Titania Seidl

Titania Seidl’s artistic practice is concerned with the construction of the female self and the narrative strategies that feed into this construction. An avid reader of all kinds of fiction, Seidl is interested in both the auctorial voice (How are female characters described by male narrators? How do female authors describe their characters? How do these models influence our internal narrative, our perspective on our own lives?) and the corruption of that voice by appropriative techniques (the re-writing happening in the translation of texts into different languages, the practices of fan groups hijacking mainstream narratives to tell their own stories).

Seidl translates these concerns into paintings, a medium that’s still emblematic for a certain image of male genius, yet also accessible to a non-specialist audience. She uses images from different sources - art history, subculture, comics, self-help literature, or her own sketches - and tries to unbalance the hierarchies between these different sources, using the canvas as a unifier. The finished paintings sometimes show clear referential, „legible“ icons or fragments of stories, sometimes they appear altogether abstract. Reflecting a time where individuality is largely negotiated through objects, the clothes we wear, for example, the human figure is usually absent or fragmented. The paintings can take on the form of diminutive, intimate „peepholes“ or large, almost architectural backdrops.

In addition to her painterly practice, Seidl increasingly works with texts. The painting’s title, most often quotes from influential texts or personal conversations, can lead the spectator to a different perception of what’s depicted.

In addition to her practice as an artist, Titania Seidl is the co-director of the curatorial project MAUVE with artist Lukas Thaler. She also teaches at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna.

CV

Education

2006-2012, studied painting with Prof.Attersee/Prof.Eisler, University of Applied Arts, Vienna
2010-2011, Programa Erasmus na Newcastle School of Arts and Cultures, Newcastle upon Tyne
2012, Diploma with distinction, supervised by Prof.Judith Eisler
2025 — MFA Program, Bard College, Annadale on Hudson, USA, MFA Program, Bard College, Annadale on Hudson, USA

Solo Exhibitions (selection)

2024 — some of the places we take each other, Arch Gallery, Changsha (CN)
2019 — The Painter & The Rectangle, Zone 1 at Vienna Contemporary, Vienna, Austria
2018 — like a tightly ball of thread, refusing to unravel, destiny's atelier, Oslo, Norway
2016 — why the long face, black sphinx, (with Daniel Ferstl, Lukas Thaler), Drop City, Newcastle, United Kingdom
2015 — composition w. potted plants, vases, drapery, marble,..., MUSA, Vienna, Austria
2014 — X. marks the spot, AIRY, Kofu City, Japan
2013 — Civility, the fine forms, the old paintings and so on, Galeria ART, Brno, Czech Republic
2012 — Inversion (degree show), Reisnerstr.9, Vienna, Austria
2022 — Eyes Never Quite Catching, Nicodim Gallery, Los Angeles, US
2023 — Rule of Thumb, Berlinskej Model, Prague (CZ) (collaboration with Lukas Thaler, curated by Michal Stolarik)
2024 — Looping Tongues, Galerie Kandl, Vienna (Duo with Bianca Phos, curated by Livia Klein)
2024 — easysleep, Quadrado Azul, Lisbon
2025 — Solo show, Arch Gallery, Shanghai (CN) (projected
2019 — Mary Sue (her raw gaze), Quadrado Azul, Porto, Portugal
2018 — fists with your toes, Parallel Vienna, Vienna, Austria
2015 — For Aliens When Humankind is Gone, (with Melanie Ebenhoch), mo.ë, Vienna, Austria
2014 — a wall, a wall, some mountains, (with Laura Pöld), Showroom for Young Art, Vienna, Austria
2013 — Redox, (with Katharina Monka), Sammlung Lenikus STUDIOS, Vienna, Austria
2019 — Mary Sue (her face reads like language), a271, Düsseldorf, Germany
2019 — white dwarf magazine #8 W I D D E R, Viena,
2019 — white dwarf magazine #08 W I D D E R, Vienna, Austria
2019, Centrum (with Lukas Thaler), Berlin, Germany

Publications

, The Painter & the Rectangle, 2019
, white dwarf magazine #8 W I D D E R, 2019
, TITANIA, Black Pages #77, 2017
, a painter's doubt, Salzburger Kunstverein, 2017 (with an essay by Seamus Kealey)
, Artist Lecture Series Vienna Transcript - Titania Seidl, 2017
, painting regarding the present, Naives and Visionaires, 2016 (with an essay by André Hemer)
, MAUVE at Club Pro Vienna, 2016 (exhibition publication)
, Melanie & Titania, 2015 (exhibition publication, with texts by Sarah Thomas and Jakob Breit)
, sei neimals krass zu deinen brüdern (a mauve publication), 2015
, FOUNDATIONS Magazine, The Vienna Issue, 2015
, on fleek, issue 01 (with Daniel Ferstl), 2015
, X marks the spot (exhibition publication), 2014
, Redox (mit Katharina Monka), 2013 (exhibition publication)

Residências

2014, AIRY, Kofu-Shi
2012-2013, Sammlung Lenikus, Vienna
2019, a271, Düsseldorf
2024 — Artist in Residence, CCA Andratx, Islas Baleares, Spain, Artist in Residence, CCA Andratx, Islas Baleares, Spain

Group Exhibitions (selection)

2021 — Domino, Raum mit Licht, Vienna, Austria
2021 — A brief affair, Galerie 5020, Salzburg (AT)
2018 — The Yips, Gallery Céline, Glasgow, United Kingdom
2019 — Anything Goes, White & Weiss Gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia
2017 — A painter's doubt, Salzburger Kunstverein, Salzburg, Austria
2016 — Tropical Punch, Galerie Nathalie Halgand, Vienna, Austria
2015 — ...sharing space, Alte Post, Viena, Áustria
2014 — Joseph Helland / Titania Seidl / Franz Zar, wellwellwell, Vienna, Austria
2013 — In Defense of the Poor Image, hufak offspace, Vienna, Austria
2012 — Anthem, Ausstellungszentrum Heiligenkreuzerhof, Vienna, Austria
2021 — phoenix, White&Weiss Gallery, Bratislava (SK)(collaboration with Lukas Thaler, curated by Michal Stolarik)
2022 — Arcanes Majeurs, Maestria Collection, Paris (FR)
2022 — Angel Dust, Zeller Van Almsick, Vienna
2022 — Fragile Phantome. Malerische Berührungen, Galerie Zimmer mann Kratochwill, Graz (AT) (curated by Barbara Horvath)
2022 — Drawings, Pina, Vianna
2022 — Auf der Suche nach dem kulturellen Attraktor, MAUVE, Vienna (curated by Off Image)
2023 — Anton Faistauer Award, Traklhaus, Salzburg (AT)
2023 — Supermodels, Super, Vienna (curated by Bianca Pedrina)
2023 — Glanz und Glorie, AA Collections, Vienna
2023 — golden hour handshake, Kunstraum Konrad, Puchberg (AT)
2023 — Group Show, Quadrado Azul, Porto (PT)
2023 — BROWSE / SPOT / DATE, park, Vienna
2023 — F M D, Steinhauser Gallery; Bratislava (SK)(curated by Michal Stolarik)
2023 — Krixxi Kraxxi, Nosbaum Reding, Luxemburg (curated by Christoph Meier)
2024 — O U R P, Temple Projects, Los Angeles (US
2024 — A Guided Tour to Escape the Artworld, 1zwei3, Vienna
2024 — 4 whales in a soft sponge, Medium Gallery, Bratislava (SK) (curated by Nika Kupyrova)
2025 — What if I Hypnotise You, Bold Gallery, Prague (CZ)
2025 — Group Show, Peles Duo, Berlin, (DE) (projected)
2018 — Framed / Unframed, Raum mit Licht, Vienna, Austria
2019 — Destiny's Gratinée, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Sweden
2017 — stonewashed volume one, Vienna, Austria
2016 — MAUVE, Club Pro, Los Angeles, USA
2015 — The Hour Blue, FormContent, Vienna, Austria
2014, one MAUVE gallery / work, Vienna, Austria
2013 — postoriginal, Friday Exit, Vienna, Austria
2012 — The Essence, Künstlerhaus, Vienna, Austria
2012 — »o«, ve.sch, Vienna, Austria
2019, Wiener Salon, Brussels, Belgium
2018 — Unter Bildern, Heiligenkreuzerhof, Vienna, Austria
2017 — Monsone, Suprainfinit Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
2016 — Instagram Now!, Belvedere, Vienna, Austria
2015 — dreaming dict cc, Skulpturinstut, Vienna, Austria
2014 — Wellenlänge I, mo.ë, Vienna, Austria
2013 — Group Show, Sammlung Lenikus STUDIOS, Vienna, Austria
2019 — The Hanging of Traitors in Effigie (part 1), Belvedere21, Vienna, Austria
2018 — The Eventuality Dispenser, Fettes College, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
2017 — Is she Iceman or is she Goose?, SORT, New York, USA
2016 — Summer in the City, Galeria Christine König, Vienna, Austria
2015, Ezara Spangl & Rainer Spangl, ve.sch, Vienna, Austria
2014 — Goofy, studios das weisse haus, Vienna, Austria
2013 — Moda WK, Vane Gallery, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
2012 — Die / Der Würfel / Le dé (VI), COCO, Vienna, Austria
2019 — The Hanging of Traitors in Effigie (part 2), The Pencil Factory, New York, USA
2018 — Ergonomics, Material Art Fair, Mexico City, Mexico
2017 — Drop City, MUHKA, Antwerp, Belgium
2016 — nonstreaming artifacts, easyupstream, Munich, Germany
2015 — Leicht gegenüber, Fuggerstrasse 40, Berlin, Germany
2014 — First Emerald, then Saphire, then Black, Semperdepot, Vienna, Austria
2013 — Jakob Breit/Daniel Ferstl/Titania Seidl, je regrette, Berlin, Germany
2012 — Räumung, Palais Kabelwerk, Vienna, Austria
2019, Intervention at The Grotto, Quadrado Azul, Lisbon, Portugal
2018 — The Serious Fraud Office, Hotel Casa Blanca, Mexico City, Mexico
2017 — Temporary, W&K, Palais Schönborn-Batthiany, Vienna, Austria
2016 — Die sonderbare Gegenwart zu zweit, _____ Tim Nolas, Vienna, Austria
2014 — beyond mimesis - the unwritten, mo.ë, Vienna, Austria
2013 — Flamingo, NRW Bank, Münster, Germany
2019, In Spite Of, Porto, Portugal
2018 — Carved and Shaped by Proximity, Pina, Vienna, Austria
2016 — XENA, we are hercules, Munich, Germany
2013 — Carnation, Kunsthalle Ganglbauergasse, Vienna, Austria
2019, Zone 1 Hamam, Vienna, Austria
2019 — Just a Detail, Raum mit Licht, Vienna, Austria
2019, Salon Goldschlag, Vienna, Austria

Grants / Awards

2016, Mentoring Program for Artists, Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Chancellery of Austria
2015, Start Stipendium, Arts and Culture Division of the Federal Chancellery of Austria
2013-2014, Working Grant, Austrian Ministry of Science and Research
2010, Winner of the Fred-Adlmüller Stipend
2023 — Austrian State Scholarship for the Arts, Austrian State Scholarship for the Arts
2023 — Anton Faistauer Award for Painting, Shortlist, Anton Faistauer Award for Painting, Shortlist