Clemens Wilhelm (*1980 Berlin) is an artist & filmmaker based in Berlin whose practice ranges from film/video to photography and performance.
Clemens Wilhelm’s films often begin on the surface of special images and photographs, before plunging into their psychological and philosophical depths. As the films progress, the images begin to tell their particular stories, revealing their relationship to the past and present.
The films exude a concentrated calm that allows one to sink into contemplation and listening. An almost hypnotic narrative voice accompanies some of the films, other films are based on musical compositions which pull you in. Wilhelm’s films are at home in the realm between moving image and photography. The act of taking pictures itself is featured in several films. The photographic phenomena of mass tourism also appear in several of his works. In other films, Wilhelm plays with the expectations of biographical documentaries.
Wilhelm’s work asks questions such as: Why are memories stored so efficiently in the form of stories and pictures? Why do pictures and stories hold groups together? Why and to what point does a stranger appear as strange? Why is a well told story so satisfying? And why do tourists always take the same pictures?
His works are shown internationally in institutions and festivals such as Centre Pompidou Paris (F), CFCCA Manchester (UK), Rockbund Art Museum Shanghai (CN), Guangdong Times Museum (CN), OCT Art Museum Shenzhen (CN), Galaxy Museum of Contemporary Art Chongqing (CN), CCA Glasgow (UK), Berlinische Galerie Berlin (D), Edinburgh Arts Festival (UK), Loop Festival Barcelona (ESP), WRO 15th Media Art Biennale Wroclaw (PL), Stuttgarter Filmwinter (D), Bielefelder Kunstverein (D), Künstlerhaus Bethanien Berlin (D), RAM Galleri Oslo (NO), Goethe Institute Beijing (CN), Goethe Institute Barcelona (ESP), Goethe Institute New York (USA) and Anthology Film Archives New York (USA).
In 2024, he was awarded the First Prize of the Marshal of Pomerania at IN OUT Festival at Centre for Contemporary Art CSW Laznia Gdansk for his film THE END OF SOMETHING and an Honourable Mention for his film UNSER SCHLUMPI from Zbigniew Libera. In 2014, he was awarded the First Prize of the Now & After Video Art Festivals Moscow for his film PETER IS DEAD. He received the TATE Artist Rooms Joseph-Beuys-Scholarship (2015), the Lo Schermo dell’Arte/Visio Scholarship (2012) and the Pepinieres Europeennes Scholarship (2011). He was nominated for the Kino der Kunst Award Munich (2013) and the Lichter Art Award Frankfurt a.M. (2012).
In 2021, he received the Berlin Senate Artistic Research Grant. In 2020, he received the Neustart Kultur Stiftung Kunstfonds Working Grant, and in 2019, the Stiftung Kunstfonds One-Year-Working Grant of the Federal State of Germany.
He was artist in residence at Organhaus Art Space Chongqing (CN), SIM Reykjavik (IS), Buitenwerkplaats Amsterdam (NL), SUMU Turku (FI), LKV Trondheim (NO), FUTURA Prague (CZ), KSN Northeim (D), Timespan Helmsdale (UK), and Deveron Projects Huntly (UK)
Photo: Tobias Assmann
LEARNING
Clemens Wihelm studied from 2002-2009 at HBK Braunschweig University of Art in the classes of Prof. Candice Breitz (Meisterschüler 2009) and Prof. Michael Brynntrup (Film Class). In 2008, Wilhelm graduated from HBK Braunschweig University of Art & TU Braunschweig with an Art & English Teaching degree of the Federal State of Germany. In 2005/2006 Wilhelm studied English as an Eramus-student at UCE University of Central England, Birmingham, UK. From 2000-2002 Wilhelm was a bachelor candidate at Humboldt University Berlin in Art History, Cultural Studies & Spanish.
TEACHING
In 2017, Clemens Wilhelm taught a course at the Estonian Art Academy Tallinn on narration in film/video titled “Summer Academy: Clemens Wilhelm | Telling Stories”. Wilhelm was a visiting lecturer at Gray’s School of Art Aberdeen (2019), Aalto University, Helsinki/Espoo (2017), HBK Braunschweig (2016), Sichuan Fine Arts Institute SFAI Chongqing (2015 & 2011), University of Salford Manchester (2015), Estonian Art Academy Tallinn (2012), and Glasgow School of Art (2012). In 2021, he taught a course in video/film making at Media Design Hochschule Berlin MD.H.
Clemens Wilhelm works as a video art curator. In 2013, he co-founded the I SEE International Video Art Festival together with Constantin Hartenstein. I SEE sets out to present groundbreaking video art works by emerging and well-known international artists who examine the impact of technological and aesthetic inventions. The aim of I SEE is to reveal the latest developments in contemporary video art from around the world.
The first edition of I SEE in 2013 was shown at Rockbund Art Museum Shanghai, A4 Art Space Chengdu, Organhaus Chongqing and WhereWhere Art Space Beijing with the support of ifa Insitut für Auslandsbeziehungen, The German Embassy Beijing, the General Consulates of Germany Shanghai and AG Kurzfilm/German Films. The second edition of I SEE was shown at Momentum Berlin, Institut for Provocation Beijing, Times Museum Guangzhou, OCT Art Museum Shenzhen, Organhaus Chongqing, Anthology Film Archives New York and RAM Galleri Oslo in 2015/16 in cooperation with Goethe-Institut China, Stiftung Mercator & AG Kurzfilm/German Films. In 2016/2017, the third edition of I SEE was jointly hosted by Goethe-Institut China, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, the German Consulate General in Shanghai, Madhaus Shanghai, Berlinische Galerie, CCA Glasgow and RAM Galleri Oslo with support of AG Kurzfilm/German Films.
In 2011, Wilhelm initiated the GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE International Video Art Festival. GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE presents a selection of international video artists whose work reflects the issues of the globalized generation. GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE does not present videos on a specific theme, but shows a collage image of the subconscious of our present. Personal and global issues clash as the individual struggles with society. Often humoristic or absurdist approaches are used to come to terms with not-so-funny topics.
GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE is a traveling video festival on a non-profit and artist-run basis, made possible by the generous support of the featured artists and the hosting institutions: Organhaus Art Space, Chongqing (CN), Sichuan Fine Arts Insitute Chongqing (CN), Frequency Time Group Chengdu (CN), SIM Reykjavik (IS), Meneer de Wit Amsterdam (NL), Buitenwerkplaats Artist Residency Starnmeer (NL), Titanik Gallery Turku (FI), Kallio Kunsthalle Helsinki (FI), Eesti Kunstiakadeemia Tallinn (EST), Glasgow School of Art (UK), Babel Art Space Trondheim (NO), Small Projects Tromsø (NO), NOD Gallery Prague (CZ), Atelier Nord ANX Oslo (NO), Zajia Lab Beijing (CN), Skaftfell Seydisfjördur (IS), MENGI Reykjavik (IS), CCA Glasgow (UK), HilbertRaum Berlin (D), Cuxhavener Kunstverein (D) & FAQ Bremen.
Clemens Wilhelm is also a co-director of the Berlin project space HilbertRaum since 2016. HilbertRaum is an independent, non-commercial, artist-run project space in Berlin-Neukölln.
Since 2014, he is conducting a series of interviews with video artists titled “Videotalks” for Qjubes magazine.