Blind Date Collaboration
We are an open group addressing social issues through an artistic and interdisciplinary approach. The aim of Blind Date Collaboration is to create situations, make spaces and find strategies on (site) specific and context-based problematics. We believe in unexpected collaborations! In the sense of a 'conflictual participation' we understand collaboration (as opposed to cooperation) as a form of working together that allows different interests in one place.
We come from different cultural and professional backgrounds and are convinced that it is essential to confront our own practice with the previously unknown - be it working methods, languages, or thematic interests. Moreover we figure it important to use the 'symbolic capital of art' for counter political struggles.
The structure of our collective practice is based on the reflexion on a specific topic and context for each work. These can take on different forms ranging from theatrical performances, urban interventions, (sound-)installations and films, to publications, discussion and concert series, exhibitions and festivals etc.
(Working Languages: English, German, Spanish, French)
Blind Date
Alisa Beck is a cultural worker, art historian and producer with a focus on experimental formats in performance, music and urban research. She studied art history and cultural studies at University of Vienna and Université Paris-Sorbonne. As a research assistant she is working in the field of contemporary art (currently University of Applied Arts Vienna). She published texts in "ALL-OVER. Magazine for Art and Aesthetics“ (Basel/Vienna) and "Perspectives" (Guggenheim, New York). Since 2008, she worked in the fields of curating, communication and education at various cultural institutions in Leipzig, Paris, Weimar and Vienna. She was part of the artist-run space mo.ë in Vienna (2014-2017) and in the production management for urbanize! festival (2018-2021).
Together with Gustavo Petek she is running smallforms, a platform for contemporary forms of music (Vienna, since 2018). Currently she is board member of IG Kultur Wien and part of the artistic direction team of echoraum with Sara Zlanabitnig (Vienna, 2022).
Marie-Christin Rissinger, Marie-Christin Rissinger studied "Social Design" at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. The artistic practice ranges from the creation of fictional companies to the translation of an occupation into a theatre game and the staging of theatre plays with robots. Marie-Christin founded the group "Blind Date Collaboration" in 2015. In 2018 they released the publication "Die Akte mo.ë - Protokolle einer abgesagten Zukunft" (2019, edition mono), 2022, the documentary film "Transform!" (64min, 16:9, de/en OmU). Theatre works have been shown at festivals such as transeuropa (Hildesheim, 2015), BRITNEY X FESTIVAL (Schauspiel Köln, 2017), Donaufestival (Krems, 2018) or steirischer herbst'20 (Graz, 2020). www.marie-christin-rissinger.com
Frida Robles studied History and Communications (BA) at the Iberoamericana University in Mexico and Social Design (MA) at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. In her working practice she focuses on the construction of the self; analyzing personal memories and stories. She was part of an artistic urban research projects “Lubunga(mode)” in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Studios Kabako) and “Staging Apam” in Ghana (Haduwa Culture Center). She developed a project about romantic love with the FONCA Young Creators Scholarship (2015-2016) and was recently a fellow and artist in residency at Raw Material Company in Dakar, Senegal. Her creative essays have been published in various Mexican magazines such as Fractal and Iconica. https://fridarobles.wordpress.com
Johann Brigitte Schima, works as a stage and costume designer in state theaters and in the independent scene. Work selection: 2020 “Der Zinnsoldat und die Papiertänzerin” (R:Mia Constantine) at Burgtheater, 2020 "Candide", 2019 “Operette”, 2018 "West Side Story" (R: Philipp Rosendahl) at Staatstheater Kassel. 2019 "Burning Dresses/in decent times" (R: Elisa Hoffmann, Constantin Hochkäppl) at Maschinenhaus Essen. 2019 "Wasted" (Collective Morosis) at WerkXPetersplatz. 2018 "Nora" (R: Laura N. Junghanns) at HLTM. 2019 "Die Orestie" (R: Philipp Rosendahl) at Nationaltheater Mannheim. www.brigitteschima.com
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Konstantin Wolf - Currently on maternity leave
He studied Visual Communications and Cultural Studies in Weimar, New York and Zurich and holds a Diploma in Design from Bauhaus University Weimar. His theoretical and practical focus is on socio-political design, social innovation and participatory processes. He worked as a graphic and service designer in Vienna and as a lecturer, publisher and symposium curator at Bauhaus University Weimar. He co-founded the Conscious Fintech Meetup Berlin and currently works as a consultant and project manager at participation agency Zebralog. Konstantin lives and works in Bonn and Luxembourg. www.konstantinwolf.com
in Collaboration with
People
Ariella Karatolou is a scenographer who lives and works between Germany and Greece. Initially trained as an architect, moved further on to stage and costume design, as there she found greater artistic excitement. After gaining her first work experience in UK, she moved to Germany where the last years has been working mainly at theatres. She is interested in exploring theatricality between staged realities and everyday life situations, within given architectures. https://www.ariellakaratolou.com/
Klemens Kohlweis ist Künstler, Instrumentenbauer und Werkzeugmacher. Seine Arbeit reicht von Installationen mit computergesteuerten Orgelpfeifen, gehackten Staubsaugerrobotern, Industriellen Vibrationsmotoren und 3D Druckern bis hin zur Entwicklung von elektronischen Musikinstrumenten. Er spielt Konzerte mit Luftballonen und baut Licht und Klangobjekte für Theaterproduktionen.
Fabian Lanzmaier komponiert und entwickelt Musik / Sound-Environments für Installationen, Theater, Performance und Film. In seiner Arbeit als Solomusiker untersucht er die Grenze zwischen realen und künstlichen Klangumgebungen und konfrontiert die Hörer*innen mit surrealen und mehrdeutigen Räumen. Er ist aktives Mitglied der Kollektive Columbosnext, Verschubu Records und Velak. www.fabianlanzmaier.com
Andreas Zißler studierte Kunst und Architektur an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Wien. Seine Praxis bewegt sich zwischen Medienkunst und Architektur. Generell ist ihm wichtig räumliche und mediale Themenfelder mit heterogenen Methoden und Sichtweisen zu wagen. Hierbei pflegt er einen sehr kooperativen und transdisziplinären Ansatz. Seine Arbeiten wurden im Rahmen vom Programm Kunst im öffentlichen Raum Tirol` oder dem Supergau-Fesitval in Salzburg realisiert. Er hatte Lehraufträge an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Wien, der Kunstunviersität Linz und dem Institut für experimentelle Architektur in Innsbruck. www.andreaszissler.com
And: Valerie Ankenbrank, Alexandru Cosarca, Anna Hirschmann (former member), Anna Lerchbaumer, Gerardo Montes de Oca Valadez (former member), David Palme (former member), Gustavo Petek, Christoph Speit aka Concealia Knows