Article by Claudia Gerdes
June 2010

Last week lovely and proactive journalist Claudia Gerdes wrote an article (German) about my Visual Music Archive for the renowned design magazine PAGE. The community of people actually using the archive is now constantly growing. And the upcoming summer break will give me the chance to include more artists and their projects...

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On Visual Music apps
March 2010

Gave Richard Anjou an interview for his article Touch Touch Visual (German) in the renowned design magazine PAGE. We talked about my Visual Music Archive and mobile applications. Am delighted that a student of mine, Christian Sander, and his iPhone app SYNSE were featured too. Read the full article (German).

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A non-institutional and highly subjective collection.
December 2009

During my sabbatical I am currently in the process of building an online archive for Visual Music.
To seek completeness in the field of fine arts seems rather eerie. A wunderkammer, on the other hand, is far more interesting, challenging, and provides inspiring impulses. As a library's inner sanctum.
I love the intelligent design by Chewing The Sun and the elegant CMS architecture by Julian Furthkamp.
The Visual Music Archive is supported by the International Music Residencies program of the Goethe-Institut Germany and the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles.

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Intro magazine
October 2009

Editor-in-chief of the renowned pop culture magazine Intro, Thomas Venker, asked nine contributers to write a few words on eight famous music videos, which the magazine had chosen to present in their current issue 147. Here is the article (German).
Especially enjoyed to read Uwe Flade's comments. Had the pleasure to meet him when I invited him do give a BASECAMP lecture at the Institute For Music And Media back in 2006.

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Interview in RAKETE 03
December 2008

The visionary poster design magazine RAKETE features an interview (German) with me in its current issue. We started by talking about synesthesia and went off to consider software with which brokers can actually hear the development on the stock markets. RAKETE magazine is a project by students from the University of Applied Sciences' design faculty in Düsseldorf.

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Design Faculty Annual

Music and Media / Audio and Video
October 2008

Two new bachelor programs started at the Institute For Music And Media in Düsseldorf, Germany. The Music and Media program (Bachelor of Music) defines its focus around the artistic development of the students. The Audio and Video program (Bachelor of Music and Engineering) emphazises the technological aspects in audio and video productions. The profound study and practice of a musical instrument are part of both courses.
After the first two semesters the students will choose their own focus from eight possible subject areas. I will offer Visual Music as one of these. To my knowledge this opportunity to study Visual Music explicitly is unique in Europe.

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Sounds and information
July 2008

The Institute For Music And Media will be at this year's affair c/o pop in Cologne from August 14th until 16th. Together with eight IMM students (Lilia Dornhoff, Christian Epe, Niko Faust, Christian Frentzen, Dominik Hildebrand, Jonas Hummel, Nick Prokop, Kai Wollek) my colleague Prof. Alberto de Campo and I will be presenting the institute's two new bachelor programs. Besides showing and working on student projects in progress (involving swarms of boids, live coding, and circuit bent instruments), Alberto also invited some musician friends to drop by. So, look forward to meeting, chatting with, and listening to IMM's guests Falk Grieffenhagen, Echo Ho, Hannes Hoelzl and Joker Nies.

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On Visual Music
July 2008

Gave my dear friend Judith Mair an extended interview (German) for the design magazine PAGE. We talked about the relationship between audio and visuals - and all the possibilities if it is revised and equal. Am happy that two students of mine were also featured in this piece. Read the full article (German).

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Developing a master program "Multi Media Art"
June 2008

Karin Mairitsch, head of the Multi Media Art faculty at the University of Applied Sciences in Salzburg, Austria, invited me to join a team of 20 to help developing a new graduate program. In addition to students and members of the faculty five consultants were hired to support this effort: Dr. habil. Frank Hartmann, Alexander Kohlhofer, David Muth, Michel Schütz and me. In an open and creative atmosphere ideas for an exceptional new design program evolved. The project will continue throughout 2008.

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For the CD cover of NAVIGATION IM HYPERTEXT
May 2008

Thomas Lehn and Marcus Schmickler's releases Navigation im Hypertext and Kölner Kranz on A-musik, Cologne. Provided several Letraset collages, which the renowned Berlin designer Chris Rehberger used as a stepping stone for a collaborative design approach equal to the work of the two musicians: analog vs digital. Chris is simply brilliant.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Published by erstwhile records, New York
October 2007

Designed the cover for R/S ONE: Snow Mud Rain. R/S ONE is the first cooperation between electronic music composers Peter Rehberg (Pita) and Marcus Schmickler. The cover is supposed to show the silhouettes of both musicians.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Motion Graphics: Application and Criteria
August 2007

My essay Motion Graphics: Application and Criteria was published in the Festschrift-booklet Beobachten mit allen Sinnen (Observing with all senses). The booklet honors Bernd Scheffer, Professor for New German Literature at Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität, Munich and his influences and impulses given to media-theoretical thesis in contemporary media studies.

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For brand eins magazine
May 2007

Contributed paper-collage-illustrations to the article "Abzocke leicht gemacht" (Easy rip-off) for the June issue of the high profile economy magazine brand eins. PDF of the article with the illustrations.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Considerations in basic design in multimedia context
December 2006

My text Pictures in motion - Motion Graphics: Applications and Criteria was published in Reduction | Interaction | Motion picture - considerations in basic design in multimedia context. The publication offers an insight to basics of visual communication. The book is an introduction to the theory basics of design substructures, considering contemporary multi-media forms and impact.

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Inspired by Cut hands has the solution and related experiences
August 2006

Contributed the sculpture "WH" to the Hi Fans! exhibition at the c/o pop festival in Cologne. The design studio FRAM curated the exhibition and invited artists from all fields to come up with a visualization of their fandom.
Photo © Manu Burghart

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For ZDI brochures
May 2006

Inspired by my illustrations for the high profile economy magazine brand eins ZDI asked me to contribute collages for two of their annual brochures.

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On the Institute For Music And Media
Januar 2006

Gave my schoolmate and friend Vicky Tiegelkamp (playframe) an interview for the German music magazine DE:BUG. We talked about my new post at the IMM in Duesseldorf and their programme. To call a designer like me for a professorship at a University for Music is exceptional - if not unique. Anyways, a great challenge. The students I work with are all musicians. Read the full article (German).

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My new post at IMM in the news
May 2005

The newspaper Westdeutsche Zeitung introduces me as the new professor for Digital Visual Media at the Institute For Music And Media of the University for Music Duesseldorf.
Photo © Manu Burghart

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Published by A-musik, Cologne
August 2005

In this impressive duo improvisation Marcus Schmickler plays inside piano and computer, and brilliant John Tilbury piano. Recorded at Loft in Cologne. Text on cover by Felix Ensslin.
Johannes Fritsch: "the sureness and the tranquility which emanats from these musical actions, figures, shapes and processes, acknowledges and asserts the ghost of morton feldman, who seems to hover benevolantly over these sounds: stop asking questions." 

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And tons of chocolate
2004

For a year I had the great pleasure to share a wonderful studio space with my dear friend and brilliant designer Manu Burghart. The Kölnischer Kunstverein sponsored this amazing room in Cologne's Chocolate Museum right at the banks of the river Rhine. First action Manu and I took was to renovate the room with tons of wallpaper fragments. If you ever need exceptional wallpaper ask our friend Bernd Sassmannshausen at 5qm to help with the decision.

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August 2004

The Cologne based design studio FRAM asked 40 artists and designers to "refine" the official c/o pop t-shirts. Mine got fillet, stuffed into a transparent plastic bag and subtitled with the very last words from Stanley Kubrick's very last movie. Done in old-fashioned Letraset. It is a pity that one can hardly read them on the picture above. 

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Report and research project
Summer 2004

An inspiring project with six exceptional technical producers and designers from WDR Broadcasting. We had the chance to see virtual set technology in Bergen, Bratislawa, London, Madrid, Vienna, Warsaw, and many other beautiful places in Europe. After weeks of research we wrote the report Virtual set design and virtual TV studio technologies - several hundred pages long.

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extreme theory congress
2003/04

For almost a year I had the privilege to work with a board of the most inspiring people on a concept for an "extreme theory congress". Our aim was not to find answers or to assign the discourses to appropriate faculties, but to enable the experience that in different and disparate fields questions of contemporary subjectivity are negotiated in ways that might produce recognition of "neighbourhood". This sort of dispute about acute questions of our times formulated our idea of a socio-political discourse. We wanted to initiate a discourse, which brings together arts, theory and politics and gives enough room to question scientists and artists about their views on future social structures.
Board members were: William Bennett, Carmen Brucic, Manu Burghart, Felix Ensslin, Gesche Joost, Nicolas Langlitz and me.

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For brand eins magazine
2003

Contributed paper-collage-illustrations to almost every issue of the high profile economy magazine brand eins in 2003. PDF of each article (German) with the illustrations here:
01/2003 Aus, alt. Mach neu.
02/2003 Wert-Arbeit
03/2003 Die Blechtrommler
04/2003 Die Industrie der Angst
05/2003 Von heute auf morgen
06/2003 Die Wir-Qualität
07/2003 Atemnot in Entenhausen
08/2003 Die Ausnahmen und die Regel
09/2003 Bedienungs-Fehler

Filed under: Projects > Print

Feet for d magazin
November 2003

The Berlin design studio Scrollan asked for illustrations of feet for their publication d magazin. This No 2 issue was entirely about the part of our body we stand on.

Filed under: Projects > Print

For SSC Consult website
October 2003

Inspired by my illustrations for the high profile economy magazine brand eins the management consultant company SSC Consult asked me to contribute collages for their new website.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Published by erstwhile records, New York
September 2003

Keith Rowe, Thomas Lehn and Marcus Schmickler are three of the most prominent names in the European experimental world, each with their own distinct history and discography. All three are members of the all-star electronic orchestra MIMEO, and in late 2001, they began performing occasionally as a trio, eventually resulting in Rabbit Run.

Filed under: Projects > Print

On air design, set design, lighting design and sound design
2002-03

WDR is the largest broadcasting company in continental Europe. They hired me as Head of Design. In the on air redesign process I invited my hero Peter Saville as our consultant. The clip shows a short compilation of the results.

Filed under: Projects > Video

For brand eins magazine
2002

Contributed paper-collage-illustrations to four issues of the high profile economy magazine brand eins in 2002. PDF of each article (German) with the illustrations here:
02/2002 Spurwechsel
03/2002 Rastlos, drahtlos, ratlos
04/2002 Die Angst vor dem Ruck
10/2002 Elefanten, Dilettanten und Porzellanläden

Filed under: Projects > Print

"Marketing Heroes" Corporate Film
2002

The Frankfurt branch of Ogilvy & Mather asked me to design and produce a corporate film for their internal communication. We sampled from dozens of movies and music videos. Tried to compose the final clip in a way that none of it would be noticeable. Music by Marcus Schmickler, Piethopraxis.

Filed under: Projects > Video

On Air design for the launch of a new national music TV channel
2002

Was hired as creative director for the complete On Air Design, Sound Design and Set Design for the launch of a new national music TV station in collaboration with Double Standards, Berlin. Chris Rehberger and I worked for three months non-stop at Tsunami post production. Music by Marcus Schmickler, FX Randomiz, Thomas Brinkmann, Florian Hecker, Justus Köhncke etc. The video shows a short compilation of the design packages.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Published by A-musik, Cologne
December 2001

Am proud to have been hired to design the cover for the seminal recording which was composed and produced by Marcus Schmickler. Also designed the deleuxe limited edition gatefold vinyl cover. Marcus first collection of recordings for chamber ensembles with electronics.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Love my Computer
February 2001

Presentation of my various cover art works (CD and vinyl) for Electronic Music at the group exhibition Love my computer, Musée des Beaux Arts de Tourcoing, France.

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For brand eins magazine
2001

Contributed paper-collage-illustrations to four issues of the high profile economy magazine brand eins in 2001. PDF of each article (German) with the illustrations here:
07/2001 Das Kreditkartenhaus
08/2001 Sterne lügen nicht
09/2001 Sicherheits-Risiko
10/2001 Das Gute Morgen

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Published by erstwhile records, New York
2000

Thomas Lehn and Marcus Schmickler recorded Bart over the course of two long studio sessions. A brilliant amalgam of the two musicians' strengths, Bart utilizes both improvisation and studio postproduction techniques to create a lasting work, combining the feel of a classic INA-GRM record with the raw, crackling energy of a free improv session. And, for the cover artwork very old sheets of Letraset were used...

Filed under: Projects > Print

Published by Mille Plateaux, Frankfurt
September 2000

Pluramon's "Bit Sand Riders" is a remix album. Artists including Mogwai, High Llamas, Matmos, Merzbow, Lee Renaldo amongst others contributed to this successful recording.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Typography and pictures in motion
Summer 2000

Prof. Dr. Bernd Scheffer invited me to show my motion graphic projects in the exhibition Schrift und Bild in Bewegung (Typography and pictures in motion) at Gasteig in Munich, Germany.

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Published by Mille Plateaux, Frankfurt
May 2000

Pluramon's "Reservoir" is a remix EP. Remixes by Techno heroes Christian Vogel and Thomas Brinkmann.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Music video
2000

DOP Bettina Herzner and I came up with the idea of two very different worlds influencing each other. We shot on 16 mm at the banks of the river Rhine and deep underground in an ancient basement. Sensorama's record was published by Mille Plateaux, Frankfurt.

Filed under: Projects > Video

VIVA ZWEI Opener
2000

Designer Andrea Duyster and I went to see Charlotte Roche at home and brought hundreds of photos back. Edited them frame by frame. See if you'll find the hidden mail address. Music by Marcus Schmickler, Piethopraxis.

Filed under: Projects > Video

"Telekom TV" Image Spot
2000

Was hired by SEA Düsseldorf for concept and design of this opener. A digital Matrjoschka. Produced by Athletico, Düsseldorf. Music by Marcus Schmickler, Piethopraxis.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Commercial "Cigarette Lighter"
2000

Once again KolleRebbe asked me to produce a commercial for Gauloises Blondes. The client had this weird cigarette lighter they wanted to see in the film. Despite of that, great art direction by Eva Gödel. Music by Marcus Schmickler, Piethopraxis.

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Integrative Audiovisualistik
1999

Started to write my dissertation in 1996. Prof. Dr. Bazon Brock was my supervisor at the Bergische Universität Wuppertal. My oral defense was in spring 1999. The full title of the dissertation is "IMAGING SCIENCE: Integrative Audiovisualistik Diskussionsgrundlage, Fragen-/Aufgabenstellung und Lehrinhalte, für einen postgraduierten Studiengang zur Erforschung, Entwicklung und Anwendung von audiovisuellen, computergestützten Medien".
Here is a PDF of each chapter (German):

Inhalt (Transdisziplinäre Fragestellung)
01. Imaging Science (Bildgebende Verfahren)
02. Naturwissenschaften (Arbeitsfelder von Imaging Science)
03. Evolutionäre Erkenntnistheorie (Geisteswissenschaften)
04. Bildende Künste / Musik (Neuronale Ästhetik)
05. Bildende Wissenschaft (Integrative Audiovisualistik)
06. Literaturnachweis

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Music video
1999

For this video we went to the phantasmagorical house of my dear friend Christian Boros in Wuppertal. His wonderful art collection plays more than a supporting role. Shot on DVD.

Filed under: Projects > Video

TV Commercial
1999

Renowned advertising agency KolleRebbe hired my to design and produce a commercial for EM-TV's new stock emission. Music by Marcus Schmickler, Piethopraxis.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Fake music video
1999

Marcus Schmickler and I were ask to contribute to the SPRACHWERK conference at KISD in Cologne. We sampled from Top 20 music and the corresponding videos. The band "Juice C." doesn't exist and Marcus came up with the song title "This time (I swear)". On the actual conference the video was shown on several monitors. Unfortunately, the audience did not realize the fake.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Corporate Film
1999

Was responsible for the concept and look of this one-minute video. Produced it for the prestigious advertising agency KolleRebbe in Hamburg. The music was sampled from the outstanding animation movie Ghost in the shell.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Published by Mille Plateaux, Frankfurt
May 1998

"Render Bandits" is Pluramon's second album. I have been buying old school and medical books in weird book stores in the East of Germany. Cut them up for these collages.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Published by A-musik, Cologne
February 1998

Marcus Schmickler expands his electronic experimentations, creating a surreal, open music that enraptures the listener with raging soundwaves and maximum density. The piece was awarded by the annual Ars Electronica festival.

Filed under: Projects > Print

On air promotion for the RTL news format
1998

The national private broadcaster RTL was looking for a new target audience: the 20-somethings. The commercial was to be shown at the German music TV channels like MTV and VIVA. Concept by House of Promotion, Cologne. Music by Andreas Schimmelpfennig.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Introducing the new logo
1998

Gauloises Blondes launched their new logo and needed a video for multi purposes. The Hamburg agency KolleRebbe asked me to come up with an idea. I invited several artists to do a five second clip with the logo and remixed the results into this one minute clip. Music by Marcus Schmickler, Piethopraxis.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Culture of peace
August 1997

Prof. Eckhard Jung invited me to submit some collages for the publication Kultur des Friedens. Wege zu einer Welt ohne Krieg.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Music video
1997

A broken High8 camera and a few weeks on the US west coast. Some pictures were taken at the breathtaking Monterey aquarium. A total no-budget production. We edited the video at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Commercial
1997

To promote VIVA's new compilation CD prestigious Wuppertal agency BOROS asked me to produce a 30-second commercial. We basically bought half a dozen Super8 cameras and threw a party. Later at night we started shooting...

Filed under: Projects > Video

Commercial "Text film"
1997

KolleRebbe came up with this text idea and asked me to visualize it for movie theaters. My first After FX production in 2K. The clip won many awards, amongst others a lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival. Music by Ralf Denker, Hamburg.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Published by A-musik, Cologne
September 1996

Marcus Schmickler's first release on A-musik became a classic.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Published by Mille Plateaux, Frankfurt
May 1996

Pluramon is the collaboration project of Marcus Schmickler. He asked Jan Werner and me to design the cover for the debut album. We basically cut from old books and used printing sets for children.

Filed under: Projects > Print

Two commercials for the launch of a new motion-picture theater
1996

My first job for the Hamburg advertising agency KolleRebbe. Stefan Kolle stays my  No. 1 advertiser until today! For the two commercials we used slides and 16mm film. Music by Marcus Schmickler, Piethopraxis.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Three commercials for the launch of a new limonades
1996

Jörg Follert and I came up with the concept and directed these clips. We shot with many Super8 cameras. The soft drinks actually tasted weird and looking at the twins had a hallucinogen quality.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Opener
1996

The show introduced international commercials to a broader audience on the national TV station RTL2. For the opener I sampled from various sources. Two weeks of compositing. Music by Marcus Schmickler, Piethopraxis.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Freelancer for HotWired, San Francisco
1995

In January 1995 I moved to San Francisco. What was meant to be indefinte turned out to last a year. Lived in the Lower Haight district and started to freelance for HotWired. The place to be in that year. A year earlier I heard an exciting talk by Howard Rheingold on how Wired Magazine was to go online. This talk made me really want to work with them and be part of "the next step". HotWired was the first commercial web magazine, launched on October 27, 1994. Although it was part of Wired Ventures, HotWired was a separate entity from Wired, the print magazine, and had original content. Coming from a motion graphics background the speed or more precisely the slowness of the web back then made it very difficult for me to adapt. No more motion graphics but silent slide shows - nothing audiovisual. Still, it was totally inspiring to be in the HotWired offices and to meet all their incredibly brilliant staff. But I had to go back to moving images with sound. Thanks to Barbara Kuhr for all her inspiration!

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Logo jingles to be shown right before the commercial break
1995

The national broadcaster PRO7 asked me to come up with an idea for their ad bumpers. We produced several jingles on 16mm all inspired by different contemporary artists. They were aired late at night but won several awards. My first collaboration with composer Marcus Schmickler - still a precious memory.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Opener
1995

The show on the national TV channel RTL2 introduced international commercials to a broader audience. Shot on High8 at home, including intense use of my bathtub and the tpyeface of that decade: Template Gothic. Music by Andi Thoma and Jan Werner.

Filed under: Projects > Video

Opener
1994

TV producer Ulrich Meyer asked me to produce an opener for his crime show on the national TV station SAT1. In his office he had a huge painting that he wanted me to reproduce in the opener. Interesting challenge on my first job as a freelancer. A collaboration with my water brother Hendrik John. Music by Jan Werner.

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On air design for the launch of a new national TV channel
1992-93

For almost two years I was employed by VOX TV. In collaboration with the sound director Jan Werner we developed the whole on air design for the launch of this new national TV channel. In collaboration with dozens of designers and composers we produced the audiovisual packaging of more than 25 formats. The clip here shows a short compilation. Also read this article (German) - in memorandum.

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On air promotion for a series of Russ Meyer films
1992

After graduating from the university I worked for three years (1989-92) as junior art director at the national broadcasting company RTL. One of my last projects was this promotion video for the screening of several Russ Meyer movies.

Filed under: Projects > Video