bio
Janis Polar (*1993) is a Basel based visual artist/researcher. He investigates disturbed socio-ecologies in anthropocentric systems and his own entanglements in them. His work engages at intersections of (media) technology, science and political ecology, trying to build relations to complex geographies and the non-human. Sites of research have been glaciers in alpine and polar regions, deep sea environments and mining zones – sites which he always observes in relation to (historical) cultural practices and his own complicity. He mainly works with film and image-based media, archives and found objects, combining (post-)documentarian and speculative approaches in installations and audiovisual performances. His works have been exhibited and performed internationally in Switzerland, Germany, USA, Estonia, China and he regularly collaborates with scientists and scientific institutions. Janis Polar has received various work, residency and research grants and he holds degrees in Cultural Analysis, Film and Literature Studies. His practice has been further influenced by his transdisciplinary work in curation and art mediation for innovative institutions in their fields (Fotomuseum Winterthur, Int. Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Migros Cultural Percentage) as well as by various non-institutional projects
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2025 *gel-[archive] #5, focusTerra/ETH group show, Zürich (CH)
2024 kuker/site, Wild Bits/European Capital of Culture 2024, group show, Maajaam/Tartu, (EE)
2024 gēotan, Stadtkino/Bildrausch Filmfest Basel, 16mm av-performance with Legion Seven, Basel (CH)
2024 A Case of Paranoia, together with Elfrid the Third & Ivan Eyes, concert/av-performance, Migros Museum, Zürich (CH)
2023 *gel-[archive] #4, Currents New Media Festival, group show, Santa Fe (USA)
2023 gēotan, Stadtkino/Bildrausch Filmfest Basel, cinema & festival location, 1-year fixed installation, Basel (CH)
2023 A Case of Paranoia, with Elfrid the Third & Ivan Eyes, Kaserne Basel, concert/av-performance, Basel (CH)
2023 A Case of Paranoia, with Elfrid the Third & Ivan Eyes, Theater Neumarkt, concert/av-performance, Zürich, CH)
2022 ex-de-plora #2, T66 art space, group show, Freiburg im Breisgau (GER)
2022 stories of 90°S-empir[e]cism #2, DOCK, art & culture space, 16mm av-performance, Basel (CH)
2022 *gel-[archive] #3, DOCK art space, solo show, Basel (CH)
2022 stories of 90°S-empir[e]cism #1, Forum (kHaus), av-performance, Basel (CH)
2022 ex-de-plora #1, Forum (kHaus), solo show, Basel (CH),
2021 *gel-[archive] #2, Jungkunst, group sho, Winterthur (CH),
2021 *gel-[archive] #1, Bildrausch Filmfest Basel, screening, Basel (CH)
2020 *gel-[archive] #1, KeinMuseum art spac, solo show, Zürich (CH),
2019 autopo[i]etic khaos, Int. Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, av-performance, Winterthur (CH)
2019 autopo[i]etic khaos Steinengraben 30, av-performance, interim used art space, Basel (CH)
2019 non-place [4051], Steinengraben 30, interim used art space, group show, Basel (CH)
2018 autopo[i]etic khaos, master of contemporary art practice diploma shows, University of the Arts Bern, av-performance, Bern (CH)
2018 Visual Discipline, Leimeneggstrasse 43 Winterthur, interim art space in historical building, solo show, Winterthur (CH)
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2024 «PolArts» by Swiss Polar Institute and Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council, together with Dr. Sandra Bruegger (CH)
2024 Best Swiss Music Video Award, Solothurner Filmtage / m4music (CH)
2024 Fundaziun Nairs Artist Residency (Scuol, CH)
2024 Fieldexplorer Research Residency by Fieldstations and Filmexplorer (Berlin, GER)
2024 Research Grant Pro Helvetia, Swiss Arts Council (Zürich, CH)
2023 Media Art Grant, Cultural Department Basel (CH)
2023 Wild Bits Artist Residency & Wild Bits/Tartu 2024 Work Grant, (Tartu, EE)
2023 Research Grant Cultural Department Basel (CH)
2022 Sasso-Residency (Vairano, CH)
2022 Media Art Grant, Cultural Department Basel (CH)
2022 Exhibition Grants from Futurum Stiftung (CH)
2021 Media Art Grant, Cultural Departement Basel (CH)
2020 Media Art Grants from Cultural Departement Basel and Ceroni Foundation (CH)
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ongoing coaching / mentoring for young artists and cultural practitioners (18–28), «Sparx», Migros Cultural Percentage (Zurich)
2023 coaching Naiyi Wang (curator, 798 Cube, Beijing) for research trip, Pro Helvetia Shanghai
2020–2022 project lead art mediation, Fotomuseum Winterthur (Winterthur)
2018–2021 curator of contemporary and historical focus programs, Int. Kurzfilmtage Winterthur (Winterthur)
2017–2019 co-founder / co-curation KinoKonkav (Basel), contemporary and historical art film program cycles with invited guests (e.g. with Yuri Ancarani and Pauline Curnier Jardin)
2017–2018 Jury member of the Kulturförderpreis (≈Cultural Promotion Award) awarded annually by the Cultural Department of the Basel.
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2024
«RESIDENCIES REVIEW – Sharing as an aesthetic practice», talk Fieldexplorer (Fieldstations & Filmexplorer) about research practices and works-in-progress. Moderated by Dr. Giuseppe Di Salvatore and Prof. Dr. Lidia Gasperoni.
2023
Talk with Dimitra Andrescu (Forensic Architecture) and Britta Horlacher (SRF Investigativ) about investigativ media practices and forensic aesthetics, Bildrausch Filmfest Basel
Talk with Lina about her film «5 Seasons of Revolution» (2023), Bildrausch Filmfest Basel
2022
Talk «Art x Science: Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Glacial Ecologies» with Dr. Gianalberto Losapio (Head of Biodiversity Change group, University of Lausanne), Maëlle Cornut (Visual Artist / Researcher), Janis Polar (Visual Artist / Researcher), DOCK, Basel
Talk «Art x Science: Spatial Research Practices – Artistic and Scientific Expeditions and Explorations» with Prof. Dr. Gabriela Schaepmann-Strub (Earth System Scientist UZH, Scientific Director Swiss Polar Institute), Barbara Schibli (Author) and Janis Polar (Artist), moderated by Carla Peca @ Forum, Basel
Interview with Prof. Dr. Simon Baier «Ecologization of the Arts» (published for exhibition «ex-de-plora»#1)
Round Table «Art x Activism», (self-)critical exchange with various Artist and Activist @ Stadtfenster, Basel
Round Table «Perspectives on Ecologization within Instiutions», (self-)critical exchange with Kaserne Basel, Soya the Cow/Daniel Hellmann, Janis Polar and Carla Peca about questions of necessary ecologizations institutional practices
Guest Lecture «Buckminster Fullers Geodesic Domes in Historical and Contemporary Ecocritical Discourses, Art Theory and Practices» @ GTA ETH Zürich
2021
Essay «Crises as Viruses/Viral Crises» a multiperspectival approach to crises, published at «Crisis and Communitas», a platform for the transcultural exchange of academic and artistic research on the practice of communitarian thought by Prof. Dr. Dorota Sajewska (University of Zürich).
2020 Talk «Art x Science: Perspectives on Glacier Retreat and Climate Change» with Dr. Mauro Fischer (Glaciologist at University of Bern), Arian Bastani (Science Journalist) and Janis Polar (Artist / Researcher) @KeinMuseum, Zürich (part of the exhibition *gel-[archive] #1)
2019
Talk with Pauline Curnier Jardin in context of a curated program by KinoKonkav, Stadtkino Basel
Guest lecture, Berufsschule Aarau (Vocational School Aarau)
2018
Talk with Yuri Ancarani in the context of curated film program by KinoKonkav in collaboration with Kunsthalle Basel, Stadtkino Basel
since 2016
Moderation of 50+ Q&As, panels and artist talks
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2022 Master of Arts: Cultural Analysis / Literature Studies, University of Zurich, visiting programs at University of Basel (Art History & Media Studies) as well as at ETH Zurich (History of Knowledge). Grade: summa cum laude.
2017 Bachelor of Arts: Film Studies / Literature Studies, University of Zurich. Grade: magna cum laude.
