Charlotte Gruber (PhD) is a researcher, lecturer and art critic specialized in Contemporary Performance and Intermedia Art, with focus on their social and political implications. Methodologically she draws from Philosophy, Critical New Media Studies and Performance Studies besides others. As a guest professor at Ghent University
she developed the international Master’s course ‘Political, Ethical and Social Aspects of the Performance and Media Arts’ and taught two additional courses at the Bachelor level.
She studied Culture and Technology (BA) and Theater Studies (MA cl). Her Master’s thesis ‘InterActions’ was awarded the Scriptieprijs by the Theater Institute Netherlands. She has contributed to - and organized - a number of international conferences on theater, arts, philosophy and politics. She develops workshops at
the intersection of academia and artistic practice as a manner of cognitive activism. She is an editor of both academic volumes and art publications.

Her artistic ventures blend performance, post-conceptual poetry, installation and visual arts. She often chooses collaborative, collective as well as participatory approaches. Her works are sometimes humorous playful commentary on current (techno-)cultural phenomena. Other times they address more complex societal issues
by exposing personal, raw but simple everyday experiences.
—Our wounds are the reason we have defenses. Our defenses do not mainly protect us
from hurt though. They are walls that keep us apart, that hinder and hamper genuine connection. Behind them we find ourselves in a desert of deep desires left unmet.
The desert of our unmet desires becomes the capitalist’s gold mine—
Charlotte considers cultivating shared vulnerability one of the most empowering skills to subvert alienation and the exploitative power-structures of our time. Her works are inspired by writings from across the humanities, and can be considered ‘annotations that have gotten out of hand’.

Charlotte shortly studied Mixed Media Art (Academie voor de beeldende kunsten Gent)
and has received early and long term training in acting (Volksbühne Rosa-Luxemburg Platz Berlin, Staatstheater Cottbus, CREA Amsterdam).
She works as writer, artistic coordinator and creative consultant for businesses, artists and cultural institutions. For collaborations - feel free to reach out.

charlotte.reburg(at)gmail.com

Charlotte is the editor of the ‘Garden of Delights’ publication. She co-curated
the exhibition and contributed two works; the installation ‘The Professor Is In’ and the video piece ‘Hex Thy Sexy Pics’. Based on the video work she is giving a workshop titled ‘Databending - digital spellwork for a better future’.

Charlotte took the initiative and developed the curatorial framework for the exhibition as a performative intervention. She contributed the concrete poem ‘When The Holding Doesn’t Hold’, the installation ‘I Tried Deconstructing Deconstruction And Ended Up Wanting To Smash Stuff’ and an audio work, which was concealed as audio guide for the exhibition. She also co-created a number of installations in situ with other members of the group.
She wrote the group’s mission statement including a poem.

Databending - digital spellwork for a better future
BEND AND ASCEND! In this techno-spiritual workshop Charlotte introduces participants
to a simple technique of picture file corruption, based on her video work.
A guided meditation will clarify to us those images of society we individually
and collectively need to hack, to unlock a more hopeful outlook on life.
Participants need to bring their own laptop and be bothered by something.
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Optional: database of your own photography files stored on your laptop.
No need to be tech savvy.