  • The Carousel___Object, Week-long per­for­mance in pub­lic space and video___Museum Niederoester­re­ich and Kun­st- und Kul­turvere­in LAMES___Sankt Poel­ten
  • lines___Group Show___Installation and per­for­mance „Man in Cage (The way we go now or lat­er or never)“___offspace spenglerei___Vienna

2015

  • Base Camp 22–25___4 Inter­ven­tions (per­for­mance expe­di­tions) in pub­lic space___Volkstheater, Josef­städter Straße, Donaukanal, Am Graben___Vienna
  • The mon­key the­ater – First actions___Solo Show (video, photography)___Kulturdrogerie___Vienna
  • Matthias Mollner´s U___Group Show (sculp­ture and performance)___Kunstraum Niederoesterreich___Vienna

2014

  • Time is Love.7___Group Show (video)___The Invis­i­ble Line Gallery – Lon­don (UK), Gallery Tal­mart – Paris (F), Pink Gallery, Seoul (KOR),
  • Vovatanya Gallery – Kharkiv (UA), Pho­ton Gallery – Ljubl­jana (SLO)
  • El Toro___Two part performance___Leopold Museum___Vienna
  • The Runner___Performance___Tanz*Hotel___Vienna
  • 30. Inter­na­tion­al Short­film Fes­ti­val Hamburg___Germany
  • Oel­rausch (Oil Rush)___Sculpture, per­for­mance and film___Langschlag___Lower Aus­tria
  • Hans im Glueck (Hans in luck)___Group Show and per­for­mance expedition___Kunstraum Niederoesterreich___Vienna
  • Base Camp 20___Intervention (per­for­mance expe­di­tion) in pub­lic space and instal­la­tion in the Galerie 3___Klagenfurt, Carinthia
  • The Run­ner – Lev­el 2___Performance___Tanz*Hotel___Vienna
  • Base Camp 21___Intervention (per­for­mance expe­di­tion) in pub­lic space___Mariahilfer Strasse___Vienna

2013

  • Art Fair „Art Austria“___Exhibition at the booth of the Galerie Ruberl___Leopold Museum___Vienna
  • Nasse Erde 3___ Per­for­mance and instal­la­tion at the exhi­bi­tion REIGEN.im.Park___Arthur Schnit­zler Park Baden___Lower Aus­tria
  • Base Camp 18___Intervention (per­for­mance expe­di­tion) in pub­lic space___Ottakringer Strasse___Vienna
  • Base Camp 19 / Rolling Ball­s___2-hour Performance___Herbstfestival Neubau___Mariahilfer Strasse___Vienna

2010: For­ma­tion of the artist duo MOLLNER & SCHORSCH by Matthias Moll­ner and the dancer and per­for­mance artist Ger­da Schorsch.
2012: Ger­da Schorsch die in April after a short and heavy dis­ease.

2012 (MOLLNER & SCHORSCH)

  • Crossbreeds___Group Show (video)___Kabelwerk___Vienna
  • WERK.zeug.SCHAU___Solo Show with the works of MOLLNER & SCHORSCH___Kunstfabrik Groß Siegharts___Lower Aus­tria

2012 (Matthias Moll­ner)

  • Unplugged Session___Video and performance___Schikaneder___Vienna
  • Der Riese___Sculpture in pub­lic space___Muckenkogel, Lilienfeld___Lower Aus­tria
  • Base Camp 14–17___4 Inter­ven­tions (per­for­mance expe­di­tions) in pub­lic space___Rathaus, Freyung, Augustin­erkirche, The­seustem­pel im Volksgarten___Vienna

2011 (MOLLNER & SCHORSCH)

  • Base Camp 1–13___13 Inter­ven­tions (per­for­mance expe­di­tions) in pub­lic space___Am Graben, Alberti­na Muse­um, Stephansplatz, Kohlmarkt, Staat­sop­er, Stadt­park­steg, Kärnt­ner Straße, Karl­splatz, Heldentor___Vienna
  • Das Dorf___Sculpture and per­for­mance in pub­lic space___Symposion Lindabrunn___Lower Aus­tria
  • Art Walk Groß Siegharts___Group Show (sculp­tures, video)___Project space for young art___Groß Siegharts___Lower Aus­tria
  • Sym­po­sion Lindabrunn___Performance in pub­lic space___Lindabrunn___Lower Aus­tria
  • Base Camp / Die Unzaehmbaren___Solo Show in the art­space „umraum.stadtbureau“ and 3 inter­ven­tions (per­for­mance expe­di­tions) in pub­lic space Vienna___Naschmarkt, Fritz Gru­en­baum Platz, Mari­ahil­fer Strasse___at Vien­na Art Week

2010 (MOLLNER & SCHORSCH)

  • Elix­i­er (Prolog)___Performance and installation___Kunstfabrik Groß Siegharts___Lower Aus­tria

2010 (Matthias Moll­ner)

  • Das Dorf___Sculpture in pub­lic space___Groß Siegharts___Lower Aus­tria
  • respekt, text, objekt___Group Show (installation)___Petersburg, Raabs___Lower Aus­tria
  • Galerie linda___Group Show (video)___Hamburg___Germany
  • Angst___Group Show (pho­tographs, per­for­mance and installation)___Kulturkeller and Schloss­saal Dobersberg___Lower Aus­tria

2009

  • WARGAMES — Das trans­sex­uelle Wohnzimmer___Performance and installation___Kunstverein subetasch___Gmuend___Lower Aus­tria
  • translo­ca­tion 09___Group Show (installation)___Grafenschlag___Lower Aus­tria
  • Galerie Kunstfabrik___Group Show (installation)___Groß Siegharts___Lower Aus­tria
  • 18. Kunst­woche Grafenschlag___Group Show (installation)___Grafenschlag___Lower Aus­tria
  • Die MATTHIAS MOLLNER Per­for­mance Show___4 per­for­mances and installations___Kunstfabrik Groß Siegharts___Lower Aus­tria
  • Revierverteidigungsstrategien___Performance___Audimax, Uni­ver­si­ty of Vien­na
  • Nebelgeister___Lecture and performance___Galerie blaugelbe___Zwettl___Lower Aus­tria

2008

  • Kun­stvere­in subetasch___Solo Show (pic­tures, performance)___Gmuend___Lower Aus­tria
  • Designlandschaften___Solo Show (sculp­tures, pho­tographs, drawings)___Galerie im alten G´richt___Groß Gerungs___Lower Aus­tria
  • Schnaps und Helium___Solo Show (sculp­tures, pho­tographs, drawings)___Brauhausgalerie___Freistadt___Upper Aus­tria
  • Ich bin ein Patriot___Solo Show (videos, pho­tographs, draw­ings, performance)___Galerie linda___Hamburg___Germany
  • translo­ca­tion 08___Group Show (sculp­tures, drawings)___Petersburg___Raabs___Lower Aus­tria
  • 17. Grafen­schlager Kunstwoche___Group Show (instal­la­tion, performance)___Grafenschlag___Lower Aus­tria
  • Eiszeit (Ice Age)___One-week per­for­mance and installation___Museumsquartier Vien­na
  • Lange Nacht des Films___Group Show (videos)___Galerie blaugelbe___Zwettl___Lower Aus­tria

2007

  • Nord Art___Group Show (video)___Carlshütte Büdelsdorf___Germany
  • 16. Grafen­schlager Kunstwoche___Group Show (instal­la­tion, performance)___Grafenschlag___Lower Aus­tria
  • Galerie 42___Group Show (pho­tographs, instal­la­tion, performance)___Allentsteig___Lower Aus­tria
  • Maß­nah­men zur Eindäm­mung der Seuchenge­fahr im großstädtis­chen Raum___Performance in pub­lic space___Linz___Upper Aus­tria
  • Boom!!!!___Performance in pub­lic space___Litschau___Lower Aus­tria
  • Lange Nacht des Films___Group Show (video)___Galerie blaugelbe___Zwettl___Lower Aus­tria

2006

  • Die Schere___Installation and per­for­mance in pub­lic space___Groß Gerungs___Lower Aus­tria
  • Translocation___Group Show (sculp­tures, instal­la­tions and performances)___Studios and shops in Grafen­schlag, Allentsteig and Litschau___Lower Aus­tria
  • 15. Grafen­schlager Kunstwoche___Group Show (instal­la­tion, performance)___Grafenschlag___Lower Aus­tria
  • Galerie Böhner___Group Show (photographs)___Mannheim___Germany
  • Art Fair Salzburg___Group Show (instal­la­tion, video)___Salzburg
  • A beau­ti­ful day in summer___Performance___Schikaneder Vien­na

2005

  • Kreaturen___Solo Show (sculp­tures, paintings)___BluesBakery___Steyr___Upper Aus­tria
  • Technorganic___Solo Show (sculp­tures, paint­ings, performance)___Kulturhaus Arbesbach___Lower Aus­tria

2003

  • bild-objekt-kun­st___­Group Show (sculp­tures, paint­ings, drawings)___Kulturhaus Groß Gerungs___Lower Aus­tri­aWee

2020

  • Con­test winner___A bed is a seri­ous place___Institut for Art in pub­lic space Styria/Museum Joan­neum (To the web­site)
  • Sec­ond prize___Mein Abte­nauer Jung­brun­nen (foun­tain of youth)___Fonds zur Förderung von Kun­st am Bau und Kun­st im öffentlichen Raum Salzburg (To the Web­site)
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