Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1979.
Lives and works in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Bachelor in Physics from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) in 1979, Otavio Schipper explores the perception of time and the cultural memory of objects. In his installations, elements of hard science and technologies from different periods lead the public into territories more closely associated with dream states and imagination dives, instead of a systematic organization of knowledge and predictions about the universe. Schipper has presented his work in cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Berlin, London and Paris. In 2017 he has received the KLAS Award by the Max Planck Society, working as a resident artist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and at the Max Planck Institutes in Germany.
“Mechanical Unconscious”, 2011. Duration: 6’04”
Otavio Schipper lives and works in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and holds a degree in Physics from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.
The artist has presented his work at venues such as the Kunstmuseum Thun (Switzerland), the Schering Stiftung Project Space (Germany), MOT International (United Kingdom), Akademie der Künste (Germany), Kunsthalle Winterthur, (Switzerland), Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Kunsthal Charlottenborg (Denmark), Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo (Brazil), Galleri Specta (Denmark), and Die Raum (Germany).
Through the presentation of ready-made objects such as antique telegraph machines, tuning forks, eyeglasses, elevator cabins and electric poles, Otavio Schipper’s work connects past physical worlds with our present mental landscapes. In Schipper’s installations, the spectator often experiences a spectrum of sensations, from enlightenment to nostalgia. Elements of hard science and technologies from different periods lead the viewer into territories more closely associated with dream states and imagination dives, instead of a systematic organization of knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Education
2003
– Degree in Physics from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2004
– EAV School of Visual Arts, Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Solo exhibitions
2015
– “Smoking Mirror, Schering Stiftung Project Space”, Berlin, Germany
2014
– “Mechanical Unconscious”, MOT International Project Space, London, UK
– “Elevator music / Fahrstuhlmusik”, die raum, Berlin, Germany
– “Pocket Landscape, Galeria Millan, São Paulo, Brazil.
2013
– “The Trial”, Residency Unlimited, Brooklyn, Nova York, USA.
2011
– “Empty Voices”, Art Basel Miami Beach – Art Projects, Miami, USA.
2010
– “Inconsciente Mecânico” ( “Mechanical Unconscious”), Centro Cultural Maria Antonia, São Paulo, Brazil.
– “Inconsciente Mecânico” ( “Mechanical Unconscious”), Galeria Anita Schwartz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2007
– “Borda de Dobras”, Galeria Millan, São Paulo, Brazil.
Group exhibitions
2017
– “Sculptures and Objects”, Specta Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
– “Mirror Images”, Kunstmuseum Thun, Thun, Switzerland
2016
– “Demo:Polis”, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany
– “Ao Amor do Público”, Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2015
– “The Mirror Image”, Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charité, Berlin, Germany
– “Dessiner l’Invisible”, Fondation Mindscape, Paris, France
– “Optical Memory”, Specta Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark
– “Prêmio CNI SESI SENAI Marcantonio Vilaça”, MAC USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
– “Atributos do Silêncio”, Galeria Bergamin e Gomide, São Paulo, Brazil
2014
– “Ouro”, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “White Leaf”, Galeria Anita Schwartz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
– “Éter”, Galeria Anita Schwartz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Encontros Carbônicos”, Largo das Artes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Único”, Galeria Carbono, São Paulo, Brazil.
2013
– “The Wizard’s Chamber”, Kunsthalle Winterthur, Winterthur, Switzerland/
– “Jew York”, NYUntitled, Manhattan, New York, USA.
2011
– “Nova Escultura Brasileira”, Centro Cultural Caixa Econômica Federal, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2010
– “Arquivo Geral”, Centro de Artes Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “New Acquisitions”, Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Notas do Acervo”, Galeria Anita Schwartz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2009
– “Nova Arte Nova”, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil.
2008
– “Nova Arte Nova”, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– “Coletiva”, Galeria Millan, São Paulo, Brazil.
– “FotoEncontro”, Galeria Mercedes Viegas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2007
– “New Acquisitions”, Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2006
– “One Century of Brazilian Ar”t, Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil.
– “Interactivos”, Centro Cultural Conde Duque, Madrid MediaLab, Spain.
– Galeria Tempo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2005
– XII Salão de Arte da Bahia, Museum of Modern Art of Bahia , Salvador, Brazil.
– “Brazilian Art Today”, Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– V National Art Salon of Goiás, Brazil.
2001
– VII Salon of small formats of University of Amazônia, Amazonas, Brazil.
Residencies
2017
– KLAS, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany
2015
– Junge Akademie, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany
2013
– Residency Unlimited, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Works in Collections
– Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection – Museum of Modern Art (MAM RJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
– Museu de Arte do Rio, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Awards and Grants
2017
– KLAS (Knowledge Link through Art and Science), Max Planck Society, Germany
2015
– Berlin Fellowship, Akademie der Künste, Germany
2014
– Artists’ Contacts Award, IFA (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), Germany
– Prêmio CNI SESI SENAI Marcantonio Vilaça, prize nominee, Brazil
– Prêmio Investidor Profissional de Arte – PIPA, prize nominee, Brazil
2013
– Programa de Intercâmbio e Difusão Cultural, Brazil
2005
– Acquisition Prize, V Salão Nacional de Arte de Goiás, GO, Brazil
Texts and Publications
2008
– Venancio Filho, Paulo. “Fluido Percurso”, In Revista Santa Art Magazine, Editora Utopos, Brazil.
2006
– Schipper, Otavio e Velho, Luiz. “Object Reconstruction with Photometric Stereo”, In Proceedings of SIBGRAPI
2007
– Laudanno, Claudia. “Review of the exhibition Boundary of Folds”, In Arte Al Dia #118, USA.
2004
– Sussekind, Flora. “Sequências Dinâmicas”, In Catálogo da exposição, Galeria Argumento, Brazil.
2002
– Elze, Hans-Thomas e Schipper, Otavio. “Time without time: A stochastic clock model”, In Physical Review D 66
Talks, Performances, Presentations
2016
– Lecture, Hochschule für Bildende Künste, Braunschweig, Germany
2015
– Space Day For Terry Fox, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany
– Lecture, Muthesius Kunsthochschule, Kiel, Germany
– Seminário Internacional Eisenstein, Casa de Rui Barbosa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2013
– Lecture, CNEAI – Centre National Édition Art Image, Chateau, France.
– Lecture, School of Visual Arts, Parque Lage, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
