kunststoff

KUNSTSTOFF IS A COLLECTIVE OF FOUR ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS (CHRISTINA AKSOY, WALTRAUD BRAUNER, RAFFAELA GRAS, STEFANIE STERNIG) FOUNDED IN 2012 AND MAINLY BASED IN VIENNA.

kunststoff is characterised by collective authorship with a process-oriented approach. kunststoff's work oscillates between contemporary dance, performance and theatre for varying audiences. As accompanying programms to their performances they offer workshops and follow-ups for and in schools. In the process the collective not only try to create awareness and provoke thought, but also always tie in their work with sociopolitically pertinent topics. The artistic approach can be described as conceptual, intuitive, against the tide, aesthetical, daring. And yet the earth is flat was nominated for the Stella18, a price for performing arts for young audience in the category Outstanding productions for children. With their productions they have toured in Austria, Brussels (Belgium) and Banja Luka (Bosnia-Herzegovina) and been chosen for several residencies.

Team

CHRISTINA AKSOY

Christina Aksoy (I/AT) studied cultural management and contemporary dance pedagogy in Vienna and is working as production manager at Festspielhaus St. Pölten. Besides that she is also responsible for the programme for young audience as well as the development and promotion of supportive formats for young professional dancers. Moreover, Christina Aksoy works as performer and choreographer in different interdisciplinary projects and together with different artistic collectives since 2011. Her artistic work took her to Belgium, Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy and Austria and includes pieces like “Krawalle & Hiebe”, “Eine Jacke ist eine Jacke ist eine Jacke”, “When you gotta go you gotta go” and “Die Erde ist doch eine Scheibe”. 2017 she published her research on a potential tool for cultural managers that makes it possible to strengthen the work with qualitative indicators in the art sector (Christina Huber: Die gescheiterte Zweckfreiheit der Kunst. Ein praktisches Werkzeug zur Kunst und Kulturarbeit. 2017, im-Verlag.)

WALTRAUD BRAUNER

Waltraud Brauner, born 1983 lives and works as an artist and performer in Vienna (A). She studied and graduated at the University for Applied Arts (Photography and New Media) and MUK University of the City of Vienna (Contemporary Dance Education). With the Erasmus program she studied in Amsterdam (NL). Since 2003 she took part in various exhibitions, performances and projects in Austria and abroad. She received several scholarships e.g. the DanceWEB (2008) and the Start Stipendium for performing Arts by the BMUKK (2009) and invited to residencies e.g. TURBO residency (2012), the Summer residency at WorkSpaceBrussels (2013), Tanzhotel Wien (2015), Arbeitsplatz Wien (2019).
She works in different fields of visual and performing arts often in collaboration with other artists & collectives (e.g. kunststoff,FOURDUMMIES, Julian Hetzel, Evy Jakhova Notfoundyet, Studio5). She is interested in developing different modes of interaction with the audience and showing works in different places or settings (e.g. black box, galleries or in public space).
With her collective FOURDUMMIES she realized several participatory performances with different venues, e.g. BRUT Wien, steirischer herbst, WienWoche and with her collective kunststoff she has shown different pieces and projects at different venues in Austria and abroad (amongst others at Tanzquartier, Dschungel, Kabelwerk in Vienna, Klicker Festival in Croatia or at Workspace Brussels in Belgium.

RAFFAELA GRAS

Raffaela Gras was born in Vienna in 1989. She works as a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher. In 2011 she completed her studies in “Contemporary Dance Pedagogy” at the MUK Private University of Music and Art Vienna. While working, she studied cultural management at the University of Music and Performing Arts and has since then also worked in the field of cultural mediation and cultural management. She is a founding member of the kunststoff collective and curated the Young Art Parcours event format. Since 2017 she has been taking over production management for Georg Blaschke/ M.A.P. Vienna. In 2010 she received a main prize for her choreographic work at the Offspring Contest and in 2012 the START scholarship from the B.m.u.K.K. From 2019 to 2021 she is a board member of Assitej Austria, and since 2020 she has headed the dance and very young children departments at Musisches Zentrum Wien. For 2022 she will receive a performance work scholarship from the City of Vienna, and in 2023 and 2024 she will curate the children and family program of the Vienna Cultural Summer.

In all of her works she uses the body as a material for moving and sensual images in order to create spaces for new perspectives. She is interested in aesthetic research together with a young audience and enjoys developing new communication formats.

STEFANIE STERNIG

Stefanie Sternig, born in 1981, has been working as a dancer, choreographer and dance pedagogue since completing her studies at the Konservatorium Wien Private University in "Contemporary Dance Education" (2011) and studying pedagogy and special and curative education at the Main University of Vienna. In 2012 she receives the training scholarship at the Tanzquartier Wien and in 2014 the start scholarship for music and performing arts of the federal chancellery Austria. As part of her artistic work, she creates contemporary, interdisciplinary dance pieces and performances in various formats and in collaboration with musicians, video artists and graphic artists. Since 2011 she has been working with kollektiv kunststoff, with which she receives the ImPulsTanz Turbo Residency (2012), Artist in Residence, Summer Studios p.a.r.t., Brussels (2013). In recent years, other artistic collaborations have emerged and the works were shown in the Tanzquartier Wien, Jungle Vienna, in various venues of the federal states, in Bosnia, Palestine & Belgium. In 2018 Stefanie receives the Prize for Performing Arts of Carinthia.

PETER PLOS

Peter Plos lives and works in Vienna as a musician and composer. He studied guitar at the Gustav Mahler Conservatory and experimental music (computer music and electronic media) at the University of Music and Performing Arts. With his idiosyncratic compositions he collaborates with artists from the fields of music, theater, dance and performance.