Mars + Blum what!?

Flora + Martin Szurcsik-Nimmervoll work in the field of fine and applied art, design, exhibition production and various forms of analogue and digital communication in a socio-political context. As artists, Mars + Blum use different media and materials from photography and programming languages to classic and modern craft techniques. Projects are created both in the context of current exhibitions and as → artistic solutions and practical applications in cooperation with → partners from civil society, public administration or the private sector. In this context design always means responsibility. Out of creative responsibility, Mars + Blum only implement projects that do not cause any damage in an aesthetic, political or ecological way. For their work, this means implementing every project with the greatest possible degree of intelligence, wit, functionality and, last but not least, aesthetics and mindfulness. Flora and Martin Szurcsik-Nimmervoll teach and have taught at the New Design University in St. Pölten, the former Wiener Kunstschule, the Zeichenfabrik in Vienna or at the Poolbar Generator of the Poolbar Festival in Hohenems. In addition, Mars + Blum operates Designschool.at, a further training program for artists in Vienna.

Exhibitions

2023
Träume von Räumen (dreams of spaces), Septeber 13 – October 1, 2023, Benedikthaus, Wiener Straße 8, St. Pölten
with: Daniela Brasil (AT/BRA), Christian Boltanski (F), Christine und Irene Hohenbüchler (AT), Toshiko Horiuchi MacAdam (CAN/JPN), Mars + Blum (AT), Andrea Maurer (AT), mischer‘traxler (AT), Ulrike Müller (USA), Rivane Neuenschwander (BRA), Laure Prouvost (BEL), Jakub Szczęsny (POL)

Wir müssen reden (we have to talk), June 2 – July 9, 2023, Galerie Grenzart, Hollabrunn
Parasiten (parasites), March 9 – April 8, 2023, Kunstwerk, St. Pölten
Stille, Leere, Weiß (Silence, empty, white), March 21 – May 20, 2023, Kunstwerk, St. Pölten

2022
non-lieu | lieu de sens, Identitäts-Orte und Nicht-Orte in Medienkunst und Performance, (non lieu | lieu de sens, places of identity in media art and performance)
July 9 – August 6, 2022, former correctional facilitiy, Kirchberg am Wagram
with: Carolin Melia Brendel, Kaylie Dempsey, Baptiste El Baz, Ronja Fabian, Ellen Haas, Katharina Holzweber, Leonie Kohu, Evi Leuchtgelb, Carla Lorenz & Helene Proiss, Johann Lurf, Sasha Pirker, Lia Quirina, Halina Rahdjian, raumarbeiterinnen, Thomas Renoldner, Natalie Schießwald, Angelus Schnab, Lotte Schreiber, Flora und Martin Szurcsik-Nimmervoll, Viola Voltrich & Natalie Stefanowskis, Andy Wallenta, Ludwig Wüst

A place is home to someone, September 15 – October 15, 2022, Löwinnenhof*, St.Pölten
with: Wilma Calisir, Ronja Fabian, Hermann Fischl, Karol Kensy, Ernest Kienzl, Leonie Kohut, Herbert Kraus, Christin Künig, Evi Leuchtgelb, Linda Partaj, Janos Szurcsik

Programmkiosk Platzen!,  June 1, – June 29, 2022, Löwinnenhof*, St.Pölten
Drinnen und draußen (Indoors and Outdoors), June 2 – July 2, 2022, Kunstwerk, St. Pölten
76th Annual Exhibition, October 14 –  November 19, 2022, City Museum, St. Pölten

2021
Cinema Corona, May 1, – June 4, 2021, Studio Mars + Blum, St. Pölten
with: Claudia Zawadil, Evi Leuchtgelb, Ilkin Beste Cirak, Marion Brogyanyi, Martina Luef, Angela Proyer, Felix Holzmair, Frej Volander, Halina Rahdjian + Paul Klusacek, Cosma Grosser + Markus Maicher, Flora + Martin Szurcsik-Nimmervoll, Natalie Schießwald, Stefanie Weberhofer, Carolin Melia Brendel, Lia Quirina, Nigel Gavus

Körper (bodys), March 11 – April 10, 2021, Kunstwerk, St. Pölten
May you live in interesting times, June 18 – July 11, 2021, Galerie Grenzart, Hollabrunn
75. Annual Exhibition, October 15 –  November 20, 2021, City Museum St. Pölten

2020
Corona, October 17 – December 19, 2020, Kunstwerk, St. Pölten
Ende & Anfang (Ending and Beginning), July 10 – August 16, 2020, Galerie Grenzart, Hollabrunn

2019
Hotel Altstadt Vienna, September 26 – October 6, 2019, Vienna Design Week, Vienna
Neues Handwerk – Neues Wirtschaften, Sonderausstellung (New craft – new economies, special exhibition), January 26 – March 16, 2019, Werkraum Bregenzerwald, Andelsbuch and September 28 – September 7, 2018, Vienna Design Week, Vienna
74. Annual Exhibition, October 16 – November 21, 2019, City Museum, St. Pölten

2018
NICHT MEHR IMMER NOCH – Arbeiten von Martin Nimmervoll und Katharina Stiglitz (NO MORE STILL - Works by Martin Nimmervoll and Katharina Stiglitz), June 9 – June 24, 2018, Art P, Perchtoldsdorf

2017
Kitchen Hacking, September 29 – October 8, 2017, Vienna Design Week, Vienna
Sternstunden der Menschheit (Decisive Moments in History) – 75th annual Date of death of Stefan Zweig
Symposion on occation of the 75th annual Date of death of the author Stefan Zweig. August 24 – August 27, 2017, Silo Harmansdorf/Galerie GrenzART, Harmansdorf/Hollabrunn
ÖFFNUNGSZEIT – Ehemaliges Gefängnis/Erziehungsanstalt wird offener Kulturraum (Opening hours – former correctional facilitiy goes art space), May 6 – May 28, 2017, Galerie Augenblick, Kirchberg am Wagram
On occasion of the Lower Austrian Viertelfestival Weinviertel.

2008 – 2014
KUNSTarmut (ARTpoverty), August 23, 2014, Aktion in der EatArtGallery, Mikulov, Czech Republic
Jung sein, ein riskanter Zustand (Being young is a risky condition), September 6 – September 27, 2014 Art P, Perchtoldsdorf
Kopfgeburt (head birth, performance), concept: Luise Wolf, May 19, 2014, Vienna Künstlerhaus, Vienna
KUNSTarmut  (ARTpoverty) public performance at MQ Wien, May 5, 2013, Museumsquartier, Vienna
TEMPO-RAER, August 23 – August 29, 2013,Trust111/das Attic, Vienna
Salmagundi, August 16 – August 22, 2013, Trust111/das Attic, Vienna
Repurpose. Opening exhibition of mo.ë., May 24 – May 30, 2010, mo.ë, Vienna
Pigalle. Curated by Baptiste El Baz and Konrad Kager, May 30 – June 5, 2008, Studio Grundsteinsieben, Vienna

Curatorial work

2023
straight edges | hard lines, June 15 – July 15, 2023, Kunstwerk, St. Pölten

2022
A place is home to someone, September 15 – October 15, 2022, Löwinnenhof*, St.Pölten
with: Wilma Calisir, Ronja Fabian, Hermann Fischl, Karol Kensy, Ernest Kienzl, Leonie Kohut, Herbert Kraus, Christin Künig, Evi Leuchtgelb, Linda Partaj, Janos Szurcsik

non-lieu | lieu de sens, Identitäts-Orte und Nicht-Orte in Medienkunst und Performance, (non lieu | lieu de sens, places of identity in media art and performance)
July 9 – August 6, 2022, Ehemalige Erziehungsanstalt Kirchberg am Wagram
with: Carolin Melia Brendel, Kaylie Dempsey, Baptiste El Baz, Ronja Fabian, Ellen Haas, Katharina Holzweber, Leonie Kohu, Evi Leuchtgelb, Carla Lorenz & Helene Proiss, Johann Lurf, Sasha Pirker, Lia Quirina, Halina Rahdjian, raumarbeiterinnen, Thomas Renoldner, Natalie Schießwald, Angelus Schnab, Lotte Schreiber, Flora und Martin Szurcsik-Nimmervoll, Viola Voltrich & Natalie Stefanowskis, Andy Wallenta, Ludwig Wüst

2020
Gendersensibel! Design für Räume, Produkte und Debatten, (Gender sensitive! Design for spaces, products and debates), September 25 – October 4, 2020, Vienna Design Week 2020, Vienna
Gendersensibel! Design für Räume, Produkte und Debatten, (Gender sensitive! Design for spaces, products and debates), February 27 – March 28, 2020, OffSpace der NDU, St. Pölten

2019
New Design University at Vienna Design Week, planning and organization of exhibition activities at Vienna Design Week, September 27 – October 6, 2019 and the off-space of the New Design University, June 20 – June 30, 2018, Wienerstrasse 8, St.Pölten

bis 2014
Filmprogramm im Schikaneder: Kurzfilme der DiplomandInnen der Wiener Kunstschule, May 23, 2014, Schikaneder Kino, Wien
Neue Arbeiten von Studierenden der Wiener Kunstschule. Screening beim 3rd Student Festival for Media Art & Performance in der Freien Kunstakademie Baden-Württemberg, March 7 – March 9, 2014, FKBW, Stuttgart
Exit 13: Alles Neu – Diplomausstellung der Wiener Kunstschule, May 24 – May 28, 2013, Wiener Kunstschule, Vienna

Teaching

Head of the Laboratory for Interior Design, 2022, Poolbar Generator, Hohenems
Designschool.at, Managing Director, seit 2021, St. Pölten/Vienna
Class Materials and Creativity, since 2021, WIFI Niederösterreich, New Design Center, St. Pölten
Courses Design, Crafts & Material Culture and Interior Design & Visuelle Communication, guest critic and projects, since 2020, New Design University, St. Pölten
Designschool.at, teaching assignment, since 2019, St. Pölten/Vienna
Teaching assistant of the Academic Course in Book Design, 2019 – 2020, New Design University, St. Pölten
Film as an Art Form, teaching assignment, 2018 – 2019, Zeichenfabrik, Vienna
Graduate Seminar & Co-op Interdisciplinary – interdisciplinary seminar on artistic practice, teaching assignment, 2013, Wiener Kunstschule, Vienna

Awards

Adolf-Peschek-Preis 2022, awarded by the expert panel for the piece Courtyard of the Lioness*, 2022
Recognition of the expert panel of the Adolf-Peschek-Preis 2021, 2021
Creative Business Award 20, 2020

Other Activities

Research Project Surplus* – Villages and Small Towns. Management & Coordination: Univ.-Doz. Mag. art. Dr. Dipl. Des. (FH) Ing. Thomas Gronegger, 2021, Stetteldorf am Wagram/St.Pölten
Kies (Gravel), photo book on gravel pits and cultural landscape between St. Pölten and Krems an der Donau, 20 color photographs & 5 haikus, 36 pages, 2021
Key visual/poster/schedule: Nathan der Weise (Nathan the Wise) by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Director: Nikolaus Habjan. A play for actors and puppets, scheduled 2016/2017, Volkstheater, Vienna
Board/management: LAMES – La Musique et Sun, 2011 – 2013, St. Pölten
Founding Member of mo.ë Vienna, 2010 – 2011, Vienna
Innovations Award.10 of IG Kultur, ´public relations, 2010, IG Kultur, Vienna
Basis Wien – Kunst, Information and Archive, Archivist/editor 2005 – 2008, Vienna

Vita

Mars + Blum studied at various schools and universities. They studied design, crafts & material culture at the New design University and subsequently got their master's degree in interior design and visual communication also at the NDU in St. Pölten. Futher more they attended the digital film and animations program at the SAE - Creative Media Institute Vienna and the Class for Analog Film at the School for Independent Film Friedl Kubelka. In addition, they studied photography and image science at the Department of Image Science at Danube University Krems.
Flora and Martin Szurcsik-Nimmervoll both attended, but almost ten years apart, the former Wiener Kunst Schule, which goes back to Gerda Matejka-Felden.They got their degrees from the classes of ceramics and product design and painting and timebased art forms respectively.