About


Matthias Schönijahn studied literature, sociology and media studies in Potsdam and graduated with distinction from the Applied Theatre Studies B.A. and M.A. programmes in Giessen. His work is based on theories and practices of deep listening, both as an artistic strategy and as a political practice. At the centre of his artistic exploration is the voice as a more-than-human phenomenon as well as practices that deal with the ecological interconnectedness of human beings. Based on long-term research, he develops videos, sound works and performative installations.

Matthias presented works at the Nowy Teatr Warsaw, the Spielart Festival Munich, the European Center for the Arts Dresden Hellerau, Hebbel am Ufer, SOPHIENSÆLE Berlin, the Theaterdiscounter Berlin, the Mousonturm Frankfurt am Main, Elisabeth-Kirche Berlin (Mitte), the Staatstheater Darmstadt, the Stadttheater Gießen and others. In the context of the museum he presented works at the Senckenberg Museum Frankfurt am Main, the atelierfrankfurt e.V., the Naturhistorisches Bern and SOMOS Gallerie Berlin.

Matthias was a co-founder of the project group of the Institute for Sound Research (Offenbach). At the B3 Biennale des bewegten Bildes 2013 in Frankfurt, his video work BREAKING NEWS was honoured with the B3 Newcomer Award, ‚BEN‘. In 2012 he worked in Tarek Atoui’s sound laboratory at dOCUMENTA (13).
Matthias is involved in the Zeitgenössisches Musiktheater Berlin association and is a co-founder of the nationwide Netzwerk freies Musiktheater.