Christina Stadlbauer

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Belgium, Finland (residence), Austria (citizenship)
research interests: interspecies, urban, honeybees, biodiversity, transformation, ritual, kin tsugi, bacteria, Bio Kin Tsugi, mollusk, post qualitative research
affiliation: Bioart Society, Melliferopolis, Institute for Relocation of Biodiversity
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Christina's practice is focused on other-than-human life forms (plants, animals, bacteria) and attempts to re-negotiate the relations humans have with their environment. Departing from her work with honeybees, the long term project Melliferopolis - bees in urban contexts - was founded in 2012. In collaboration with Ulla Taipale a large body of work has been realized (http://melliferopolis.net). In 2017, Christina started to also work under the name “Institute for Relocation of Biodiversity”, an initiative concerned with loss of habitats. Symbolic, absurd solutions are proposed to save the planet and its non-human inhabitants, like the mollusc Pinna nobilis, endemic in the Mediterranean Sea. Another branch of Christina's art practice is the work on cracks and the ancient Japanese craft of mending them with gold: a technique called Kin Tsugi. The classic technique with ceramic objects, allowed her to work in earthquake regions with restoration processes both physical and mental. In consequence, she explored the aspect of healing taking the concept into the microbiology lab employing bacteria and fungi. 

Christina's work is informed by her scientific background and includes life installations, performances, exhibitions, workshops, lectures and publications. She obtained a PhD in chemistry and is member of the Bioart Society, Finland. She has a post-Doc position at the Centre for Synthetic Biology, Ghent and the Department for Philosophy (Bioethics) in Antwerp (Belgium). 

research

Institute for Relocation of Biodiversity

  • Inistitute for Relocation of Biodiversity (last edited: 2019) author(s): Christallina Rox This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
    In 2017, Christina started to work under the name "Institute for Relocation of Biodiversity" that serves as platform for artistic interventions and hosts her explorations around human nature divide. Under this umbrella, she creates a series of videos that simulate, suggest and create utopian and dystopian realities connected with the contemporary discourse around the anthropocene, climate change and the current biodiversity crisis.
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  • Relocation Training for Mollusks (06/09/2019)
    Art object: Video, Christina Stadlbauer, Mar Menor, La Manga, artist(s)/author(s): Christina Stadlbauer
    The video tutorial intends to encourage the mollusk Pinna Nobilis to relocate further North and to safety. It is addressed to the sea creature directly and therefore shown to the Great Pen Shell underwater. The intervention and performance took place in La Manga, at the laguna of the Mar Menor in September 2019. A few human spectators were also present.
  • Relocation Training for Honeybees (31/10/2019)
    Art object: Video, artist(s)/author(s): Christina Stadlbauer
    The relocation training for Honeybees considers their highly developed brains and their sharp sense of navigation and orientation. The first episode of the relocation trainings, filmed in Kilpisjärvi Biological Station of the University of Helsinki.
  • Diversity is All Around (23/03/2019)
    Art object: Installation, Institute for Relocation of Biodiversity, Brussels, artist(s)/author(s): Christina Stadlbauer
    The Institute for Relocation of Biodiversity creates video tutorials for endangered species endangered. Diversity is All Around is an associative video clip presented on a canvas made of potato chips bags, at Performatiek Festival in Canal, Brussels, Belgium in 2019.
  • Relocation for Pinna Nobilis (09/05/2019)
    Event: Exhibition, Murcia, artist(s)/author(s): Christina Stadlbauer
    During the exhibition PROYECTOS Y PROCESOS DE ARTE Y CIENCIA EN EL MAR MENOR at Murcia (Spain) a trailer of the Video training for endangered species was shown. The video is part of a series of relocation training tutorials produced by the Institute for Relocation of Biodiversity. The work started in 2018, during a residency with the project MarMenorLab with Clara Boj.

Kin Tsugi as Transformative Repair

  • Narratives of Imperfection (2019) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: Research Catalogue
    Narratives of Imperfection is a series of explorations on repair, healing and transformation. The exhibition shows selected works that are part of a long term research with Kin Tsugi. This technique is a 16th century Japanese craft of visually mending broken ceramics where the crack or fault is emphasized and embellished rather than hidden. Kin Tsugi follows the philosophy of Wabi-sabi – a world view centered around the acceptance of transience and imperfection; beauty is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete.” Traditionally, Kin Tsugi shines beautifully gold or silver; underneath it uses urushi, a plant-based adhesive. Narratives of Imperfection expands the concept and practice of Kin Tsugi with different materials.
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  • Kin Tsugi Gestures (2019) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: Research Catalogue
    This durational performance is part of Narratives of Imperfection and was taking place at the exhibition space SOLU, in Helsinki in November 2019.
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  • Kin Tsugi Transformations (2019) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: Research Catalogue
    Christina'S practice “Kin Tsugi Transformations”, pivots around Kin Tsugi – the ancient Japanese craft and art of repairing broken ceramics by using silver or gold. Christina is intrigued by both the hands on work and the thinking behind this form of repair. She applies the principle to many materials and also more conceptually. In Kin Tsugi Transformations, utmost attention is given to the process rather than the outcome. The ritual character of this work takes shape as participatory interventions and in group practice. A more daring strand takes the concept into the microbiology lab where healing with the help of bacteria is introduced.
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  • Corale, Kin Tsugi (15/07/2018)
    Event: Event, artist(s)/author(s): Progetto Corale, Leonardo Delogu, Christina Stadlbauer
    Corale was a Kin Tsugi intervention in the hills of Umbria. After a heavy earthquake, in the villa of Preci, Kin Tsugi was proposed to fix ceramics, houses and broken hearts.
  • Casa Crepa (14/07/2018)
    Art object: Installation, artist(s)/author(s): Christina Stadlbauer
    Christina was invited to do a residency in the Italian mountain village Preci struck by earthquake some years earlier. Habitations were destroyed and the population demotivated. A large building in the centre of the village was still standing but displaying a large crack in the facade. Inspired by Kin Tsugi, the crack was repaired with Urushi and gold-coloured powder. Community work, durational performance and intervention. Invitation and collaboration with artist group Corale, Leonardo Delogu, Teatro Stabile, Umbria.
  • Ceramic Scar Tissue (02/09/2019)
    Art object: Piece, Christina Stadlbauer, artist(s)/author(s): Christina Stadlbauer
    Ceramic Scar Tissue is a series of explorations of Kin Tsugi in the microbiological lab. It suggests to heal a fracture instead of glueing it and creating a scar tissue of biomatter. The ceramic pieces are repaired ephemerally and remind of impermanence and imperfection.

Melliferopolis - Bees in Urban Contexts

  • Melliferopolis – collaborating with uncontrollable, flying, stinging insects (2020) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: VIS - Nordic Journal for Artistic Research
    This exposition explores encounters between humans and insects, in the framework of a long term project around honeybees in urban contexts called Melliferopolis. The interventions proposed by Melliferopolis create shared spaces of encounters for Bees and Humans. The choice to work with these insects in an urban and participatory setting creates situations that are surprising, unpredictable or challenge concepts of "safety". The exposition aims to develop an understanding for risks that arise when collaborating with non human animals, explores reactions to situations that are not entirely controllable and elaborates on notions of safety, hazard and unpredictability within practice based artistic research. As the territory to investigate these questions we look at interventions, performances and installations produced in public spaces in the city of Helsinki in the framework of Melliferopolis since 2012.
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  • Bee Ark (01/06/2014)
    Art object: Art object, artist(s)/author(s): Melliferopolis, Christina Stadlbauer
    The Bee Ark is a sculpture that hosts a colony of honeybees. It is a co-creation between artist Nigel Helyer (Australia) and the participants of the Melliferopolis workshop " bees for architecture - architecture for bees", June 2014. The unconventional hive is intended as a safe home for bees and does not allow human access to take their honey.
  • Hexa-Hive Village with Airstrip for Pollinators (01/06/2015)
    Art object: Installation, Helsinki, artist(s)/author(s): Melliferopolis, Christina Stadlbauer
    This open-air installation features experimental hives for bees and Man and a flowerbed constructed on the lawn. The Airstrip for Pollinators is a strip of flowers, a cornucopia for the senses on the turf. It serves as an appetizer and a dessert for the bees harvesting nectar and pollen, and as a feast for the park visitor ́s eyes. Selected flowers care for bees’ and men’s well-being, and bloom all summer long. The installation is located in front of the Helsinki City Theatre, in Tarja Halonen Park. It was first installed at Poikilo Museum Kouvula as part of the Semi Wild Gardens exhibition in 2015. Installation by Christina Stadlbauer and Ulla Taipale.
  • Hexa-Hive (2020) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: Research Catalogue
    The Hexa-Hive is a hive for bees and humans in urban locations. It serves as hive and as city furniture and invites the visitor to experience the bees from close
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  • Hive Five Sound PicNic (2020) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: Research Catalogue
    Microphones installed inside the hive in the frames
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  • Swarming Event (2019) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: Research Catalogue
    Witnessing a swarm of honeybees flying out of their hive is rare – especially in the urban environments. Because beekeepers manage their bees and take measures to prevent swarming from happening, the emergence of a swarm is regarded as bad beekeeping management. However, this event is a honeybee colony's birth and is an impressive show of nature's excellency.
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With Plants

  • Flower Clock (2022) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: Research Catalogue
    The art work is inspired by the concept of the flower clock by Carl Linnaeus, renowned 18th century botanist from Sweden. The installation “Who will pollinate the Flower Clock” that was exhibited in 2021 features a selection of endemic plants arranged in an outdoor installation. The piece is an invitation to decelerate, and tune into plant-time. How do plants know time? How do they attune to rhythms of day and night? How slow do they open and close their petals? How long do they blossom so that insects can visit them?
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  • Vegetal SpeedDating (last edited: 2019) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer This exposition is in progress and its share status is: visible to all.
    Vegetal SpeedDating is a participative performance with plants. The communication capabilities between plants and humans are explored, based on scientific evidence, and backed up by the biodynamic practice and research on Formative Force. The intervention was produced for the conference Plantarium, at the University of Linköping in 2017. The visitors are invited to seek direct contact with a plant and explore both their own reaction, and the possible response from the plants. Vegetal speed dating addresses the topics of plant cognition, communication and enhanced perception through a practical experiment.
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  • Pikatreffit (2022) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: Research Catalogue
    A participatory performance proposes intimate encounters with floral life forms. Potentially unexpected effects could be observed. Work in collaboration with The Hot Box.
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Artistic Research

  • Reaerch Fellow at Apass (2022) author(s): Christina Stadlbauer published in: Research Catalogue
    This post master program called Apass enables me to engage deeper with my artistic process and work profoundly with research questions and artistic research. The institution Posthogeschool voor Podiumkunsten is located in Brussels. The proposed topics of my research revolve around other than humans, the imaginary Institute for Relocation of Biodiversity and the philosophy of Kin Tsugi that follows the principles of Wabi Sabi and imperfection.
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