Meet Christiane Peschek
Christiane Peschek is an artist that navigates the liminal space between the digital and the corporeal, with technology acting as both a vessel of existence and a medium of expression. With a genetic condition that binds her physicality to electronic devices, Peschek inhabits the world as a hybrid or cyborg, positioning her body as an extension of the digital age. Her installations, exhibited in institutions such as Museum MARTA Herford, NRW Forum Düsseldorf, Benaki Museum Athens, and Kunsthaus Graz, unfold as immersive landscapes that capture the emotional and physical impact of contemporary technology, inviting audiences to confront the collapse of boundaries between human presence and digital form.
Christiane Peschek. INFINITY LAND. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Rooted between Vienna, Dubai, and Miami, Peschek’s forthcoming exhibitions include THE CUTE ESCAPE at Kunsthalle Erfurt and representations at ART DUBAI, ART ONO, and STAGE BREGENZ, where her ongoing exploration of techno-shamanism and cosmology continues to examine the evolving nature of identity within a world shaped by both organic and synthetic realities.
Christiane Peschek. OASIS. Sanatorium, Istanbul, 2022. Photo credit: Zeynep Firat. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
What initially drove you to embrace art as a career, and how have transformative experiences or mentors influenced your visual and thematic choices? Could you discuss any moments that reshaped your artistic trajectory?
To be honest, I've never had a particular mentor or situation that drove me into art, it was rather an observation that I already had when I was little. I grew up surrounded by mainly pretty boring adults with a very socially active mother. So regularly we've been out meeting her friends and colleagues for seemingly endless dinners. She always carried pens and paper for me as that was probably one of the only tools that could prevent me from being that hyper energetic and nerve-scratching child. So I sat and drew pages of pages of my observations. Soon I understood that through drawing I could catch attention from those adults so I started drawing more. It was a very satisfying feeling to get acknowledgment from those already grown up. When I grew older myself, this attention and acknowledgment I gained continued whenever I produced new works. I guess in my late teenage years I understood that this will be my way of financing my life. The themes of my work didn't change too much, though the manifestations and depth obviously were shaped by my experiences and life choices. I've always been interested in identity, mindfulness, and finding answers to the big question - why do we live and why do we need to die.
With your forthcoming project in Japan focusing on earth and soil, what elements are you particularly eager to explore? How might these elements introduce new layers or deepen the existing narrative framework?
My upcoming project I'm currently preparing for Japan called PHOENIX CASTLE is part of my long-term project series called GAIA SCRIPTS. In GAIA SCRIPTS I explore the emotional geography of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and metal. I've recently finished the element of fire which was based on an extensive research in Abu Dhabi's Liwa Desert. The outcome was a multi-sensory installation shown at NIKA Project Space in Dubai. PHOENIX CASTLE focuses on the earth as a symbol of the ground on which we stand and the deep roots of our existence. Following the beautiful quote of Japanese philosopher Tetsuya Kono who said "To understand our relationship with the Earth, we must first realize that the digital and the natural are not in opposition, but part of a single, evolving system.“ I will research on how technology alters human experience and our connection to nature, while simultaneously translating Japan's spiritual traditions into a digital future. These concepts allow me to develop a non-eurocentric perspective on the relationship between earth, humanity, and progress.
Christiane Peschek. FEVER. NIKA Project Space, Dubai, 2024. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
How do you maintain a balance between technology and natural elements to sustain both the conceptual depth and immersive quality of your installations? What challenges typically arise, and how do you navigate these complexities?
All my recent works are conceived as post-internet fables that invite the viewer to explore the complex entanglements of ecological and cultural history in an increasingly digital reality. I'm completely aware of my white, European body and that I have to move consciously and with admiration through the world's rich environments. I'm a true believer in interconnectedness, the internet we've built is a perfect sample for a structure that inhabits all being. In line with Kono’s ideas, I envision a world where extreme conditions, cultural traditions, and contemporary experiences are interwoven. This experience is not only an investigative look at the earth as matter and symbol, but also an exploration of the connections between human and non-human agency, between history and the present, between matter and metaphor. As in the four previous parts of GAIA SCRIPTS, I am again focusing on the origins and developments of the elements and their entanglement with the digital. Viewing the planet as a reflection of humanity, I focus on linking elemental and cultural history to create emotional spaces that understand the earth as a state of consciousness. The main difference between working in digital versus planetary environments is the existence of gravity. This gravity is omnipresent, it comes along with weight, heaviness, social values, and geopolitical positions. At the moment I wouldn't want to skip the gravitational world, as it helps us remember our source. We all lack rooting, that's one of the big challenges of the increasingly digital present. The digital world is pulling us up by the roots, turning solid values into shifting opinions that change by the minute. What once gave us a firm foundation is now replaced by an overwhelming simultaneity of everything, making it harder to find direction and stability.
With ongoing advancements in technology, how do you anticipate these influencing your future art projects? Are there specific techniques or innovations you are excited to explore, and what transformations do you foresee they will bring to your artistic approach?
I'm currently practicing to stay fully in the presence. The recent years I've been at least 2 steps ahead of time, that's challenging, it feels like being a niche existence. The faster technology evolves, the slower institutions often work. For my artistic practice, I had to learn to embrace the concept of patience. Once a technological concept is ready to be exhibited in a museum, it's often already outdated. That's a challenging field to work in. More than technological inventions, I'm shedding my focus on the social impact it will create. I understand my existence as a facilitator for people who are eager to discover the emotional impact of our time more than creating futuristic, cutting-edge technology installations as I believe this is very limiting. Many people feel hesitant or uneasy when it comes to new technologies. That’s why inclusivity is a key focus in my installations—I want to create access for everyone. You don’t necessarily need flashy tech in an exhibition to explore the theme of technology. In fact, leaving them out often makes it easier to connect with visitors on an emotional level. So to answer your question, how I anticipate advancements in technology, I keep reducing its visibility.
Who are the key practitioners or aesthetic movements influencing your work currently, and how do their philosophies interact with or challenge your own artistic ethos? Which eras or discourses do you find particularly enriching as you envision new projects?
I previously mentioned Tetsuya Kono, I currently geek out over his concepts. In my work, I explore the blurring boundaries between body, technology, and digital intimacy—something that closely connects to Kono’s idea that the digital and the natural aren’t opposites but part of one evolving system. While Kono explains how digital environments are just as real and influential as physical spaces, I make this concept tangible through immersive experiences. My installations create a hybrid sense of embodiment, where digital skin and techno-organic surfaces offer a new kind of touch and intimacy. I’m especially drawn to Kono’s idea of affordances—the possibilities an environment offers for interaction—because in the digital space, it’s not just about looking, it’s about feeling and engaging on an emotional and physical level. Where Kono talks about embracing the digital as a natural extension of our world, I translate that into spaces where visitors can actively renegotiate their perception of body and identity. In that manner, I recently opened the MOON ROOM in Vienna - A SPACE FOR CONTEMPORARY FEELING. This extensive research project is both an experience space and hub for innovative and experimental practice around all aspects of feeling. On 500 m², we host and produce workshops, retreats, and listening sessions designed to finally tear down the walls between genres and bubbles. We’re creating a space where every kind of feeling can manifest—whether digital, gravitational, emotional, or all at once.
