Janis Polar (*1993) is a Basel-based visual artist, filmmaker and cultural researcher. He works on epistemological, ecological and speculative questions—crossing intersections of natural science, media technology, (colonial) history and visual culture. His projects engage in geographies rendered as ‹last frontiers of raw nature›, and their (potential) transformation into landscapes of power, extraction or attraction.

Working across different photographic and filmic techniques, image archives, and found technical objects, he combines (arte)facts and (hi)stories in experimental and (post)documentary films, installations and performances. A practice exploring tensions between human and non-human, natural and human archives, landscape and body, fact and fiction, knowledge and language. Throughout his artistic process, he often collaborates with sound artists and scientists (e.g. ETH Zurich, Geomar, NSF, BGR, University of Basel).   

Janis Polar has received various grants in Switzerland (e.g. from Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council, Basel Cultural Department, Swiss Polar Institute) and abroad (Tartu 2024, Fieldexplorer, Beijing Art Technology Biennale). His works have been exhibited and performed in Switzerland, Germany, the USA, Estonia or China. He recently presented his first institutional solo exhibition at Photoforum Pasquart (Bienne, CH).

He graduated with distinctions in Cultural Analysis, Film and Literature Studies (University of Zurich) and worked in curation/art mediation for Fotomuseum Winterthur, Int. Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Migros Cultural Percentage. 

  • «In my practice and discursive research, I’m interested in how natural and (non-)human history accumulates in landsacpes, hybrid spaces and interconnected geographies. I often shift between different episodes of research, fieldwork, and artistic experimentation in the studio. This process can result in multiple iterations of a work, fostering a practice of re-questioning. Similarly, my relationship with (image) archives—personal, historical, scientific, natural—remains fluid. Through them, I (re)surface, (re)interpret or (re)imagine recent, old or already ‹used› images in new contexts and forms: What can images express when language and absolute measurement start falling apart? How might this open a space for exploring (non-)human conditions? What is my (non-)relationship to the places I visit, what my complicity in an «epistemic violence of discovery» (Heather Davis)?

  • Photoforum Pasquart (Bienne, CH), solo show, Antarctic Archives, curated by Amelie Schüle, Feb–April 2025

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    798CUBE (Beijing, CN), screening «mangan gardens», curated by Yixuan Cai

    Beijing Art and Technology Biennale (CN), mangan gardens, group show, Oct. 2024–May 2025

    Photoforum Pasquart (Bienne, CH), Alien vs. Predator #3, AV performance

    focusTerra/ETH Zürich (CH), group show, fixed installation, gel-[archive] #5, ex-de-plora, Aug 2025-Nov 2026

    Accélerateur de particules (Strasbourg, FR), Antarctic Archives, group show, Dec 2025–Jan 2026

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    Wild Bits/ Tartu 2024 – European Capital of Culture (EE), group show, kuker/site, Mai–Sept 2024

    Migros Museum (Zürich, CH), a case of paranoia, AV performance with Elfrid the Third & Ivan Eyes

    Bildrausch Filmfest Basel (CH), gēotan #2, 16mm AV performance, with Legion Seven

    Universität Wuppertal (DE), ex-de-plora #3, installation during conference «Frühlingsakademie», March 21st–23rd

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    Currents New Media Festival (Santa Fe, USA), *gel-[archive] #4, group show, June 16th–25th

    Stadtkino/Bildrausch Filmfest Basel (CH), gēotan #1, fixed installation May 2023–May 2024

    Theater Neumarkt (Zürich, CH), a case of paranoia, AV performance with Elfrid the Third & Ivan Eyes

    Kaserne Basel (CH), «a case of paranoia», AV-performance with elfrid the third & ivan eyes

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    Kulturwerk T66 (Freiburg, DE), ex-de-plora #2, group show, Regionale 23, Nov 2022–Jan 2023

    DOCK (Basel, CH), stories of 90°S-empir[e]cism #2, AV performance with Vivian Wang & Serafin Aebli

    DOCK (Basel, CH), *gel-[archive] #3, solo show, Oct – Dec 2022

    Forum/kHaus (Basel, CH), stories of 90°S-empir[e]cism #1, AV performance with Vivian Wang & Serafin Aebli

    Forum/kHaus (Basel, CH), ex-de-plora #1, solo show, June 2022

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    Jungkunst, Winterthur (Winterthur, CH), *gel-[archive] #2, group show, October 23rd–27th

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    KeinMuseum (Zürich, CH), *gel-[archive] #1, solo show, October 1st–10th

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    Int. Kurzfilmtage Winterthur (CH), autopo[i]etic khaos, AV performance

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    University of the Arts Bern (CH), autopo[i]etic khaos, master’s diploma shows, AV performance

  • 2024 «PolArts» grant with Dr. Sandra Bruegger, Swiss Polar Institute & Pro Helvetia (CH)

    2024 «START» grant Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council (CH)

    2024 Comission «Beijing Art Technology Biennal (CN)

    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 Media Art Grant, Cultural Department Basel | Ceroni Foundation (CH)

    2022 Exhibition Grant from Futurum Stiftung (CH)

    2021 Media Art Grant, Cultural Department Basel (CH)

  • 2023 Pro Helvetia Shanghai (CN/CH), research trip coaching Naiyi Wang (chief curator 798 cube)

    2020–2022 Fotomuseum Winterthur (CH), Project Lead Art Mediation, Project: «From Print to Pixel»

    2018–2021Int. Kurzfilmtage Winterthur (CH), Co-Curator of contemporary and historical focus programs

    2017–2019 KinoKonkav (Basel, CH) co-founder & curator of film programs, e.g. with Pauline C. Jardin, Yuri Ancarani

  • 2024 Kanton Luzern (CH)– ST.ART Nachwuchsförderpreis HSLU ART, DESIGN, FILM (Cultural Promotion Award)

    2017–2018 Abteilung Kultur Basel (CH)– Kulturförderpreis (Cultural Promotion Award)

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    RWTH Aachen (DE)

    – Symposium «Art & Science» @ «Entanglements Science Day 25», RWTH Aachen University (DE)

    – Guest Lecture «Diskursive Herangehensweisen an Natur/Wissenschaft, oder: Geschichten aus dem Archiv», Master Seminar «Art & Research» by Prof Dr. Susanne Hefti, RWTH Aachen University

    Guangdong Times Museum (Guangzhou, CN) – Guest Lecture «Flood, Storm, Heat, Fire: Images and Imaginations of Ecological Chaos» as part of panel «Thermal Violence» curated by Yixuan Cai.

    University of Bern (CH) – Guest Lecture-Performance «Flood, Storm, Heat, Fire: Images and Imaginations of Ecological Chaos», EXTREMES - Swiss Society for Quaternary Research annual meeting.

    Guest Lecture «Diskursive Herangehensweisen an Natur/Wissenschaft, oder: Geschichten aus dem Archiv», Master Seminar «Art & Research» by Prof Dr. Susanne Hefti, RWTH Aachen University

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    Studio Visit by SWISS PHOTOMONTH (by Spectrum), curated & moderated by Rahel Christen, Basel (CH)

    Lecture «Geological Times, Sunlight Fossils», as part of «Art and Design in Post-carbon Era», curated and moderated by Yixuan Cai, hosted by 798 cube/Ming Contemporary Art Museum (CN)

    Panel «RESIDENCIES REVIEW – Sharing as an aesthetic practice», moderated by Dr. Giuseppe Di Salvatore and Prof. Dr. Lidia Gasperoni, Fieldexplorer (Fieldstations & Filmexplorer)

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    Talk with Dimitra Andrescu (Forensic Architecture) and Britta Horlacher (SRF Investigativ) about investigative media practices, forensics and aesthetics, Bildrausch Filmfest Basel (CH)

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    Various «Art x Science» talks: with Dr. Gianalberto Losapio (Head of Biodiversity Change group, UNIL), Maëlle Cornut (Visual Artist), Prof. Dr. Gabriela Schaepmann-Strub (Earth System Scientist), Barbara Schibli (Author), moderated by Carla Peca/Janis Polar, hosted by DOCK/Forum/kHaus, Basel (CH)

    Guest Lecture «Buckminster Fullers Geodesic Domes in Historical and Contemporary Ecocritical Discourses, Art Theory and Practices» @ GTA ETH Zürich

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    Talk «Art x Science: Perspectives on Glacial Retreat» with Mauro Fischer (Glaciologist, University of Bern), Arian Bastani (Science Journalist) and Janis Polar (Artist), Carla Peca (Curator), @KeinMuseum (ZH)

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    Talk with Pauline Curnier Jardin in the context of a curated program by KinoKonkav, Stadtkino Basel

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    Talk with Yuri Ancarani in the context of curated film program by KinoKonkav in collaboration with Kunsthalle Basel, Stadtkino Basel

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    Master of Arts (University of Zürich): Cultural Analysis / Literature Studies, with visiting programs at University of Basel (Art History & Media Studies), ETH Zurich (History of Knowledge). Grade: summa cum laude.

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    Bachelor of Arts (University of Zürich): Film Studies / Literature Studies, Grade: magna cum laude.

  • Kunstbulletin, Photoforum Pasquart & Ann Mbuti, Filmexplorer, e-flux, ARTE here

forensic architecture