Evocative images and a strong conceptual approach complement each other in the work of Thomas Albdorf. He seamlessly layers a wide range of materials and techniques to form a coherent narrative. His images stretch traditional photographic genres and form a commentary of the changing role of the image.

Hinde Haest, Curator Foam Amsterdam, 2017

Given the pervasive influence that photography has on our social landscape, it is no surprise that artists have taken the opportunity to fundamentally reconsider those terms by which the medium operates. One of the clearest responses has been a “sculptural” one, that is to say, an examination of material properties and the work of Thomas Albdorf fits comfortably within this rubric, though without being entirely confined to it. Indeed, to assert that this work is concerned with photography is perhaps to define it too narrowly. Although his most immediate subject is undoubtedly photographic, this does not mean that Albdorf is engaged in a debate about what photography can be in and of itself. This is merely where the work begins, not some essential definition of what photography is as a medium, but rather a set of propositions aimed at discerning how photographs act – that is to say, what they do, as photographs. It seems that the most significant concern for Albdorf is to expose the mechanisms of representation by using them in a reflexive or even contradictory manner. His diverse approach is ideally situated to untangle the mesh of possibilities that define photography as a medium – and which, in turn, determine how it is used. This work poses the question of what, if anything, we might find outside the conventional “limits” of the image.

Darren Campion, 2014

––––––––––––

Education

2002 - 2005     Graphic and Communications Design College / Goethestrasse 17, Linz / Austria

2008 - 2013     Transmediale Kunst (class of Brigitte Kowanz), University of Applied Arts, Vienna / Austria

––––––––––––

Solo Exhibitions

2023
"Body Double", Webber Los Angeles, Los Angeles / USA
2022
Thomas Albdorf, Belfast Exposed (as part of Belfast Photo Festival), Belfast / Northern Ireland
2019
Thomas Albdorf / "Mirror Mirror", Museum Folkwang, Essen / GER
2018

Thomas Albdorf / "Room With a View", FOAM, Amsterdam / NL
2017

Thomas Albdorf / "General View", Webber Gallery Space, London / UK

Thomas Albdorf / "General View", DELI Gallery, NY / USA
2015

Thomas Albdorf / "When Rainbows Melt Into Hills", DELI Gallery, NY / USA

Thomas Albdorf / "Oh Fail, You Beauty", Fotogalerie Wien, Vienna / Austria

Thomas Albdorf / "Former Writer: Colour on Surface", Platform Gallery, Seattle WA / USA
2013

Thomas Albdorf / "Former Writer: Colour on Surface", Galerie ART, Brno / Czech Republic

Thomas Albdorf / Tim Dannenberg, Mauve Offspace, Vienna / Austria
 
––––––––––––

Group Exhibitions

2023
Neue Welten, Museum Folkwang, Essen / GER
2022
Visage(s) d’Europe, EUNIC Paris, Paris / France
Paris Photo, Grand Palais Éphémère, Paris / France
Parallel Vienna, Semmelweisklinik, Vienna / Austria
“Rückblick – Umblick – Blick in die Zukunft”, Fotogalerie Wien, Vienna / Austria
2021
Unbound (as part of Unseen Photo Amsterdam), Amsterdam / NL
Gmunden Photo, Gmunden / Austria
2020
Link in Bio - Art After Social Media, MdbK Leipzig, Leipzig / Germany
On Earth / Arles - Imaging, Technology and the Natural World, FOAM, Amsterdam / NL
2019
On Earth / Arles - Imaging, Technology and the Natural World, Atelier des Forges, Arles / FRA
New Flesh, Light Factory, Charlotte / USA
Landschaft / Peisaj, Galeria Posibilia, Bucharest, Romania
2018
Recommended, Freie Akademie der Künste Hamburg, GER
Recommended, Fotoforum Frankfurt, GER
2017
Perfect Storm, NRW-Forum, Düsseldorf / Germany
Look Up At The Sky - Geologies, Arts Visuals Terrassa, Terrassa / Spain
matter and lightness, Kunstraum Niederösterreich, Vienna / Austria
2016
Land Forms (curated by Tate Shaw and Gregory Eddi Jones), Visual Studies Workshop, NY / USA
A Great Sum (In Parts), Osnova Gallery, Moscow / Russia
New Flesh, Rubber Factory, NY / USA
High Summer, Foley Gallery, NY / USA
66e édition de l’exposition Jeune Création, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac Pantin, Paris / France
Feira Plana, Museum for Image and Sound (MIS), São Paulo, Brazil
2015
Mediterranea 17 Young Artists Biennale, Fabbrica del Vapore, Milano / Italy
Current Obsessions (curated by Wandering Bears), Webber Gallery Space, London / UK
Mimic (curated by Paddy Johnson and Marsha Owett), Air Circulation, NY / USA
So What, Doomed Gallery, London / UK
The Longest Nose, Mauve Offspace, Vienna / Austria
Spring, Kunstverlag Wolfrum, Vienna / Austria
Photography (curated by Diego Diez), Re-View, Cordoba / ESP
2014
Thomas Albdorf / Tina Lechner / Christiane Peschek / Agnes Prammer & Johann Schoiswohl / Hanna Putz / Sabine Schwaighofer / Katarina Šoškic, Fotohof, Salzburg / Austria
Trump L'Oeil: Paintings in other media, The Blue House Art Gallery,Dayton, OH
All In, Gallery Krinzinger Projekte, Vienna / Austria
Fluorescent Corpse, Neon Heater Gallery, Findlay, OH / USA
VICE 2014 Photo Show: Trompe L‘Oeil, Pioneer Works, NY / USA
BLOG RE-BLOG (curated by Max Marshall and Paul Paper), Austin Center for Photography, Austin TX / USA
DELIBERATE OPERATIONS (curated by Lodret Vandret), Nextart Gallery, Gothenburg / Sweden
DELIBERATE OPERATIONS (curated by Everything Is Collective), Neon Heater Gallery, Findlay, OH / USA
2013
BLOG RE-BLOG (curated by Max Marshall and Paul Paper), Signal Gallery, NY / USA
What You Want (curated by Matthew Leifheit), The Camera Club of New York, NY / USA
HOT BED, TGIF Gallery, NY / USA
Former Writer: Colour on Surface @ M&C Saatchi Corporate Online Gallery
MULTISTABLE (curated by Sarah Duncan), The Owl, Austin TX / USA
Former Writer: Colour on Surface, Heiligenkreuzerhof / University of Applied Arts, Vienna / Austria
Sraunus Cardiff (curated by Paul Paper & Rowan Lear), Arcadecardiff, Cardiff / UK
2012
Aufheben (curated by Aaron Hegert & Zachary Norman), Fuller Projects Gallery, Bloomingten, IN / USA
Sraunus Gothenburg (curated by Paul Paper), Nextart Gallery, Gothenburg / Sweden
The Essence 12, Künstlerhaus Vienna / Austria
Aint-Bad Magazine / Issue Three: Hyperlinked Exhibition, Little Beasts Gallery, Savannah, GA / USA
hm und mh, Hufak Off Space, Universität für angewandte Kunst, Vienna / Austria
Naked Fire, Kunstpavillon Tiroler Künstlerschaft, Innsbruck / Austria
Mit sofortiger Wirkung – Interventionen “Again & Again”, Kunsthalle Wien / project space Karlsplatz, Österreich
imitation imitation, Hufak Off Space, University of Applied Arts, Vienna / Austria
2011
Universals (curated by Oliver Udy), Fringe Arts Bath, Bath / UK
remove – reuse – recycle, Forum Stadtpark, Graz / Austria
Japan Charity Exhibition, gallery base level, Vienna / Austria
Kunstüberforschen, schikaneder, Vienna / Austria
2010
schik IV - Family, schikaneder, Vienna / Austria
Videoromanzen 2, Herbert-Gerisch-Stiftung, Neumünster / Germany
Holy Ghost @ Off Modern (curated by Holy Ghost Zine), London / UK
Other Dimensions, schikaneder, Vienna / Austria

––––––––––––

Publications

2022
"Body Double"
Photobook, edition of 500, 21 x 28 cm, 132 Pages, 73 colour images, with a text by Elisa Medde
ISBN-978-3-200-08668-5
Published by Same Paper in November 2022
https://samepaper.com/Body-Double

2017
"General View"
Photobook, edition of 700, 21 x 28 cm, 128 Pages
ISBN 978-88-94895-07-0
Published by Skinnerboox in May 2017 (out of print)
https://www.skinnerboox.com/books/general-view-thomas-albdorf

2015
"I Know I Will See What I Have Seen Before"
Photobook, edition of 300, 20 x 26 cm, 112 pages, 58 colour and 32 b/w plates – published by Lodret Vandret in September 2015 (out of print)
ISBN 978-87-92988-12-6
http://lodretvandret.com/i-know-i-will-see-what-i-have-seen-before/

––––––––––––

Lectures and Workshops

January 2024: Lecture "Through The Images Of Ages Past - Making New Photographic Images In a Post-Photographic World“, CONNECt lecture series, Die Graphische, Vienna / Austria
October 2023: Lecture "I Know I Will See What I Have Seen Before", Weis.Raum Designform, Innsbruck / Austria
May 2023: In-Person Lecture & Workshop "The Map and The Territory“, Fotofilmic, Vancouver / Canada
October 2022: In-Person Lecture & Workshop "Through The Images Of Ages Past - Making New Photographic Images In a Post-Photographic World“, HSLU Luzern, Luzern / Switzerland
February – May 2022: Online Lecture & Workshop "Through The Images Of Ages Past - Making New Photographic Images In a Post-Photographic World“, Fotofilmic, Vancouver / Canada
AW term 2020 / 2021 - Online Lecture "Working From Memory“, University of
Applied Sciences, Bielefeld / Germany
SS term 2018 – Lecture "Working From Memory", University of Applied Arts, Vienna / Austria
April 2018: Lecture & Workshop "Working From Memory", ECAL, Lausanne / Switzerland
October 2017: Lecture "Under Construction" at Recyclart, Brussels / Belgium
June 2017: Lecture "Under Construction" at f2 Fotofestival Dortmund / Germany
SS term 2017 – "How To Be A Photographer", University of Applied Arts, Vienna / Austria
October 2016: "Ten To Six" Workshop & Lecture, FH Bielefeld / Germany
AW term 2016 / 2017 – "Under Construction - Contemporary Image Production",
University of Applied Arts, Vienna / Austria
SS term 2016 – "Under Construction - Contemporary Image Production",
University of Applied Arts, Vienna / Austria



––––––––––––

Awards and Grants

2024
Federal Austrian Ministry for Arts and Culture - Austrian State Scholarship for Fine Art Photography

2017

Recommended Olympus Fellowship
2016

UNSEEN Talent Award

ARTE Creative Award - Portfolio Review Düsseldorf

FOAM Paul Huf Award - nominee
2014

Federal Austrian Ministry for Arts and Culture - Starting Grant for Fine Art Photography

British Journal of Photography - selected as one of 30 international photographers to watch in 2014: “One’s to Watch 2014”
2013

Ö1 Talent Grant Fine Art 2013 - finalist