Bjørn Melhus was born 1966 in Kirchheim / Teck, Germany, lives and works in Berlin.
www.melhus.de
Bjørn Melhus studied Fine Arts with a major in Film/Video at the Braunschweig University of Art from 1990 to 1997. He was a fellow of the DAAD at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles and of the federal state of Lower Saxony at the ISCP, New York. Originally from an experimental film context his works now span interactive public art installations, conceptual pieces, a fashion label, extensive video installations and single channel video pieces. His works are shown nationally and internationally in exhibitions and film festivals and he has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work. Amongst others repeatedly the German Film Short Film Award for Experimental Film, Competiton Awards of Film and Video Festivals such as the Oberhausen Short Film Festival or the Museum Marl, the HAP Grieshaber Preis of the VG Bild Kunst, the Prize of the Sprengel Museum, Hanover, Germany as well as several international residencies.
Bjørn Melhus has been a professor of Visual Arts/Virtual Realities at the School of Art and Design Kassel since 2003. In his short films and installations, Bjørn Melhus focuses on general global ideas and trends, the critical reception of mass media, as well as the direct effects they have on people. He uses footage from film and television excessively and deconstructs stereotypical themes, figures and patterns of perception through means of exaggeration. At the same time, he breaks up a seemingly fixed relationship between media and audience, thus opening up the view on the essentials of human interaction.
Solo Exhibitions (Selection)
2019
“Bjørn Melhus: Free Update”, KINDL – Zentrum für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Berlin, Germany
“Im Atelier Liebermann: Bjørn Melhus: Hot Set”, Max Liebermann Haus, Berlin, Germany
“Bjørn Melhus: Spectral Afterlives”, Sprengel Museum, Hanover, Germany
2018
“OUT OF SASNAK”, Halle267 – Städtische Galerie Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany
2017
“Schnee von Gestern – Bjørn Melhus & Thomas Rentmeister” KUK Monschau, Monschau, Germany
“Liberty Park”, Ebensperger, Salzburg, Austria
2015
“The Theory of Freedom”, Kunsthal Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
“The Theory of Freedom II”; WEST, Den Haag, The Netherlands
2013
“LIBERTY PARK”, DIRIMART Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
“X”, Y Gallery, New York, USA
“I LOVE YOU”, Kunstsammlung Jena, Germany
2012
“I do not belong in this House”, Haus im Schluh, Worpswede, Germany
“I’m not the Enemy”, Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurt, Germany
2011
“Bjørn Melhus – Live Action Hero”, Haus am Waldsee, Berlin, Germany
“Der Wald steht schwarz - Olrik Kohlhoff und Bjørn Melhus”, Herbert Gerisch Stiftung, Neumünster, Germany
2010
“Nachtwache|Nightwatch”, Kunstmuseum Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen, Magdeburg, Germany
2009
“Bjørn Melhus: Still Men Out There”, Operation Room, Amerikan Hastanesi, Istanbul
“Mars Recovery”, Gallery Andreas Grimm München, Munich, Germany
2008
“Fuse Box: Bjørn Melhus”, Denver Art Museum, Denver, USA
“Bjørn Melhus: Screensavers”, Osram Art Project, Seven Screens, Munich, Germany
2007
“The Castle, the Meadow, the City”, Roebling Hall, New York, USA
2005
“Bjørn Melhus: Eastern Western Park”, Spiral Garden, Tokyo
“Bjørn Melhus” – CAC Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Málaga, Malaga, Spain
“Auto Center Drive”, CGAC Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
“Bjørn Melhus: Eastern Western Park”, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, Hawaii
2004
“Primetime”, FACT, (Foundation for Art & Creative Technology), Liverpool, UK
“Bjørn Melhus: Fighting the Forces of Evil”, Städtische Galerie Wolfsburg, Germany
Group Exhibitions (Selection since 1998)
2018
“No War No Vietnam”, Galerie Nord | Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin
“Elective Affinities”, Sammlung Friedrichshof, Zurndorf
“Breaking News – Von Kelterborn Collection” Mönchehaus Museum Goslar, Goslar
“Shaping Democracy – The Republic in 24 Frames per Century”, Freiraum Q21, Wien
2017
“Again & Again: Sammlung Goetz im Haus der Kunst”, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany
“Angry Planet – Global Conflicts, Local Contexts”, Gallery NTK, National Library of Technology, Prague, Czech
Republic
“Death Drive”, Y Gallery, New York, United States
“Elastic Collisions”, Kunsthalle Exnergasse, Wien
2016
“56th October Salon Belgrade: The Pleasure of Love”, Belgrade, Serbia
“Beloved Enemies. Symbolism Today”, Clemens Sels Museum, Neuss, Germany
“TeleGen – Art and Television”, Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz, Liechtenstein
2015
“Mirror Images in Art and Science”, Museum of Medical History at Charitè, Berlin, Germany
“BERLIN ROMA – Reverse Inequality (Part 1)”, Galerie Patrick Ebensperger, Berlin
“Redemption Jokes”, nGbK, Berlin, Germany
2014
“Project Daejeon 2014: The Brain”, Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, Korea
“Schwindel der Wirklichkeit”, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany
“Good Morning, Mr. Orwell 2014, NJP Art Center, Yongin-si, Korea
2013
“Stranger”, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan
“Vision vs Confrontation”, Mondriaanhuis, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
“B3 - Biennale des Bewegten Bildes”, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
2012
“Töten”, Kunstpalais, Erlangen, Germany
“Under Constant Threat”, The Municipality of Porto Allegre, Porto Allegre, Brasil
“Zeitgespenster”, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany
2011
“Artist File“, The National Art Center Japan, Tokyo
“Entre Siempre y Jamás” – Padiglione America Latina, 54th Biennale di Venezia, Italy
“Exchange and Evolution: Worldwide Video Long Beach, 1974-1999”, Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach,
USA
“Terrible Beauty – Art, Crisis, Change and The Office of Non-Compliance”, Dublin Contemporary, UK
2010
“Simply Video. Bewegte Bilder aus der Kunsthalle Bremen”, Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
“Time Machines”, KINOKINO, Sandnes, Norway
“inter-cool 3.0 : Jugend Bild Medien”, Hartware MedienKunstVerein im Dortmunder U, Dortmund, Germany
“A Carta da Jamaica”, Galeria de Artes Visuais do Oi Futuro, Museo da Maré, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
2009
“2da. Bienal del Fin del Mundo – Interimperie”, Ushuaia, Argentina
“Gemeinsam in die Zukunft”, Frankfurt Kunstverein, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
“BERLIN 89/09 - KUNST ZWISCHEN SPURENSUCHE UND UTOPIE”, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, Germany
“Organ Mix”, Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea
2008
“40JAHREVIDEOKUNST.DE” Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de la Ville de Strasbourg, France
“Call & Response” MUDAM – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg
“Female Trouble”, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany
“(keine) Angst”, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany
2007
“Abstraction: Extracting from the World”, Millenium Galleries, Sheffield, UK
“Made in Germany”, Sprengel Museum Hannover, Hanover, Germany
“Existencias”, MUSAC – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, Spain
2006
“Satellite of Love”, Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
“It’s Not a Photo”, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, USA
“Das achte Feld”, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany
“Arbeiten mit Licht”, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany
2005
“Rückkehr ins All”, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany
“Masculinities”, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin, Germany
2004
"State of Play", Serpentine Gallery, London, UK
“TV Today”, Netherlands Media Art Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2003
“The American Effect”, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, USA
“8th International Istanbul Biennial”, Istanbul, Turkey
“fast forward. Media Art | Sammlung Goetz”, ZKM Karlsruhe/ Centro Cultural Conde Duque, Madrid, Spain
Bjørn Melhus
Bjørn Melhus was born 1966 in Kirchheim / Teck, Germany, lives and works in Berlin.www.melhus.deBjørn Melhus studied Fine Arts with a major in Film/Video at the Braunschweig University of Art from 1990 to 1997. He was a fellow of the DAAD at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles and of the federal state of Lower Saxony at the ISCP, New York. Originally from an experimental film context his works now span interactive public art installations, conceptual pieces, a fashion label, extensive video installations and single channel video pieces. His works are shown nationally and internationally in exhibitions and film festivals and he has received numerous awards and recognitions for his work. Amongst others repeatedly the German Film Short Film Award for Experimental Film, Competiton Awards of Film and Video Festivals such as the Oberhausen Short Film Festival or the Museum Marl, the HAP Grieshaber Preis of the VG Bild Kunst, the Prize of the Sprengel Museum, Hanover, Germany as well as several international residencies.Bjørn Melhus has been a professor of Visual Arts/Virtual Realities at the School of Art and Design Kassel since 2003. In his short films and installations, Bjørn Melhus focuses on general global ideas and trends, the critical reception of mass media, as well as the direct effects they have on people. He uses footage from film and television excessively and deconstructs stereotypical themes, figures and patterns of perception through means of exaggeration. At the same time, he breaks up a seemingly fixed relationship between media and audience, thus opening up the view on the essentials of human interaction.Solo Exhibitions (Selection)2019 “Bjørn Melhus: Free Update”, KINDL – Zentrum für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Berlin, Germany“Im Atelier Liebermann: Bjørn Melhus: Hot Set”, Max Liebermann Haus, Berlin, Germany“Bjørn Melhus: Spectral Afterlives”, Sprengel Museum, Hanover, Germany2018 “OUT OF SASNAK”, Halle267 – Städtische Galerie Braunschweig, Brunswick, Germany2017 “Schnee von Gestern – Bjørn Melhus & Thomas Rentmeister” KUK Monschau, Monschau, Germany“Liberty Park”, Ebensperger, Salzburg, Austria2015“The Theory of Freedom”, Kunsthal Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands“The Theory of Freedom II”; WEST, Den Haag, The Netherlands2013“LIBERTY PARK”, DIRIMART Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey“X”, Y Gallery, New York, USA“I LOVE YOU”, Kunstsammlung Jena, Germany2012“I do not belong in this House”, Haus im Schluh, Worpswede, Germany“I’m not the Enemy”, Galerie Anita Beckers, Frankfurt, Germany2011 “Bjørn Melhus – Live Action Hero”, Haus am Waldsee, Berlin, Germany“Der Wald steht schwarz - Olrik Kohlhoff und Bjørn Melhus”, Herbert Gerisch Stiftung, Neumünster, Germany2010 “Nachtwache|Nightwatch”, Kunstmuseum Kloster Unser Lieben Frauen, Magdeburg, Germany2009 “Bjørn Melhus: Still Men Out There”, Operation Room, Amerikan Hastanesi, Istanbul“Mars Recovery”, Gallery Andreas Grimm München, Munich, Germany2008 “Fuse Box: Bjørn Melhus”, Denver Art Museum, Denver, USA“Bjørn Melhus: Screensavers”, Osram Art Project, Seven Screens, Munich, Germany2007 “The Castle, the Meadow, the City”, Roebling Hall, New York, USA2005 “Bjørn Melhus: Eastern Western Park”, Spiral Garden, Tokyo“Bjørn Melhus” – CAC Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Málaga, Malaga, Spain“Auto Center Drive”, CGAC Centro Galego de Arte Contemporánea, Santiago de Compostela, Spain“Bjørn Melhus: Eastern Western Park”, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu, Hawaii2004 “Primetime”, FACT, (Foundation for Art & Creative Technology), Liverpool, UK“Bjørn Melhus: Fighting the Forces of Evil”, Städtische Galerie Wolfsburg, GermanyGroup Exhibitions (Selection since 1998)2018 “No War No Vietnam”, Galerie Nord | Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin“Elective Affinities”, Sammlung Friedrichshof, Zurndorf“Breaking News – Von Kelterborn Collection” Mönchehaus Museum Goslar, Goslar“Shaping Democracy – The Republic in 24 Frames per Century”, Freiraum Q21, Wien2017 “Again & Again: Sammlung Goetz im Haus der Kunst”, Haus der Kunst, Munich, Germany“Angry Planet – Global Conflicts, Local Contexts”, Gallery NTK, National Library of Technology, Prague, CzechRepublic“Death Drive”, Y Gallery, New York, United States“Elastic Collisions”, Kunsthalle Exnergasse, Wien2016 “56th October Salon Belgrade: The Pleasure of Love”, Belgrade, Serbia“Beloved Enemies. Symbolism Today”, Clemens Sels Museum, Neuss, Germany“TeleGen – Art and Television”, Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz, Liechtenstein2015 “Mirror Images in Art and Science”, Museum of Medical History at Charitè, Berlin, Germany“BERLIN ROMA – Reverse Inequality (Part 1)”, Galerie Patrick Ebensperger, Berlin“Redemption Jokes”, nGbK, Berlin, Germany2014 “Project Daejeon 2014: The Brain”, Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, Korea“Schwindel der Wirklichkeit”, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, Germany“Good Morning, Mr. Orwell 2014, NJP Art Center, Yongin-si, Korea2013 “Stranger”, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan“Vision vs Confrontation”, Mondriaanhuis, Amersfoort, The Netherlands“B3 - Biennale des Bewegten Bildes”, Frankfurt/Main, Germany2012 “Töten”, Kunstpalais, Erlangen, Germany“Under Constant Threat”, The Municipality of Porto Allegre, Porto Allegre, Brasil“Zeitgespenster”, Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany2011 “Artist File“, The National Art Center Japan, Tokyo“Entre Siempre y Jamás” – Padiglione America Latina, 54th Biennale di Venezia, Italy“Exchange and Evolution: Worldwide Video Long Beach, 1974-1999”, Long Beach Museum of Art, Long Beach,USA“Terrible Beauty – Art, Crisis, Change and The Office of Non-Compliance”, Dublin Contemporary, UK2010 “Simply Video. Bewegte Bilder aus der Kunsthalle Bremen”, Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany“Time Machines”, KINOKINO, Sandnes, Norway“inter-cool 3.0 : Jugend Bild Medien”, Hartware MedienKunstVerein im Dortmunder U, Dortmund, Germany“A Carta da Jamaica”, Galeria de Artes Visuais do Oi Futuro, Museo da Maré, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil2009 “2da. Bienal del Fin del Mundo – Interimperie”, Ushuaia, Argentina“Gemeinsam in die Zukunft”, Frankfurt Kunstverein, Frankfurt/Main, Germany“BERLIN 89/09 - KUNST ZWISCHEN SPURENSUCHE UND UTOPIE”, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, Germany“Organ Mix”, Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, South Korea2008 “40JAHREVIDEOKUNST.DE” Musée d’Art Moderne et Contemporain de la Ville de Strasbourg, France“Call & Response” MUDAM – Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean, Luxembourg“Female Trouble”, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany“(keine) Angst”, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany2007 “Abstraction: Extracting from the World”, Millenium Galleries, Sheffield, UK“Made in Germany”, Sprengel Museum Hannover, Hanover, Germany“Existencias”, MUSAC – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, Spain2006“Satellite of Love”, Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam, The Netherlands“It’s Not a Photo”, Chelsea Art Museum, New York, USA“Das achte Feld”, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany“Arbeiten mit Licht”, Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich, Germany2005 “Rückkehr ins All”, Hamburger Kunsthalle, Hamburg, Germany“Masculinities”, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Berlin, Germany2004 State of Play, Serpentine Gallery, London, UK“TV Today”, Netherlands Media Art Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands2003 “The American Effect”, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, USA“8th International Istanbul Biennial”, Istanbul, Turkey“fast forward. Media Art | Sammlung Goetz”, ZKM Karlsruhe/ Centro Cultural Conde Duque, Madrid, Spain