daniela grüninger

Daniela Grüninger

I have been working as an artist for more than 25 years with different Polaroid instant Cameras and films. My preference goes for the Polaroid SX 70 and the SLR 680 cameras. I have shot thousands of Polaroid photographs all over the world encompassing different subjects and themes.

My works have been exhibited in different venues both in my native country (Switzerland) and abroad.

In my exhibitions I show original Polaroid shots as well as “blown up” Polaroid prints
(ex : 2m x 2m / 79 ‘ x 79‘).

I also combine Polaroid Instant Photos with video. Three videos and a screensaver were made with this technique. An exhibition of mine may be accompanied by a sound installation and/or at the opening by a performance with avant-garde electronic sound musicians.

The sound for my existing videos was created together with musicians from the electronic avant-garde such as : Andres Bosshard, Andy Guhl, Tomas Korber, Sachiko M, Norbert Möslang Günter Müller, Toshi Nakamura, Keith Rowe, Otomo Yoshishide etc. to cite only theses few.

Using mainly the Polaroid for the facility to improvise directly on hand and in situ, I feel very close to the work of the noise musicians, who -in addition to their former experiences- draw their improvisation from the simultaneity of sound and emotions of the moment. The sound, ephemerally part of a site, becomes integrally part of the video. “Home Sweet Home”, 8 min 52, 2001 and “Enjoy the Ride”, 6 min 59, 2004 are 2 videos that explore this relationship between noise and improvisational music, on one hand, and image, sound and the impact of life environment, on the other.

Part of my work has been published in a book edited by Dolmen and sponsored by Pro Helvetia (Swiss Art Council). The publication “DOLMEN: A SHORT HISTORY” is a short history of experimental musical and visual events from 2000-2005. Mainly all photos, in this 400-page publication, are Polaroid shots.

Working in the field of Contemporary Art and Music (please see CV), gave me also the opportunity to make Polaroid snapshots of world-known contemporary artists both from the visual and musical media.