Berlin, January 18 – Mike Steiner, a name synonymous with contemporary art in Berlin, continues to be recognized as a pioneer, performer, and fervent experimenter, seamlessly bridging the realms of painting and video art. His creative evolution, set against the backdrop of 20th-century German history, not only reflects but has profoundly shaped the contemporary art landscape through fearless experimentation and a keen understanding of his era’s pulse.
A Life Defined by Artistic Exploration and Innovation
Born in Allenstein in 1941, Steiner’s early life was marked by the upheavals of war, leading him to settle in West Berlin. From a young age, his fascination extended beyond traditional painting to the moving image, with a particular interest in film technology during his school years. This foundational period solidified his focus on art’s expressive possibilities, blending a painterly sensibility with an insatiable curiosity for new media.
Steiner’s public debut at the Große Berliner Kunstausstellung at just seventeen years old showcased his innate talent for color and composition. The vibrant 1960s, with their creative ferment in Berlin and New York, further exposed him to international influences. Encounters with avant-garde figures such as Allan Kaprow and Lil Picard positioned him firmly within global movements like Fluxus and Pop Art. His friendships with artists including Joseph Beuys, Robert Motherwell, and Al Hansen continuously informed and challenged his multidisciplinary approach.
From Informel Painting to Video Art and Performance
Steiner’s artistic journey was characterized by seamless transitions and audacious boundary crossings. He evolved from early informel paintings and urban abstractions to a more performative and conceptual methodology. The pivotal shift to video art in the 1970s was born from both doubt and hope-a ‘legitimation crisis’ of painting that liberated him to explore the materiality and temporality inherent in video. During this transformative period, he established the legendary Hotel Steiner, an artistic haven for both local and international artists, drawing parallels to New York’s renowned Chelsea Hotel. This space provided creative refuge for luminaries such as Joseph Beuys, Marina Abramović, Valie Export, and Carolee Schneemann.
The Studiogalerie: A Hub for Media Art Innovation
The establishment of Steiner’s Studiogalerie in 1974 marked a significant turning point for Berlin’s art scene. It rapidly became a vital laboratory for media art, where video, performance, and installation art converged, and where technological innovation served as a new artistic language rather than an end in itself. Steiner’s vision extended beyond mere exhibition; he actively facilitated artistic creation by providing expensive video equipment to artists, fostering experimentation, and meticulously documenting groundbreaking performances. Among these was the notable “Irritation – Da ist eine kriminelle Berührung in der Kunst” with Ulay, an art action whose profound resonance continues to be felt within Berlin’s performing arts traditions.
The Studiogalerie’s activities positioned Steiner alongside other visionaries of contemporary art, drawing comparisons to figures like Nam June Paik, Andy Warhol, and Bill Viola. However, Steiner’s work prioritized process and authenticity over spectacle. His videos, often serving as records of ephemeral performances, functioned simultaneously as artworks and crucial archival resources, solidifying Berlin’s status as a nerve center within the global video art movement.
Expanding Art’s Reach: From Painted Tapes to Public Broadcasting
The 1980s and 1990s further cemented Steiner’s place in the practice and memory of contemporary arts in Berlin. His innovative painted tapes, hybrids of painting and video, presciently anticipated today’s fluid media art forms. Projects with Tangerine Dream and his ongoing dedication to collecting and curating video works underscore his relentless openness to new artistic expressions and collaborations. His “Videogalerie” TV program, broadcast from 1985 to 1990, was an audacious foray into public broadcasting, bringing cutting-edge video art and artist interviews to a broad audience, demonstrating his tireless commitment to expanding art’s reach.
Institutional Recognition and Lasting Legacy
Steiner’s most significant institutional recognition came with his seminal solo exhibition, “Color Works,” at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart in 1999. This exhibition celebrated his crossover thinking, highlighting the seamless unity of painting and video, abstraction, and technology. Here, Steiner stood among international luminaries whose works he also helped collect and document, including Marina Abramović, Valie Export, and Richard Serra. These collaborations emphasized his expansive presence across various currents of contemporary art, from Fluxus to performance and beyond.
Steiner’s biographical journey transcends the sum of his media and milestones, marked by a propulsive restlessness in his continuous search for artistic truth-from West Berlin’s Kreuzberger Forum to New York’s atelier scene, and from Florence’s experimental video studios to Berlin’s institutions of cultural memory. His legacy, meticulously preserved in official archives and collections, extends far beyond his death in 2012. His works continue to fuel debates on abstraction, temporality, and the very possibilities of Contemporary Arts Berlin.
The official Mike Steiner website offers a meticulously curated overview of his artistic oeuvre, alongside illuminating archival materials, press reviews, and texts that reveal both his intellectual depth and playful spirit. Whether exploring the evolution of abstract painting in postwar Germany, the birth of video art, or the roots of live performance documentation, Steiner emerges as an indispensable figure without whom Berlin’s contemporary art scene would be significantly less vibrant.
Intriguingly, Steiner’s later years witnessed a return to painting and abstraction, seemingly completing a full circle back to his origins. However, these late works were profoundly informed by decades of engagement with moving images and live installations. They radiate a quiet intensity, with colors and surfaces vibrating with the accumulated history of experimental media and risk-taking that characterized his entire career.
Mike Steiner’s work remains profoundly relevant due to his relentless willingness to embrace change, foster complexity, and meticulously document the present for future reflection. In an era where disciplinary boundaries are increasingly fluid, Steiner’s archive, performances, and installations at esteemed venues like the Hamburger Bahnhof continue to inspire artists and collectors alike, serving as a powerful reminder of contemporary art’s capacity to shape not only its epoch but also our perception of ourselves.
For those seeking images, work groups, and in-depth texts, a journey through his online archive is highly recommended, offering a deeper dive into one of Berlin’s most vital artistic legacies. Immerse yourself in the timeless pulse of contemporary art, as embodied by Mike Steiner.
