As a multidisciplinary artist, Frank Geßner explores an expanded concept of animation based on the fusion of visual, performing, and time-based arts. His formal interest lies in the architectural relationship between drawing, sculpture, image, figure, space, movement, and poetry. This opens up new, necessarily critical spaces for thinking about hybrid artistic practice and theory formation. Similar to basic research, this expanded understanding of art allows insights to be gained in order to develop new forms, combinations, perspectives, and models.
Frank Geßner was born in 1965 in Würzburg, Germany and has lived in Berlin since the early 1990s. He studied Sculpture and Painting at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart. Master’s Apprentice [Meisterschüler] at the Berlin University of the Arts. In 2004, he was appointed Professor of Visual Arts for Animation at the Konrad Wolf University of Film and Television in Potsdam-Babelsberg. From 2006 to 2009, he was also Vice President for Teaching, Research, and Development. In 2005, Frank Geßner founded *Atelier Berlin Production to realize artistic research projects. In 2006, he co-founded the Institute for Artistic Research IKF. Since 2009, he has been Professor of Theory and Practice of Visual Arts at what is now the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf. Lectures, workshops, and presentations in Germany and abroad.
atelierberlinproduction(at)mail.de
VOYAGEUR DE L’IMAGE/WEGE ZUM BILD/TOWARDS THE IMAGE
- Satz_TESTE SANS FIN: ALIAS YEDERBECK
- Satz_DSDKBM: UNTITLED SHOT & POETRY
- Satz_FOOTNOTES: YEDERBECK’S BIOPIC
- Satz_INTERFACE: TESTELAB & GUESTS
Text, drawing, printmaking, photography, collage, painting, plastics, sculpture, video, film, animation, sound, objet trouvé, readymade, and multimedia archive, since 1994, (work in progress)
ALPHABET UNPLUGGED: FROM A TO Z IN PROGRESS
Multi-channel movie, smart installation, (work in progress)
EXPANDED ANIMATION WORLDS: TESTELAB & GUESTS
Multimedia installation and virtual reality project, (work in progress)
A SPHERICAL BOOK IN PROGRESS: EXPANDED ANIMATION WOR(L)DS
Web project, full-dome projection, (work in progress)
FIN … ONCE UPON A TIME/FIN … ES WAR EINMAL
Artist’s book, 2022-2025
GLOBE PLAYHOUSE SPACELAB
Artistic research masterclass, symposium, video essays, virtual exhibition, 2020
URSONETT
Crown of sonnets 14 + 1 magistrale, 26:02 min, 15-channel movie, smart installation or single-channel movie 01:44 min, loop, 2016/2020
FROM ASSISI AFTER PADUA
Sequential art, work on paper, preparation of the essay film, 2017-19
EXPANDEDADA VINCI
Site-specific installation, 04:13 min, single-channel movie, loop, 2016/2018
3D MASTER SONNET
Objet trouvé/readymade, 15-parts assemblage, 2016
DADA VINCI
Non-happening slide show, single-channel movie, 04:13 min, loop, 2016
ALIAS YEDERBECK REDUX
AYR_NIGHT & DAY (SATELLITE I+II)
04:46 and 02:45 min, dual-channel movie
AYR_PALLADIO MODEL (PROTOTYPE DD)
12-channel movie sculpture
AYR_VIRTUAL PANORAMA INSTALLATION!
63:41 min, single-channel movie
AYR_QU’EST-CE QUE MONSIEUR TESTE?
26:26 min, single-channel movie
Expanded Animation Cinema, App, VR, 2011-2016
#FGWGBBT0001-0028
Sequential art, mixed media, digital work, 2014-15
BERLIN OPEN STUDIO, VOLUME I
Sequential art, mixed media, work on paper, 2012-13
ALIAS YEDERBECK
Entertainer – Flaneur – Spectators – Actors – Dissolution – Projection – Anima Techne – Transcendental Animation – Happy End – Doppelgänger – Reminder – The End
63:00 min, 12-channel movie
QU’EST-CE QUE MONSIEUR TESTE?
26:00 min, single-channel movie
Expanded Animation Cinema, Installation, 2006-2011
MY FAVORITE FILM – MY LOVELIEST SEQUENCE
Storyboard analysis, 2001-2004
ÜBER-MALEN UND ZEICHNEN
Documentation, 2001
FRÜHSTÜCK IM ATELIER
Action/performance, 2000
GESCHICHTE(N) DER BILDKUNST
Painting study, 1992-1999
DAS DREISSIGSTE JAHR
Drawing, 1994/95
A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN
Mixed media, work on paper, 1985-1992