About
Michaela Putz’s artistic work explores the intersections of digital imagery, memory, and ecological fragility. She works with found footage and fragmented digital traces to examine the instability of the image. Her cross-disciplinary work – spanning photography, video, collage, and AI-based image generation – investigates how visual remnants such as low-resolution archives, glitched materials, and erased presences can become speculative sites for reconstructing lost ecologies.
Her work has been presented in international exhibitions, screenings, and festivals; including Tricky Women Festival 2025, Vienna Collectors Club, Bildraum 01, Kunstverein Eisenstadt, Fotogalerie Wien, Ars Electronica Festival (AT), Museum Villa Rot (DE), Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo (UY), Athens Photo Festival (GR), Imago Lisboa, a ilha (PT), Behnoode Foundation (UAE), and Yassi Foundation (IR). It has been published in various publications, amongst them Camera Austria Forum (168/2024), publications of Fotogalerie Wien and Museum Villa Rot, and in morgen magazin.
Putz studied at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. She has received several grants and awards, including the BMKÖS Start Stipendium (2019), the Burgenland Art Award (2018), and the international residency grant for Shanghai by the Federal Ministry of Austria (2024).
CV
EDUCATION
Art & Science with Virgil Widrich
University of Applied Arts, finished June 2017
Communication and Policitcal Scienes
University of Vienna, finished June 2007
EXHIBITIONS
2026
Hybrid Presences
Kunstraum Sootbörn, Hamburg (DE) – upcoming
Seeds. Reclaiming Roots, Sowing Futures,
Kunst Haus Wien, Klima Biennale Wien (AT)
ALCHEMICAL IM/POSSIBILITIES
Frappant, Hamburg (DE)
METAMORPHOSEN
Duo with Jasmin Schaschl
studio offbeats, FOTO WIEN (AT) – coming up
GET OUT THERE
Group show by Austrian Cultural Forum Beijing,
Mountain Sea Art Museum Beijing (CN)
Screening: PHANTOM OF A GARDEN
SAT 8.3., 16:00 / METRO Kino +Q&A
Tricky Women Tricky Realities 2025
DUO – Ephemere Landschaften with Elena Kristofor
STEIN*STEIN Krems (AT)
Uncanny Gardens
Medienwerkstatt Wien (AT)
2024
ALCHEMICAL IM/POSSIBLITIES
with Gertraud Köck, Chris Murzek, Florian Nitsch
sehsaal, Vienna (AT)
9 Artists, 9 Days
Vienna Collector’s Club at Otto Wagner Areal (AT)
Fragmentarium
Vienna Collector’s Club mit Galerie Rudolf Leeb (AT)
Der Sound der Zukunft
OHO Oberwart (AT)
2023
DUO – Plants, Sand, Sea, with Laura Sperl
a ilha/xyz Lissabon (PT)
Too much of a good thing
a ilha/xyz Lissabon (PT)
DUO – Between Light & Shadow, with Hessam Samavatian, curated by Paula Marschalek
LOOM Wien (AT), in Kooperation mit FOTO WIEN
2022
ANGST, Feelings are Facts, curated by von Vitus H. Weh
Kunstverein Eisenstadt (AT)
Memory Matter. The Relationship Between Objects and Our Self
curated by Sophie-Charlotte Opitz, Museum Villa Rot (DE)
DIGITAL I – ARTEFAKTE/, Fotogalerie Wien &OstLicht.Galerie für Fotografie, Vienna (AT)
7 x digital. OHO Oberwart (AT)
Proximity and Distance, Seestadt Tower (AT)
FLORA IRANICA, Yassi Foundation, Teheran (IRN)
FLORA IRANICA, Aknoon Gallery, Isfahan/Iran & Safavi Historical House Isfahran (IRN)
2021
SOLO – ABIES ALBA, Red Carpet Showroom Karlsplatz, Vienna (AT)
INVICTUS.
Alserkal Avenue / Behnoode Foundation, Dubai (UAE)
DUO – Hypercene/Hipercen, with Mato Lagator
Mikrogalerija CPN, Belgrade (SRB)
Mit Simon Lehner and Flavia Mazzanti
Salzamt, Linz (in Kooperation with Bildrecht, Ars Electronica Festival) (AT)
SOLO – PALINOPSIA,
OHO Oberwart (AT)
“(K)EIN MENSCH IST EINE INSEL“
Künstlerhaus Wien (AT)
Zeichen der Zeit
Landesgalerie Burgenland (AT)
Surface Screening
Schottentor, Red Carpet Showroom, Vienna (AT)
2020
SPACE20 temporary
Grüngasse Vienna (AT)
HORTUS CONCLUSUS Skulpturenpark
Schloss25 & museum of Now, Vienna (AT)
light specific
minuszwei, Domgasse Vienna (AT)
„SHUTDOWN? – MIT KUNST AUS DER ISOLATION“
OHO Oberwart (AT)
STAND BY
Galerie Rudolf Leeb, Vienna (AT)
SOLO – SCREEN ROMANCE. I touch you when you are gone,
Red Carpet Showroom Karlsplatz, Vienna (AT)
SOLO – PALINOPSIA
XYZ Books / a ilha, Lisbon (PRT)
CEREBRO CON HUEVO
OFFSHOREd, New Jörg and Biquini Wax EPS, Mexico City (MEX)
KALEIDOSKOP, NÖ DOK
Dokumentationszentrum für moderne Kunst St. Pölten (AT)
2019
CHURCH OF EGO
U10 Art Space, Belgrade (SRB)
NEVERMORE
VENT GALLERY, Parallel Vienna 2019 (AT)
GUMBALLMACHINE
Kaeshmesh, Vienna (AT)
NANO//REVOLUTIONS
Espacio de Arte Contemporáneo, Montevidéo (URY)
Drowning land – breathing water
TAF The Art Foundation, Athens/Greece, Athens Photo Festival (GRC)
EVERLASTING LIGHT
TIM NOLAS, Vienna (AT)
POTENZ; DIE, WEIBLICH: II
OHO Oberwart (AT)
My point of view
Galerie Arcc.art, FOTO WIEN (AT)
VERRAT DER FOTOGRAFIE
Kunstraum Nestroyhof, FOTO WIEN (AT)
THE SECRET SHOW, with 280A
FOTO WIEN Festivalzentrale, Museum Postsparkasse (AT)
VACANT DREAM STATE, with 280A
EIKON Schaufenster, FOTO WIEN (AT)
Kontrapunkte
OHO Oberwart (AT)
2018
Schriftbilder
Projektraum Burgenland, Eisenstadt (AT)
VARIO, Unseen Amsterdam (NLD)
Oliwski Ratusz Kultury, WL4 Mleczny Piotr, Gdanks (POL)
Traces of Seemingly Insignificant Gestures
Ars Electronica Festival 2018, Bildrecht – Gallery Space, Linz (AT)
The Infernal Machine
BETON7 (Athens Photo Festival), Athen (GRC)
2017
LIQUID LANDSCAPES, with 280A
Showroom Ruby Marie, Vienna (AT)
The Essence
Alte Post, Vienna (AT)
Diploma exhibition
Heiligenkreuzerhof, Vienna (AT)
ARCC.art, Kaiserstraße, Vienna (AT)
2016
Non-Lieux
Johnstraße 31, Vienna (AT)
[dis]placement, Information through Sound
Citygate, Vienna (AT)
2015
TERRITORY
Blütengasse 9, Vienna (AT)
IT IS 3 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, Aesthetic Insurgency
Blütengasse 9, Vienna (AT)
Junge Kunst international
OHO Oberwart, Burgenland (AT)
CONSEQUENTIAL CHOICES, Versions of Atlas Making
AIL (Angewandte Innovation Lab), Vienna (AT)
GRANTS & AWARDS
2024
Studio grant Shanghai/China by BMKÖS
Shortlist Marianne.von.Willemer – Preis für digitale Medien
2022
Burgenland studio grant in Paliano, Italien
Working grant, Land Burgenland
2020
Working grant, Stadt Wien
Working grant, Land Burgenland
2019
START-Stipendium (Foto) by BKA
Kunstankauf des Landes Burgenland
2018
Award for Fine Arts, Burgenland
Unseen Art Trail Award, powered by Tesla, with 280A
2017
Grant, Internationale Sommerakademie für bildende Kunst, Salzburg (AT)
TALKS. LECTURES & SYMPOSIUMS
2026
Future Talk: Climate X Change – Saatgut, Wissen, Widerstand, Kunsthaus Wien (AT)
Klimagipfel zur Klima Biennale Wien – Funkhaus Wien (AT)
2023
Panel Talk „How we live without depriving ourselves of the basis of life“, OHO Oberwart (AT)
Lecturerer at Wiener Kunstschule (AT)
Artist Talk & Book Presentation with Laura Sperl, Imago Galerie Lisbon (PT)
Artist Robe Presentation, Michaela Putz x VFMK, VFMK (AT)
Artist Talk with Hessam Samavatian & Ruth Horak, Loom, Foto Wien (AT)
ARTIST TALK, Museum Villa Rot (DE)
2021
HIPERCEN/HYPERCENE, Podium Talk about “the digital and the anthropocene” at CPN Art&Science Center, Belgrade (SRB)
Artist Talk with Paula Marschalek about the artist book PALINOPSIA – Kulturankerzentrum Schlingermarkt, Vienna (AT)
2020
Artist Talk with Nina Schedlmayer – magazine presentation “morgen” – Museum Niederösterreich (AT)
Guest Lecture at Wiener Kunstschule (AT)
Podcast on the work Screen Romance with Galerie Rudolf Leeb (AT)
2019
Gloom of Mnemosyne, with Fabian Knierim (Westlicht Museum) – Bildraum01 (AT)
ARTIST RESIDENCIES
2024
Artist Residency Grant for Shanghai/China by BMKÖS
2022
Burgenland-Atelier with grant in Paliano, Italy
2020
XYZ Book Residency, Lisbon, Portugal
2019
VACANT DREAM STATE Residency with 280A
2018
eu-art network Artist Symposium, Oslip, Burgenland
Artist Residency/Symposium in Cassis, France, with 280A
Joya: AiR in Andalusia/Spain
2016
Artist Residency at Hangar in Lisbon, Portugal
PUBLICATIONS
2026
Seeds. Reclaiming Roots, Sowing Futures
KunstHausWien, Spector Books
2024
Forum | Camera Austria International Nr. 168
DIGITAL, FOTOBUCH 67/2024, Herausgeber: Fotogalerie Wien
2023
Between Light & Shadow, C/20 Vienna (AT)
2022
Das Zeug zum Erinnern. Museum Villa Rot (GER)
BILDER. DIGITAL I Artefakte. Fotogalerie Wien 332/2022 (AT)
2021
PALINOPSIA – Artist Book, published with XYZ Books, Lisbon (PRT) – presented at Feira Gráfica Lisboa – 4.ª edição, CHARTA Festival Rome, Paris Photo, Unseen Amsterdam, FOTO WIEN, Arles and more
(K)EIN MENSCH IST EINE INSEL, Künstlerhaus, Gesellschaft bildender Künstlerinnen und Künstler Österreichs (AT)
2020
Gloom Of Mnemosyne in morgen magazine on digitalization (AT)
2019
VACANT DREAM STATE, 280A, Issue #4 (AT)
2018
Sentimental Defense, 280A, Issue #3 (AT)
Courage, Courage, Elevate Festival Magazine, 280A (AT)
2017
Squaring the Circle Pt. 2: Liquid Landscape, 280A, Issue #2 (AT)
COLLECTIONS
Land Burgenland
ING DiBa, Amsterdam
Several works in private collection