About — Nina E. Schönefeld

C V

Nina E. Schönefeld was born in Berlin. She is half Polish and half German. She studied at the University of Arts in Berlin (UDK) and at the Royal College of Art in London. Since several years she has given lectures in Fine Art at private Art Colleges. Together with Marina Wilde she founded "Last Night In Berlin" a cultural platform about art openings in Berlin. She holds a Master of Arts and a PhD in Art Theory (Dr. Phil.). Schönefeld lives and works in Berlin (& sometimes in Ibiza).

Schönefeld creates future scenarios that are closely linked to current political, ecological and social issues. Recurring themes in her works are the global upsurge in right-wing populism, the threat to press freedom, environmental activism and the supremacy of large corporations in capitalist systems.

Schönefeld works as an interdisciplinary video artist. The future scenarios in her art works are closely linked to current political, ecological, and social issues in the world. She operates with a system of different light & sound systems, electronic machines, sculptures, costumes, interiors, and video screenings.

E X H I B I T I O N S

S o l o s h o w s (s e l e c t i o n): KINDL - Zentrum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Berlin (2024/25); Lothringer 13 in Kooperation mit den Münchner Kammerspielen, München (2024/25); ROSALUX, Berlin (2024); Diskurs Berlin (2023); Berlin Weekly (2022); Münchner Kammerspiele, Habibi Kiosk (2022); Haverkampf Leistenschneider Galerie, Berlin (2019); Galerie la Pierre Large, Strasbourg, France (2019); Lage Egal, Berlin (2019); Berlinische Galerie, Berlin (2018); Bilderrahmen Neumann, Fahrbereitschaft, Berlin (2017); CO GALLERIES, BERLIN (2016).

G R O U P S H O W S (s e l e c t i o n): ART SPRING FESTIVAL, Berlin (2025), MSU Museum (CoLab Studio, Michigan State University), Michigan, USA (2024); AOA;87 Gallery, Berlin (2024); Aleš South Bohemian Art Museum, Tschechien (2023); Kunsthalle Osnabrück (2023); Lagos Gallery, Mexico City (2023); Kultursymposion Weimar / Galerie Eigenheim, Weimar (2023); Haus am Lützowplatz, Berlin (2022); A:D:Curatorial Gallery, Berlin (2022); Roppongi Art Festival, Tokio (2021); Alte Münze, Berlin (2021); CICA Museum, Gyeonggi-Do, Südkorea (2021); Kunstverein Familie Montez, Frankfurt a.M. (2021); Heidelberger Kunstverein (2021); Seoul International ALT Cinema & Media Arts Festival (NeMaf), Seoul (2021); Kunsthalle Bratislava (2020); Die Digitale, Düsseldorf (2020); Aram Art Museum, Südkorea (2019); Manhattan Bridge (Light Year / Leo Kuelbs Collection), New York (2019); FED Square, Melbourne (2019); Alternative Culture Making Art Space, Shenzhen, China (2019); Made In NY Media Center by IFP, New York (2019); Momentum Worldwide / Kunstquartier Bethanien, Berlin (2019); Villa Heike, Berlin (2019); China Goethe-Institut, Peking (2018); Ex Pescheria Centrale, Trieste (2018); Palazzo Ca' Zanardi, Venedig (2018).

P U B L I C A T I O N S (s e l e c t i o n)

Libertine Magazine: “Female Hacker On The Run” by Rebecca Heinzelmann; Berlin Art Link: “Apocalyptic Female Futures” by Isabelle Hore-Thoreburn; The Monthly Art Magazine Wolgan Misul Korea: “12x12 @Berlinische Galerie”; NOVO Magazine NO.57 “Nina E. Schönefeld, Fun Cataclysmique” by Aude Ziegelmann; POLYCA Magazine London (No. I): “Nina E. Schönefeld”; COEUR ET ART: “Nina E. Schönefeld: A question of truth“ by Esther Harrison; CRÈME GUIDES: “Künstlerin Nina E. Schönefeld”; Berliner Zeitung: “Artspring Festival”, by Claus Löser; GIB MIR KUNST: “Dystopie und Gesellschaft” Alexander Theiler (Jung & Naiv), Spotify; Monopol Magazin: Die Filmausstellung CITIES im Heidelberger Kunstverein, by Jens Hinrichsen; Der Freitag: „ÜberLeben: Es geht um Hoffnung“ von Philipp Hindahl; Radio Arty: ÜberLeben - Fragen an die Zukunft mit Marc Wellmann und Nina E. Schönefeld; Kunsthalle Osnabrück: “Digitale Parasiten. Artist Talk“; TIP Berlin Magazin (Oktober 2024): “Nina E. Schönefeld erzählt in RIDE OR DIE von Liebe und Furchtlosigkeit“; KINDL Ausstellungsfilm “Nina E. Schönefeld“; TAZ, Fabian Schroer: “Demokratie in a Nutshell“; Radio Arty: RIDE OR DIE im KINDL; Süddeutsche Zeitung: „No Future Hope in der Lothringer 13“; ZDF Aspekte (17.01.2025): Zukunft ungewiss (min. 2:46 – 9:15); Kunstforum International Bd. 301 (Feb. 2025): Nina E. Schönefeld - RIDE OR DIE by Claudia Wahjudi

‘In case there would be a drastic political change in your country you will need special advice and gear to survive... Get prepared.'

Schönefeld’s art examines the contemporary social and political climate. Through unusual mediums, objects and videos, the artist questions the contemporary roles of artists, exploring the relationship between art, blockbuster movies and the present digital age. Her stories imagine a world where, due to drastic political shift, we need to fight for our democratic rights and survival. A concept that perhaps is not so far fetched?

The focus of Nina E. Schönefeld lies on political, social and digital changes in society... phenomena of abrupt shift... escape from political persecution, hacking attacks, nuclear accidents, dictatorships, freedom of speech and a free press... people who are radically different ... the lives of hackers and preppers, political activists, investigative journalists, environmental activists, Wikileaks members, NSA employees, data martyrs, political underdogs, hermits, computer gamefanatics, cult members, extremists ... the Darknet, Julien Assange, Edward Snowden, the blackout in NY, Chernobyl and Fukushima, the control center of the CIA, the Chaos Computer Club, North Korea, the right wing movement, Children of God, Suprematism, the Bauhaus, Zero, insular colonies, digital inventions, AI, and radical social networks ...

Cart (0)