olivia wiederkehr
1975
Lives and works in Zurich and Rüfenach AG
Olivia Wiederkehr is a cross-media artist. Performance, video, sculpture, photography and room-filling installations are her means of translating philosophical and existential questions into forms, situations and happenings that can be experienced sensually. For her, the world consists of a multitude of spaces that are in constant flux and tension with one another. Every human action opens up new spaces – a dynamic that Wiederkehr transfers into her complex, installation-based settings and performances. In doing so, she always negotiates the specific location – its historical, atmospheric and social character becomes part of the staging. Her performances, often created in collaboration, take place predominantly in public, urban spaces and move in the field of ephemeral, sculptural monuments. Complex social and philosophical concerns are condensed in these often dazzling works. "Who am I in the world? What freedoms and opportunities for action am I entitled to? How can thinking be translated into an experiential situation?" – such questions shape her work and explain her interest in the writings of Hannah Arendt, especially on freedom of action. True to Arendt's understanding of political discourse, Wiederkehr follows lines of argumentation into social taboo zones and moments of collective speechlessness.
ARTISTIC CV
2022 - 2023 CAS Cultural Journalism, Zurich University of the Arts, ZHdK
2011 - 2014 MAF Master of Fine Arts, Zurich University of the Arts, ZHdK
2002 - 2004 BA Art and Media Art, Basel, FHNW
2000 - 2002 Main studies in Fine Art and Sculpture, Berlin-Weissensee D
1998 - 2000 Intermediate Diploma in Stage Design/Costume Design, Berlin-Weissensee, D
1993 - 1997 Decoration Designer, Swiss Federal Diploma
1991 - 1992 Preliminary Course, School of Design, Zurich
CURRENTLY WORKING ON
essayistic documentary film on transgenerational trauma (research since 2021) in Greece
(releasing in 2026)
PUBLICATIONS
2025 COMMON ACTIONS - First publication, Edition Fink
PROJECTS IN PUBLIC SPACES
2024 SCHMERZH, Olfactorial public Intervention in the City of Zurich, KiöR Zürich
2021 Yes. I want to be free - Poster Campaign, Zimmermannhaus Brugg
AWARDS/ HONOURS/ NOMINATIONS
2025 Schmerzh - Finalist Olfactorial Award, Los Angeles
Silver for Schmerzh, ADC Germany
2024 Travel grant (Greece), Aargau Board of Trustees
2023 Guest artist 2023 Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau
2022 Primeur – Aargau Board of Trustees
2021 Prix+ Art Award
2021 Travel grant (Greece), Aargau Board of Trustees
2016 Nomination for the City of Zurich's Work Contribution Award
2004 StArt Art Award, PriceWaterHouseCoopers, Basel, CH
RESIDENCIES
2024 FluxLaboratories, Athen, 1 month
2023 Kunst macht Schule, Cultural Education Department, Aarau
2021 YellowBrick, Collaboration ArtSpace, Athen, 1 month
2020 YellowBrick CollaborationArt Space, Athen (GR), 1 month
2017 Y-Residency, Athen (GR), 1 month
PURCHASES
2020 Art Collection of the City of Zurich
2021 Art collection of the town of Brugg
SOLOEXHIBITIONS
2023 AUSWAHL23 (GASTKÜNSTLERIN), Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau
2022 HOW TO GENERATE WISDOM - Kunstraum Aarau, CH
2021 SPAZETT - Zimmermannhaus, Brugg
2020 YES!YES!YES!NO!NO! - Kunsthalle Wil, CH
KOMM FORT! Kunstpavillon PTTH:// Luzern
2019 DIE UNTERSCHEIDUNG DER RÄUME - AXA Superblock, Winterthur, CH
VULNERABLE TENSIONS - Temporäre Dorfkirche, Winterthur, CH
2016 ALS OB - Kiosk Tabak, Zurich
2015 SHELTERING SHARED SPACES AND MOMENTS IN FRICTION - Tart Gallery, Zurich
2014 GANZ UNVERHOFFT HEUTE MORGEN - kunstraum utengasse-sechzig, Basel
2014 SPACIAL PRACTICE IN DAILY USE - Kiosk Tabak, Zürich
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)
2025 „PASSATO PRESENTE“, Helmhaus Zürich
2022 AUSWAHL22 Aargauer Kunsthaus, Aarau
2022 JA.NEIN.VIELLEICHT. – Kunsthallen Toggenburg, St.Peterszell
2021 MY HOME IS MY CASTLE - Forum Schlossplatz, Aarau
2019 REGIONALE 20 - Kunsthaus Palazzo, Liestal
2018 ALLES FASSADE - Kunsthallen Toggenburg
2017 STANZE - Villa Renata, Basel
2016 SCH! - Ausstellungsraum Klingental, Basel
WERKBEITRÄGE der Stadt Zürich - Helmhaus, Zürich
2015 PERFORMATIVE AKTE - O.T. Raum für aktuelle Kunst, Luzern
AUF IN DEN SUEDEN - altes Kantonsspital Zug
CENTRE PARTING - Kaskadenkondensator, Basel
2014 MASTER FINE ARTS - DIPLOMAUSSTELLUNG Shedhalle, Zürich
2013 REGIONALE 13 - FabriCulture, Hégenheim (F)
2012 GALLERY AT THE FLOWERMARKET, Shanghai (CHN)
CURATORIAL ACTIVITIES
2022 LEGS ATHENS – Performance Festival Athens
2021 - ong. Member of the Executive Board, YellowBrick, Collaboration ArtSpace, Athen
2014 - 2020 Member of the Executive Board, Ausstellungsraum Klingental, Basel, CH
2019 PERFORMATIVE STRATEGIEN DES FRAGILEN RAUMES, Ausstellungsraum Klingental, Basel
2018 LEGS PERFORMANCE RELAY, Ausstellungsraum Klingental, Basel
2013 - 2015 PANCH - Performance Art Network Schweiz (co-founder)
2009 - 2010 JARDIN ROUGE - Plattform for Performance Art, Zürich
PERFORMANCES (SELECTION)
2023 PINK.PONK.FLOW. - Warteck Areal, Basel
THE SCENT OF A CLOUD - Villa Bernasconi, Genf, CH
2022 PINK.PONK.LOUD. – Projektraum Meinblau, Berlin, DE
2021 YES!NO!YES!NO! - Ural Biennale, Ekaterinburg (RU), Swiss Focus Pro Helvetia
2020 YES!YES!YES!NO!NO! - YellowBrick, Athen
2019 VOLUMES OF NOISE AND SILENCE - Die längste Nacht, Walcheturm, Zürich
PINK.PONK.SLOW. - BlauBlau Festival, Helsinkiklub, Zürich
2018 PINK.PONK.FLOW. - Stereoskop Performance Festival, Zürich
2017 FLEISCH WERDEN - Dolder Waldhuus, Visarte Zürich
HOW TO GENERATE WISDOM PART I - Y-Residency, Athen (GR)
2016 HIDING WINGS - Ausstellungsraum Klingental, Basel
CLAPPING - Sihlquai 55, visarte, Zürich
FLEISCH WERDEN - Tart Gallery, Zürich
FAHNEN HISSEN - Performance Festival Lenzburg
DIE GOLDENE PEPERONI VON HOLLIGEN - transform, Bern
L‘ANNIVERSAIRE d‘ART - Galerie Palais, Neuchâtel
2015 3 x 100 METER - Performance Reihe Neu Oerlikon
GRENZEN, EICHEN, LINIEN - O.T. Raum für aktuelle Kunst, Luzern
SPACIAL PRACTICE NR.2 REMIXED - Aubette, Strassbourg (F),
2014 SPACIAL PRACTICE OF DAILY USE
Performance Festival Isarsprudel, Munich (D) / Act Day, Zürich
2013 SPACIAL PRACTICE OF DAILY USE, Emma Museum, Helsinki (FIN)
Galerie Dimanche Rouge, Paris (F)
LE JEUX EST FAIT- L‘ESPACE PERDU - Perla Mode, Zürich
2012 LE JEUX EST FAIT - L‘ESPACE PERDU - Kunsthallen Toggenburg
SINGING WITHOUT SOUND - Shanghai, China (CHN)
2010 DIE EINGELADENEN ENTLADEN - Kaskadenkondensator, Basel
2009 STUNT No.5 - Cargobar, Basel
STUNT No.4 - Kunstverein Freiburg (D)
2008 STUNT No.2 // STUNT No.3 - Kunstraum Riehen
2007 STUNT No.1- Kunsthalle Basel