Norbert Brunner (born 1969, Hohenems, AT) is an Austrian object, conceptual, and installation artist. Brunner’s mirror objects reflect not only the viewer, but also superimpose messages across their visual path, insisting they become an interactive part of the installation. He studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Currently, Brunner lives and works in Vienna and New York City.
BIOGRAPHY
| 1969 | Born in Hohenems, Austria |
| 1984 – 1987 | Cabinetmaker apprenticeship in Hohenems, Austria |
| 1987 – 1990 | Sculptor school in Elbigenalp, Tirol |
| 1990 – 1994 | Studied at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, master class in sculpture Prof. Wander Bertoni, further: Oswald Oberhuber, Bernhard Leitner, Franz Graf, Isabelle Graw |
WORK
Norbert Brunner’s concepts represent the necessity of an artistic discourse in the social process – an opening to the “other = everyday”. This implies a distanced attitude towards one’s own practice, critical judgment and the ability to put oneself in different (cultural) contexts and to avoid self-references whenever possible.
His work revolves around cultural diversity, class structures as well as popular culture and models of perception – topics, theirs – not. Finally brought about by the development of the differentiated information society – complexity detaches itself from the main theme of the “self” and the individual and addresses the concepts and problems of authorship or copyright.
In his works, Brunner breaks the conventions of different art genres -sculpture, video, photography and installation – which transcends the traditional repertoire of artists and at the same time evades the danger of art being banished into new aesthetic conceptual ghettos. In doing so, he chooses a visual language that calls into question traditional perspectives, his conundrum between the two- and three-dimensional manifests itself above all in his preoccupation with everyday objects and signs.
Traditional content, symbols and signs are “distorted”. The work aims to activate the fields of experience and perception and offer the recipient sufficient material to experience their own daily environment more consciously and in a more differentiated manner. Seeing is then a multiple look at several meanings on different levels, an exploration of generated irritations. Brunner generates objects from the “source” of everyday life that are neither images nor symbols, rather they convey perceptual structures that invite the viewer to participate in the creation of high and low (art) in order to allow him to participate in the discovery of contemporary art. Art serves as a model of life and Norbert Brunner would ultimately like to explain the development of human consciousness itself to be a plastic act.
Barbara Pichler
SOLO SHOWS
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2026 (upcoming) 2024 2022 |
„Another stop!“, Kieslinger house Feldbach, curator Andreas Stern, Austria „get together“, UNIX gallery NYC, USA “to exist is not enough me”, Gallery Pygmaleon, curator, Olga Danieli Astana / Kazakhstan “breathe”, Newel gallery NYC, curator Carina Williams, New York NYC “STOP !”, Hochsommer art festival 2022, Kugelmuehle, Feldbach “FEEL THE FEAR AND DO IT ANYWAY !”, Funnel Contemporary, curated by Domenico de Chirico, Belgrade |
| 2020 |
“YOU ARE ALLOWED TO”, Galerie Sturm und Schober, Vienna |
| 2017 |
“AUTHENTICITY AND COURAGE”, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY |
| 2016 |
“COOK LOCAL ACT INFINITE”, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY “ MIAMI PROJECT”, art fair, selected project “cook local act infinite”, curated by Max Fishko in cooperation with Claire Oliver Gallery, NYC “COOK LOCAL ACT INFINITE”, project space Gallery Baeckerstrasse 4, Vienna, Austria |
| 2014 |
“CHOOSE TO BELIEVE”, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY “NOW OR NEVER”, Gallery Baeckerstrasse 4, Vienna |
| 2012 |
“SMILING BROADLY”, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, NY |
| 2010 |
“FUCK LUCK”, Oliver Claire Gallery New York, NY |
| 2009 |
“ARE YOU SURE ?”, mirror object installation at EIKON art window museum quarter Vienna; curator Elisabeth Gottfried, Vienna “WE ARE ALLOWED TO…”, Caprice Horn Gallery, Berlin |
| 2008 |
“HEROES”, Aidan Gallery, Moscow, Russia “FUTURE WINDOWS”, Gallery Lukas Feichtner, Vienna |
| 2006 |
„EVERYDAY HEROES”, F2 Gallery, Beijing, China |
| 2005 |
“WISDOM OF NATURE”, exhibition during the EXPO in Aichi-Nagoya, curated by Robert Punkenhofer, in cooperation with Galerie 141, Nagoya, Japan |
| 2003 |
“00.00.00”, Cubic Gallery, Osaka, Japan |
| 2002 |
“ANOTHER STEP”, Federal Ministry of the Interior, curated by Barbara Pichler, Vienna, Austria “VIP”, Gallery 141, Nagoya, Japan “NEXT STOP ANDELSBUCH”, Kulturverein Andelsbuch, in the former railway station Andelsbuch, Austria |
| 2001 |
“07.12”, Epstein Coffee lounge, curated by Wolfgang Scheuer, Vienna |
| 2000 |
“ZWERGENKRIEG”, 6 large multi-media installations in the new office space from bwin.com, Vienna “W/E(A)ST”, Gallery 141, Nagoya, Japan |
| 1999 |
“WHY NOT”, CICR, UNO-building, curated by Lisa Corsi, Geneva, Switzerland “T IS NOW”, SFP Gallery, curated by Lisa Corsi, Geneva, Switzerland “2 FOR 1 AND MORE”, Technology center Eisenstadt, curator Barbara Pichler, Austria “SUPASACHE”, private space, Vienna |
| 1998 |
“NOW”, Galeria Litera, Praha, Czech Republic “JUST NOW” Cubic Gallery, Osaka, Japan |
| 1997 |
“COMMUNICATION”, Cubic Gallery, Osaka, Japan “SHORT CUT”, project space Bank Burgenland, curated by Barbara Pichler, Eisenstadt, Austria “FIRST STEP”, Gallery Eboran, Salzburg, Austria “COMMUNICATION II”, Projekt Galerie, Deggendorf, Germany |
| 1996 |
‘TEDDY”, Cubic Gallery, Osaka, Japan |
| 1992 |
“ROLLEN!”, University of Applied Arts, Vienna |
GROUP SHOWS AND ART FAIRS
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2025
2024
2022 |
„Art miami“, UNIX gallery New York, Miami „In the kitchen III“, curators Olga Daniela and Ainur Akhmatova, grand cafe LAUREATE, Almaty, Kazachstan „In the kitchen II“, curators Olga Daniela and Ainur Akhmatova, grand cafe LAUREATE, Almaty, Kazachstan „art of traditions”, National Museum Kazakhstan/Astana, curator, Olga Danieli Astana / Kazakhstan „The window and the couch“, organized by 74 Arts/Rebecca Hoffman, curator Simon Rees, Vienna „In the kitchen I“, curators Olga Daniela and Ainur Akhmatova, grand cafe LAUREATE, Almaty, Kazachstan “ART KARLSRUHE”, Galerie Gans Vienna “DAS BLAUE VOM HIMMEL”, Galerie Wolfrum, curated by Lucas Gehrmann, Vienna “FAST FORWARD”, Unix gallery NYC, New York |
| 2021 |
“ART MIAMI”, presented by Unix Gallery NYC, Miami “HOUSE OF LOSING CONTROL”, Vienna art week, Vienna “RE-FLEX”, Mucciaccia gallery NYC, curated by Francesco Scipioni, New York “INSPIRED BY THE CITY”, virtual group show, curated by Natasha Schlesinger, art muse NY, New York “ART AUSTRIA”, presented by Galerie Gans and Estermann/Messner Galerie, Wien “KIND OF BLUE”, Galerie Gans, Vienna |
| 2019 |
“PARTISANEN I”, curated by Dagmar Rohm, Villa Schapira Vienna “MAN MADE BY NATURE”, Unix Gallery, curated by Natasha Schlesinger, New York “PARTISANEN II”, curated by Dagmar Rohm, Villa Schapira Vienna “VIENNA CONTEMPORARY”, Galerie Sturm und Schober, Vienna “BARISHNIKOV ART CENTER NYC”, curated charity auction by Natasha Schlesinger, New York “ART MIAMI”, Unix Gallery NYC, Miami |
| 2018 |
“STEPHAN REUSSE”, invited as a guest artist, Carol Johnssen Gallery, Munich “SUMMER EXHIBITION GALERIE BAECKERSTRASSE 4”, Galerie Baeckerstrasse 4, Vienna “ART HOUSTON”, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York |
| 2017 |
“ART BODENSEE”, Galerie Baeckerstrasse 4, Vienna |
| 2016 |
“PROJECT 8”, group show impossible project, Berlin “EXPO CHICAGO”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Chicago, USA |
| 2015 |
“EXPO CHICAGO”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Chicago, USA “ART BODENSEE”, Galerie Baeckerstrasse 4, Vienna “PROJECT MIAMI”, curated project “cook local act infinite” in cooperation with Claire Oliver Gallery, Miami, USA |
| 2014 |
“ART MIAMI 2014”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Miami, USA “DALLAS ART FAIR”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Dallas, USA |
| 2013 |
“ART MIAMI”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Miami, USA “ART DALLAS”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Dallas, USA “HAMPTONS ART FAIR”, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, USA “ART WYNWOOD”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Miami, USA |
| 2012 |
“DALLAS ART FAIR”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Dallas, USA “ART MIAMI 2013”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Miami, USA “10/20/10”, Claire Oliver Gallery, New York, USA “BEYOND BLING”, Claire Oliver Gallery, NewYork, USA |
| 2011 |
“ART MIAMI 2011”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Miami, USA |
| 2010 |
“ART MIAMI 2010”, Claire Oliver Gallery, Miami, USA |
| 2009 |
“SCOPE BASEL”, Caprice Horn Gallery, Berlin, Germany “ROYAL ACADEMY SUMMER EXHIBITION LONDON”, London, UK (curator: Will Alsop) “ART MOSCOW”, Caprice Horn Gallery; Berlin, Germany “WIENER BLUT”, Poster and bag object for the Viennese Opera Ball, Vienna, Austria (curator: Desiree Treichl Stuerkh) |
| 2008 |
“PULSE NEW YORK”, Gallery Lukas Feichtner, New York, USA “FEMACO”, Gallery Caprice Horn, Mexico City, Mexiko “ART COLOGNE”, Gallery Lukas Feichtner, Gologne, Germany “SCOPE BASEL”, Caprice Horn Gallery, Basel, Switzerland “PULSE MIAMI”, Lukas Feichtner Gallery, Miami, USA “SUMMER”, Gallery Caprice Horn, Berlin, Germany “DIE NEUEN”, The University City Art Museum, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou, China “ES RIESELT ES KNISTERT ES KRACHT”, Stage design for the music Festival Bregenz, curator Lilian Genn, Bregenz, Austria “ES RIESELT ES KNISTERT ES KRACHT”, Stage design for the PHILHARMONIE Cologne, curator Lilian Genn, Cologne, Germany |
| 2007 |
“VIENNA FAIR”, AIDAN Gallery, Vienna, Austria “CIGE”, Gallery Lukas Feichtner, Beijing, China “ART MOSCOW”, AIDAN Gallery, Moscow, Russia “SHANGHAI CONTEMPORARY”, Gallery Lukas Feichtner, Shanghai, China “PULSE LONDON”, Gallery Lukas Feichtner, London, UK “PHOTO-MIAMI”, Gallery Lukas Feichtner, Miami, USA “MOSCOW WORLD FINE ART FAIR”, AIDAN Gallery, Moscow, Russia |
| 2006 |
“TAKE TIME”, Pipe and “TIMEPILL” installation for Vienna art week, curator Robert Punkenhofer, invited artists Will Alsop and Darryl Georgiou, Vienna “ARTFIELD TECHNOLOGY”, public sculpture project, AIDAN Gallery, Moscow, Russia |
| 2005 |
“WE LIVE TOMORROW”, group show, curator Nicola Borg Pisani, Paris, France “VIENNA – PRAGUE”, group show Galerie Litera, Prague, Czech Republic “HERE – NOW”, group show, curator Chikako Mori, Galerie Kaze, Tokio, Japan “WISDOM OF NATURE”, EXPO, curator Robert Punkenhofer, Aichi,Japan |
| 2004 |
“1. ARCHITECTURE BIENNALE BEIJING”, in cooperation with Michael Schultes, curator Nicola Borg Pisani, Beijing, China “GEGENLICHT”, Installation by invitation of “Wolke 7“, curator Volker Dienst, Vienna “MILUJ MA”, stage design for Aktionstheater, Vienna |
| 2003 |
“2. BIENNALE VALENCIA”, “A&M – Department of Proper behaviour” curators Will Alsop & Bruce McLean, Convento del Carmen, Valencia, Spain |
| 2002 |
“BBEBAE..”, Semper Depot, Vienna “LIMITED EDITIONS”, cooperation with Rodenstock, Tabac museum, Vienna |
| 2001 |
“COLLABO”, Object Galleries Customs House Sydney, curator Bruce Lee Torizawa, Sydney, Australia |
| 2000 |
“EN”, group show, gallery Ggarden, Kyoto, Japan |
| 1999 |
“DIE NEUEN”, Palais Thurn and Taxis, Bregenz, Austria “DAS DING MIT DEM FOTO”, Museum auf Abruf, Vienna |
| 1997 |
“KUNSTMESSE INNSBRUCK”, Innsbruck, Edition NN Oslip, Innsbruck, Austria |
| 1996 |
“STATEMENTS” and “STATEMENTS II”, Galerie CULT, curator Erich Praschak, Vienna “KUNST WIEN”, MAK Museum, Edition NN Oslip, Vienna “ART MULTIPLE”, Düsseldorf, Edition NN Oslip, Düsseldorf, Germany |
| 1995 |
“AUSTRIAN ART IN ESTONIA”, Tartu, Estonia “ART VIENNA”, MAK Museum, Wien, Edition NN Oslip, Vienna “ART-MULTIPLE”, Düsseldorf, Edition NN Oslip, Düsseldorf, Germany |
| 1994 |
“5 POSITIONEN ZUR KUNST”, Gallery COSMOS, Vienna |
| 1993 |
“SCHÄFER–BRUNNER”, Gallery FASHION MODA, curator Stefan Eins, New York |
| 1992 |
“1-2-3-4 DREIDIMENSIONALE ARBEITEN”, curator Heimo Lattner, Cselley Mühle, Oslip, Austria |
PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SPACE
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2026
2024 2023 2021 2020 |
„COCO I“, architect Peter Marino, Chanel flag ship store Boca Raton, USA „COCO II“, architect Peter Marino, Chanel flag ship store Osaka, JAPAN „COCO III“, architect Peter Marino, Chanel flag ship store San Diego, USA „REFLECT“, coffee pirates, Vienna “URBI ET ORBI”, permanent multimedia installation opposite of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, commissioned by a private collector, Vienna “IRIS I”, commission for a permanent installation in the entrance hall of a private hospital, Miami “ANOTHER BREATH”, commission for a permanent Installation for ICART Miami |
| 2019 |
“YOU ARE A HERO”, developed photo light installation “I THINK”, KALLCO PROJECTS, Vienna, Austria (curator: Susanne Kallinger) |
| 2017-2018 |
“IMAGINE”, inflatable interactive photo and video installation for Royal Carribean cruise lines – Symphony of the Seas (curator: Mariangela Capuzzo / ICART Miami) |
| 2016 |
“FOCUS”, permanent multimedia installation, Eye hospital LMU Munich, Germany “MOMENT”, multimedia installation for Royal Caribbean cruise lines – Harmony of the Seas, (curator: Mariangela Capuzzo / ICART Miami) |
| 2013 |
“THE REAL VOYAGE…”, permanent multimedia installation for the new Guerlain Flagship store in Paris, France (architect: Peter Marino) “COMMUNICATION”, large scale window installation in the public space, KALLCO PROJECTS, Vienna, Austria (curator: Susanne Kallinger) |
| 2012 |
“THE WORLD IS A LOOKING GLASS…”, multimedia installation for the Celebrity Cruise ships – “Reflection” (curator: Mariangela Capuzzo / ICART Miami) |
| 2009 |
“I THINK”, permanent multimedia installation, KALLCO PROJECTS, Vienna, Austria (curator: Susanne Kallinger) “LIFE WELL NOT BETTER …”, permanent text installation in the office at Architekture Sonnbichler, Vienna, Austria |
| 2005 |
“IMAGINE THIS COULD BE REALITY”, permanent photo installation in the public space, KALLCO PROJECTS, Vienna, Austria (curator: Susanne Kallinger) |
| 2003 |
“00.00.00”, permanent elevator photo installation, courtyard Fam. Swittalek, Vienna, Austria |
| 1994 |
“AUTOABSCHUSSRAMPE”, permanent public art installation, office building JURICON, Vaduz, Liechtenstein “SESSEL”, public art installation for the sculpture garden, NN Edition Oslip, Austria |
| 1993 |
“KUGEL”, installation for the sculpture garden, NN Edition Oslip, Austria |
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
| New Britain Museum of American Art, Connecticut, USA |
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| CT 21c Museum, Louisville, USA |
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| The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, USA |
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| NY LMU Eye Hospital, Munich, Germany | |
| Artothek, Austria 21 Haus, Vienna, Austria | |
| Belvedere 21, Vienna, Austria | |
| MUSA Museum, Vienna, Austria |
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| Vorarlberger Landesmuseum, Bregenz, Austria | |
| Generali Foundation, Vienna, Austria | |
| Norwegian Cruise Lines, Miami, USA | |
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Guerlain Collection, Paris, France Sackler Collection, USA Chanel, Paris, France |