My work finds its outlet primarily through photography, video and video installation. It explores and critiques the interplay between technology and society, authenticity and power, communications and history. It examines ideas of self, privacy and surveillance. Lately, much of my work has been focused on perceptions of evil and genocide in its past and present permutations.
My work is political, though not overtly. Rather than represent work with a blatant bias, I instead strive to engage the viewer in a meaningful intellectual and aesthetic dialog, leaving the ultimate interpretation of the work to the viewer.
While I feel that my artistic practice can be called conceptual in nature, it departs from much of that genre in that while conceptual in form, it is very concrete in its goals. Too much of contemporary art deals with abstraction and academia, asking for sacrifice from the viewer, without offering anything in return. I strive to give something back to the viewers of my work, whether that is simply entertainment, or ideally, a greater understanding of the topic at hand. The role of the artist in society is one of interpretation and documentation, not clever quips and navel gazing. I continually ask myself, as an artist, what is it that I have brought to the discussion.
Education
1986-93 M.A., University of Applied Arts under Prof. Peter Weibel, Vienna, Austria
1990-93 Graduate work in linguistics at University of Vienna, Austria
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2002 I Am, Franklin Art Works, Minneapolis, MN
1998 Solo Show, Robinson Gallery, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI
1995 Solo Shown, Lougheed Gallery, Banff Centre for the Arts. Banff, Alberta, Canada
Selected Group Exhibitions
2007 Identity, Stevens Square Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
2006 Getting’ Above Your Raisin’, Minnetonka Center for the Arts, Minnetonka, MN
2004-10 Poster Offensive 2-5 Frank Stone Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
Design & Politics, Design History Society Conference, Belfast, N. Ireland
2003 State of the Art, Carelton Art Gallery, Northfield, MN
2000 Through the Looking Glass, Beachwood Center for the Arts, Cleveland, OH
1999 The Shock of the View, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
1998 The Franconia Mound, Franconia Sculpture Park, Shafer, MN
Art in Space XI, Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, MN
Patrick Maun & Shana Kaplow: New Work, Thomas Barry Fine Arts, Minneapolis, MN
1997 Material/Immaterial, No Name Exhibitions, Minneapolis, MN
The Combustion Polyserial Research Show: Ann Arbor, Michigan and Hatiesburg, MS
1996 Drawing oN Air, Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff, Canada (also co-curated by artist)
New York Digital Salon, School of Visual Art, New York City, NY
Through the Body, Weisman Museum of Contemporary Art, Minneapolis, MN
Selected Video and Film Screenings
2008 Spark 07, Waikato Museum, Hamilton, New Zealand
2000 International Festival of Streaming Media, The Media Bank, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
1997 Uno Minuto Festival, São Paolo, Brazil
1996 MNTV, KTCA, St. Paul, MN
1993 Minnesota Film and Video Showcase, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
Unitn Festival of Art and New Technology, Vienna, Austria
Prix de la Creation Video. Clermont, France
1992 Mediawave ‘92 International Festival of Visual Arts, Györ, Hungary
Neue Medien, Salzburg, Austria
WRO Sound Basis Film Festival, Wroclaw, Poland
Selected Awards
2002 Career Opportunity Grant, Minnesota State Arts Board
2001 Visual Artist Fellowship, Minnesota State Arts Board
1996 Regional Grant for Video, Jerome Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts
Selected Performances (video, environments and music)
2006/07 Have Gun will Shoot with Rosy Simas Dance, Ritz & Southern Theaters. Mpls, MN
2005 Fragments with Barbara Mahler, St. Marks Church. New York City, NY
2004 If Andy Warhol Were My Dad with Rosy Simas Dance, Red Eye Theater. Minneapolis, MN
2003 Borderline with Barbara Mahler, HERE. New York City, NY
Where Are We Going, with Rosy Simas Dance Company, Red Eye Theater. Mpls, MN
2001 Sympathetic Vibrations, with Rosy Simas Dance Company, Red Eye Theater. Mpls, MN
2000 Moments In Between, with Rosy Simas Dance Company, Intermedia Arts. Mpls, MN
1998 Form: Choreographers’ Evening, with David Wick, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
1998 Vows, with Heidi Geier, Space Space, Minneapolis, MN
1997 Art on the Electronic Edge/Sonic Circuits, Minneapolis,MN
1993 beatha: HILUS New Media Festival, Vienna, Austria
1989 Patrick Maun – A Portrait. Art Radio: Radio Art Vienna, Austria
Awards & Grants
2002 Minnesota State Arts Board Career Opportunity Grant
2001 Visual Artists Fellowship, Minnesota State Arts Board
1998 Franconia Sculpture Park/Jerome Foundation artists grant
1996 – Design awards including the One Show Interactive, American Design Center 100 Show, Communication Arts Interactive, ID Magazine and others
1997 Jerome Installation Commission
1996 Canada Council and Banff Centre for the Arts Grant for the group project DNA
Jerome Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Grant for Video
1995 German Video Art Prize for project Kettenanimation, WDR-TV, Germany
Austrian Cultural Ministry (BMUKS) Grant for Video
1991 New Video Award, as part of the Austrian Film Days, Austria