Nigel Gavus (*1992), is a filmmaker and interdisciplinary artist based in Vienna, Austria. He studied at the School for Independent Film – Friedl Kubelka and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. In his filmic work he deals with time, memory, identity and the relationship between poetry and cinema. The fundament for his other artistic practices are based on the medium of photography, which he often combines with mixed media – like found materials, embroidery and the experimentation of printing. The performativity of daily life, coincidences, as well as collaborations with other artists play a major role in the process of his creation. All works have a diary-like approach, each of it as a building block for the next, generating a personal and interconnected oeuvre. His work has been shown at national and international film festivals and institutions, including Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen, EuroAsia Short Film Festival Washington, Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, Diagonale – Festival for Austrian Film, Vienna Shorts Film Festival, Mumok, Halle für Kunst Steiermark & Neue Galerie Graz.
Education:
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna – Video & Videoinstallation (Dorit Margreiter)
Guest in the Class of Art & Digital Media (Constanze Ruhm)
Friedl Kubelka – School for Independent Film (Philipp Fleischmann)
Scholarships, Residencies, Nominations & Awards:
Nominated for the „Dorothea von Stetten Kunstpreis“ by Thomas D. Trummer (Kunsthaus Bregenz)
Scholarship: Kunstraum Steiermark Atelier-Stipendium 2023/24 – Kultur Land Steiermark
Medienfrische Residency, New Media & Experimental Art Days 2023, Tirol, Austria
Nominated for Stiftung Vordemberge-Gildewart Award 2022 – Mumok – Museum für Moderne Kunst Wien
Fellowship: Dot.Dot.Dot. Filmfestival x Volkskundemuseum Wien: – „Climate Change Knowledge“ 2022
Panther Residency 2021 at Halle für Kunst Steiermark (in the context of the exhibition „Domestic Drama“)
Tenerife International Short Film Festival 2021 – Special Mention for „Letters from a Window“
Vienna Shorts Audience Award 21′ for the Best Austrian Short Film – „Letters from a Window“
Artist in Residency at Zeta Gallery, Tirana, Albania 2020 – Kultur Land Steiermark
Screenings/Exhibitions (Selection):
2023
ORF Lange Nacht der Museen: Filmscreening „Untitled _ Ein Film ohne Titel“ at KunstGarten Graz
Solo-Exhibition „im Bunker“ as part of the Open Studio Day 2023 at Ortweinplatz 4 / 8010 Graz
ANALOG IMAGINATION – European Short Film Network – Tour, curated by Philipp Fleischmann (School for Independent Film – Friedl Kubelka):
Go Short International Filmfestival, Int. Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen, Indie Lisboa IFF, VIENNA SHORTS, Uppsala Shortfilmfestival, Short Waves
with the Film: „ya nadie cabe en este mundo, y menos el.“ (Super8 / B&W / silent / 3 min /2023)
Festival del Cinema di Cefalù 2023 (Screening of „Untitled _ Ein Film ohne Titel“)
Medienfrische Festival für neue Medien und experimentelle Kunst – Screening of „The tale of the crying willow“
Screening of „Calle Sol“ (2023) at Centro De La Imagen, Mexico City („Everyday is Babylon“ Book presentation by Matthew Phipps)
2022
Intuit Distance – Group Show at Galerie Suppan (curated by Lina Albrikiene)
Kunstraum Steiermark at Parallel Vienna Art Fair – Group Exhibition
ROCHADE – Group Exhibition at Kunstgarten Graz
„Nominated …“ Vordemberge-Gildewart Stipendium 2022 – Group Exhibition at Mumok Vienna
Sprachspiel. Biennale West 22´ – Festival für Literatur & Film („Letters from a Window“)
Gift – Reflexions on closeness and dependency / Group-Exhibition at Schaumbad Freies Atelierhaus Graz
Diagonale 22′ – Festival of Austrian Film (Cinema-Premiere: „Its on a day like this…“)
They asked a totally useless question“ – Group Exhibition at Roter Keil Gallery Graz
Filmscreening: Alumnis of Schule Friedl Kubelka at Fotogalerie Wien
European Film Days – Austrian Cultural Forum Teheran („Letters from a Window“)
2021
Domestic Drama – Group Exhibition at Halle Für Kunst Steiermark
Festival on Wheels – Ankara Cinema Association (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
ALTERNATIVE FILM/VIDEO Festival Belgrade (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
KFFK/Kurzfilmfestival Köln N°15 – 2021 (Short on Wheels Program)
Tirana Residency Program – Group Show at Zeta Galerie
Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival 21′ (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
CinemaNext on Tour: Graz Schubert Kino (Screening of „Not East, Not West“)
Banale (Entleere deine Blase) – Group Exhibition
Flimmer.Club x Size Matters Raum für Kunst & Film (Screening of „Mars Exposure 1.0)
Austrian Independent Film Festival (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
Ernte Sehen Festival – International Competition (Screening of „Mars Exposure 1.0“)
Tenerife Short Film Festival 21′ (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
Dot. Dot. Dot. Filmfestival 21(Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
Diagonale 21 – Festival of Austrian Film (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
Vienna Shorts International Film Festival 2021 (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
EuroAsia Short Film Festival 21′ in Washington, USA (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen 2021 (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
Corona Cinema – Mars & Blum (Screening of „Mars Exposure 1.0“)
Tsiolkovsky Space Film Festival (Screening of „Mars Exposure 1.0)
2020
Landes Kunst und Kulturpreise – Ausstellung Neue Galerie Graz
Poetry & Politics – Parallel Vienna Art Fair(Class of Dorit Margreiter)
equality becomes form – Parallel Vienna (Class of M.J.Guttmann)
Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien – Rundgang 2020 (Screening of Not East, Not West) & Untitled (Videoinstallation)
Ernte Festival Film Festival (Screening of „Letters from a Window“)
2018/19
Ufozine #01 – Release at Verein Fortuna
Diagonale – Festival for Austrian Film 2019 (Screening of „Metempsychosis“)
Youki Filmfestival (Screening of „Metempsychosis“)
Verein Fortuna – Kino (Curated by Leo Haas & Nigel Gavus)
Trailer for Schule Friedl Kubelka for independent Film (Class of P.Fleischmann)
Transborders Festival – Fluxus am Fluss
„Nur zu Besuch“ – Group-Exhibition (curated by Stefan Krische)