Stefan Roloff

Stefan Roloff (* 1953 in Berlin ) is a German-American painter , video artist and filmmaker . Stefan Roloff is a pioneer of digital image processing in the fields of video art, music video and photography. He lives and works in New York and Berlin.

Life

Stefan Roloff completed a degree in painting at the Berlin University of the Arts . At the invitation of the New York Institute of Technology and the musician Peter Gabriel , he worked on Images II in 1984 , the first prototype of computer-controlled image processing. This started a new development. Roloff created his conceptually painting and photo animation based film "The Face", the prototype for Gabriel's Grammy Award-winning video "Sledgehammer". At the same time he developed "Big Fire", one of the first digital images created by artists with music by Andrew Cyrille . Between 1987 and 1989 he developed new photo animation concepts, which were shown internationally and exhibited in their entirety in 1989 at the Center Pompidou. In 1989, Roloff received a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts for the digital photo concepts he developed between 1984 and 1989. Today he is considered a pioneer of digital photo and video art. Since 1982 his work has been exhibited in New York, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Bern, Frankfurt am Main, Boston and Bilbao.

In 1999, Roloff completed his first documentary, Seeds . For the film, he researched the story of a 22-year-old American woman who committed suicide in the isolation cell of West Virginia Women's Prison in 1981. He combined the resulting film with the installation Pence Springs Resort , a life-size, three-dimensional photographic reconstruction of the isolation cell. In 1995 the project, for which he received an Art Matters Grant, was shown in the Threadwaxing Space in New York.

Between 1998 and 2002, Roloff interviewed two dozen contemporary witnesses or descendants of the Rote Kapelle resistance movement , to which his father Helmut Roloff belonged. The resulting film, which was supported by a Jerome Foundation Grant from the New York City Media Arts Program and produced by ZDF Das kleine Fernsehspiel , premiered at the German Resistance Memorial Center . In 2005 the film was nominated for best foreign film by the US Women Critics after showing in New York. Since 2015, the Red Chapel has been shown in the permanent exhibition of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on the initiative of Stefan Roloff, Gustin Reichbach and Ellen Meyers . In addition, Roloff's source interviews with members of the Red Orchestra can be viewed on the museum's website.

Since 2008, Stefan Roloff and Carola Stabe have done 60 interviews with former GDR citizens who were persecuted by the Stasi . Two GDR-related video installations by him are permanently installed in Potsdam: "Lindenhotel" in the Lindenstrasse memorial. 54 shows four silhouettes projected onto the walls of their former cells, interviews with former Stasi prisoners. "Life on the Death Strip" is installed in the Villa Schöningen .

Roloff is also working with rock musician Martin Rev on an audiovisual live concept based on Roloff's pictures and Rev's music.

Exhibitions (selection)

• Life in the Death Zone , permanent video installation, Zeitgeschichtliches Forum, Leipzig, Germany (2018)
• Beyond the Wall , Westside Gallery Berlin, Germany (2017)
• Flight , Westwendischer Kunstverein Gartow, Germany (2017)
• The Kindness of Strangers , Summerhall, Edinburgh, UK (2014)
• Lindenhotel , permanent video installation, Lindenstrasse 54, Potsdam (2013)
• Chairing The Meeting. Kunsthalle Brennabor , Brandenburg an der Havel (2014)
• Life on the death strip , permanent video installation, Villa Schöningen , Potsdam
• XVII Rohkunstbau , Marquardt Castle (2010)
• Layers , Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany (2009)
• Stefan Roloff , Pierogi Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany (2008)
• Prinz Albrecht Str. 8 , Old Town Hall, Potsdam, Germany (2007)
• Eins Plus Eins , SPI Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany (2005)
• Altered States , Kunsthalle Osnabrück , Germany (2004)
• So Into You , Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany (2003)
• When 6 Is 9 , German American Institute in Saarbrücken, Tübingen, Nuremberg, Germany (2001/2002)
• When 6 Is 9 , Galerie Deschler, Berlin, Germany (1999)
• Pence Springs Resort , Thread Waxing Space, NYC, USA (1995)
• Our Daily Planet , Casa de Cultura Basauri, Bilbao, Spain (1992)
• Stefan Roloff. 1982–1992 , The Seed Hall, Tokyo, Japan (1992)
• Niveles , Palau Solleric, Palma de Mallorca, Spain (1991)
• Methamorphosis , Casa de Cultura Laura Alvim, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1990)
• Still Life and Methamorphosis , Evan Janis Fine Art, NYC, USA (1990)
• Photomorphosi s, Montgomery College, Maryland, USA (1990)
• Moving Painting , Center Pompidou , Paris, France (1989)
• Paper Murals , Fashion Moda, NYC, USA (1983)
• Thoughts in Oil and Rubber , Gartow Castle , Gartow, Germany (1982)

Video compilations

• 2004: Play - Peter Gabriel
• 1992: US - Peter Gabriel
• 1990: Black Box - Suicide

Filmography

• 2015 Double Trouble Ellen Meyers and When 6 is 9 Productions
• 2014 Do you know where your Swedish meatballs come from? When 6 is 9 Productions
• 2012 Twin Sister , Friend of Khayyam - When 6 is 9 Productions
• 2007 Memory Breakdown - When 6 is 9 Productions, Music: Martin Rev
• 2004 Die Rote Kapelle - ZDF , When 6 is 9 Productions, Hybrid Films, music: Martin Rev
• 1999 Cabezera Raque l - Hervè Hachuel
• 1999 Seeds - Audra Allen, Stefan Roloff, music: Peter Gordon
• 1997 Mirage - When 6 is 9 Productions, WW Productions, Music: Martin Rev
• 1997 Liquid - When 6 is 9 Productions, WW Productions, Music: Martin Rev
• 1995 The Year of the Stone - Audra Allen, Stefan Roloff
• 1993 Meditation in the Roaring Twenties - Eva Müller, When 6 is 9 Productions
• 1992 What's Going on? - Stageways Productions, music: Martin Rev
• 1992 The Visit - REBO High Definition Studio, Stefan Roloff, music: Martin Rev
• 1989 Dominic Christ - Video for Suicide LD "A Way of Life", When 6 is 9 Productions
• 1989 Surrender - Video for the Suicide LP "A Way of Life", When 6 is 9 Productions
• 1989 ZAAR - Video of the Peter Gabriel LP "Passion"
• 1989 Fireball - Stefan Roloff, Eric Spiegel, music: Jim O'Rourke
• 1989 Still Life - When 6 is 9 Productions, Eric Spiegel, Music: Martin Rev
• 1987 Lunch - When 6 is 9 Productions, Eric Spiegel
• 1987 Life and death of Ludwig van Beethoven - When 6 is 9 Productions, music: Joe Robiller
• 1987 The Room Mate , When 6 is 9 Productions, music: Walter Steding
• 1985 Big Fire - NYIT, Stefan Roloff, music: Andrew Cyrille
• 1984 The Face - NYIT, Peter Gabriel, Stefan Roloff
• 1980 Fopo Fever Music: Anja Kiessling, Leo Lehr, Kurt Herkenberg
• 1978 The thick music: Joe Robiller, Anja Kiessling, Leo Lehr

Catalogs, publications

• Beyond the Wall , art is allowed to do everything e. V. Berlin, Germany (2017)
• Flight , Westwendischer Kunstverein Gartow, Germany (2017)
• Linden Hotel. Potsdam Museum and Fördergemeinschaft Lindenstrasse 54. 2010.
• Stefan Roloff. Videos 1978–2008, Galerie Deschler, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-00-026885-4 .
• XVII Rohkunstbau. Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-89930-306-3 .
• Altered States. Rasch Verlag, Bramsche 2004, ISBN 3-89946-019-7 .
• Red Chapel. The resistance group in the Third Reich and the history of Helmut Roloff. Econ Ullstein List Verlag, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-550-07543-X .
• The catacomb society. Satzweiss.com, 2011, ISBN 978-3-8450-0515-7 .
• When 6 Is 9. Galerie Deschler, Berlin 2001.
• Volume three. Pierogi Press, New York 1999
• Transsexual expresses. Bilboarte, Bilbao 1998.
• Pence Springs Resort. Thread Waxing Space, New York 1995.
• Nuestro Planeta Cotidiano. Casa de Cultura Basauri, Bilbao 1992.
• Stefan Roloff, Works, 1982-92. The Seed Hall, Tokyo 1992.
• Atlas. Art Gallery of Hamilton, Canada 1990.
• The Photography of Invention. National Museum of American Art, Washington DC 1989.
• Third Videonale . Kunstmuseum Bonn, Bonn 1988.
• The Second Emerging Expression Biennial. Bronx Museum, New York 1988.
• Stefan Roloff. Exhibitions Schinckestrasse, Berlin 1987.
• Digital visions. Everson Museum, New York 1987.
• Second videonale. Kunstmuseum Bonn , Bonn 1986.
• Stefan Roloff. Art Palace, New York 1984.
• International Plastics Symposium. City Museum Lindau, Lindau 1983.
• Dimensions of the plastic. State Art Gallery , Berlin 1981.
• Thoughts in oil and rubber. Gartow Castle, Gartow 1981.

Awards

• FFA script funding (2015)
• MEDIA production preparation (2008)
• Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities Scholarship (2007)
• BKM Scholarship, Berlin (2006)
• Jerome Foundation, New York City Media Arts Grant (2002)
• Art Matters Grant (1995)
• Fellowship, New York Foundation for the Arts (1989)

Trivia

• In 1972, Stefan Roloff created OTTO BUFONTO, Berlin's first graffiti tag on the Oskar Helene Heim underground station .

Individual evidence

1. ^ Joshua Smith: Photography of Invention . In: The MIT Press . March 1989 ( mit.edu ).
2. ↑ Friends, united. In: Der Tagesspiegel. March 19, 2003.
3. ^ Holocaust Memorial. Retrieved September 14, 2015 . 
4. ↑ Life on the Death Strip. Retrieved September 14, 2015 . 
5. ^ Martin Rev: R&R. In: When 6 is 9 Productions. Retrieved September 14, 2015 (1984-2010). 
6. ^ Announcement on the exhibition ( Memento of the original from November 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed September 9, 2014. 
7. ↑ pierogi2000.com ( Memento of the original from July 25, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
8. ↑ Otto Bufonto. Retrieved September 14, 2015 . 

Web links

• Literature by and about Stefan Roloff in the catalog of the German National Library
• Search for "Stefan Roloff" in the SPK digital portal of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
• Stefan Roloff in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• When 6 is 9 Productions website
• Berlin's first graffiti tag: Otto Bufonto. Retrieved September 14, 2015 . 
• Permanent exhibition, Villa Schöningen: Life on the death strip. Retrieved September 14, 2015 . 
• United States Holocaust Memorial: Red Orchestra Collection. Retrieved September 14, 2015 . 
• zdf.de: Helmut Roloff in one of his last interviews in 2001 ( Memento from June 11, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
• R&R: Martin Rev: R&R. In: When 6 is 9 Productions. Retrieved September 14, 2015 (1984-2010). 
• Internet art project by Stefan Roloff