Karl Zechenter
Karl Zechenter is a freelance artist, director and curator and a member of the artist group gold extra. His work brings together media, technology and society through experimental formats in theatre, games and participatory media.
Karl Zechenter has been active in theatre since the 1990s and received the Ferdinand Eberherr Prize for experimental theatre in 1997. Since 1998, together with gold extra, he has developed artistic projects that connect media, technology and society.
He was artistic director of ARGEkultur Salzburg from 1999 to 2005, director of the Offmozart Festival in 2006, and founder of the basics Festival. He also serves on advisory boards for the State of Salzburg.
Zechenter’s work has been presented internationally, including at the Ethnological Museum Berlin, ZKM Karlsruhe, Art Moscow, Games for Change Festival New York, BELEF Belgrade, studiobühne Köln, brut Vienna, Ars Electronica Nightline and the European Media Art Festival (EMAF) in Osnabrück. His projects have received numerous awards, including the Salzburg State Media Prize (2012) for From Darkness, the art project commission for the Robert Jungk Year (2013) for Local Crisis Machine, and the Outstanding Artist Award of the Republic of Austria.
Alongside his artistic practice, he teaches at Mozarteum University Salzburg, with a focus on Art & Scholarship, as well as at the University of Salzburg.