Dr. Claudia Pilsl is an artist and creative producer based in Bristol and Vienna. She creates installations and projection works that engage diverse audiences in and beyond the gallery space. Her projects explore the agency of the photographic/filmic frame and its potential of instigating change. Her experience of collaborating within various socio-cultural contexts has informed her belief that participatory works are empowering both to individuals and communities. Her work is included in contemporary art collections such as the Museum of modern Art Vienna, Kestner Gesellschaft Hannover, the DG Bank Collection, the Art Collection of Upper Austria, SK Stiftung Cologne, and the Photo Collection Austria. She won two major fellowships (Arts Council Austria, City of Bremen), the Prize for Visual Art of Upper Austria, and a Research Fellowship at Southampton Institute. In 2021 she was awarded a DYCP grant from Arts Council England. 

Solo shows … Recent solo shows are 'Resident' at Project Space Plus, ‘Playing Out in the City’ at Auf der Festung in Salzburg, ‘Between Worlds’ at Bend in the River in Gainsborough, ‘Parks, Gardens and Urban Living’ at artP Kunstverein Perchtoldsdorf,  ‘One two infinity’ at Bend in the River in Gainsborough, ‘Latent Space’ at ROOM in Bristol, 'Space Encounters’ at the Landesmuseum in Linz,  ‘Zwischenräume’ at the Galerie im Bürgerhaus in Neunkirchen and ‘Aperture’ at Aspex Gallery in Portsmouth. 

Group Shows … Her work has been included in numerous group shows: 'LOSS' (also curated) at artP in Perchtoldsdorf, 'step 5' at x-church in Gainsborough, 'Centre of Gravity' at the Old Soap Works in Bristol, 'Bring Your Vision' in Perchtoldsdorf, 'We are more than two' at Stōl in Vienna, 'Art within the Cracks of Women’s Lives' at  Spike Island in Bristol, 'Data Ache' at Radiant Gallery in Plymouth, 24h cinema at Festival 24-x in Gainsborough, 'Loose Space' (also curated) at ArtP in Perchtoldsdorf, ‘Within Walking Distance’ at Bermondsey Project Space in London, ‘A Loose Traverse’ at Greenwich Gallery in London, 'The Walking Encyclopedia' at AirSpace Gallery in Stoke on Trent, ‘An Urban Analogue’ at Goldsmiths College in London, ‘Paradise Revealed’ in Kent, ‘Introduction to the History of Art’ at Ursula Blickle Foundation in Kraichtal-Unteröwisheim, ‘For the time being/A Promise of Progress’ at the Victoria Baths Manchester, ‘Species of Spaces’ at Danielle Arnaud in London, ‘Liminal / Minimal / Nominal: Architectural Traces’ at John Hansard Gallery in Southampton, and ‘Host’ at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery. 

Publications … To date, her work has been documented in five solo catalogues of which the most recent one is ‘Space Encounters’. Her work has been featured in various catalogues and publications such as Camera Austria or a-n magazine. Indialogue with Dieter Sperl and Lisa Spalt she produced the limited edition work-book 'LASSEN' (2021).

Teaching … Since 1998, she has worked as a visiting lecturer and artist in residence at art schools across England and at present regularily contributes to the BA Fine Art Photography course at the Art University College in Bournemouth.

Academic ... In 2020 she was awarded a PhD for her practice research on ‘Digital Porosity and its Impact on the Mediation of Networked Images’ at the University of Plymouth (Funded by The 3D3 Center for Doctoral Training Programme). Prior to starting her doctoral inquiry, she undertook an MA in Photography and Urban Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London (2013) and an MA in Combined Media at University of Applied Arts in Vienna (1994).