Sabrina Raaf is a Chicago-based artist who works in both experimental sculptural media and photography. She is a producer of creative machines - machines that independently make art when cross-pollinated with human interaction. In 2004-5, her work will be shown at the Kunsthaus Graz in Austria, at the Museum Tinguely in Basel, Switzerland, the San Jose Museum, the Oboro Art Center in Montreal (solo), and at ISEA (the International Symposium of Electronic Arts) as part of Wearable Experience amongst other exhibitions. In 2003, her work was exhibited in a solo exhibition entitled Roving at Klein Art Gallery in Chicago and in the eShow exhibition curated by Barry Blinderman at the Krannert Museum. In 2003 her work was shown at the Wynick/Tuck Gallery in Toronto and in 2002 in the Here and Now show at the Chicago Cultural Center as well as in Postflesh at California State University in Sacremento, CA, and Sense Data at the Painted Bride Center in Philadelphia, PA. She is the recipient of a 2002, Creative Capitol Grant in Emerging Fields and an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship (2001). She has been reviewed in Art in America, Contemporary Magazine, the Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine, Leonardo Magazine (MIT Press), www.lab71.org, The Washington Post, The New Art Examiner, The City Paper, and The Chicago Reader. She received an MFA in Art and Technology from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1999. Sabrina is currently a tenure-track professor in the Photography Department of Columbia College in Chicago.

 

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES ¥ PUBLIC SPEAKING and WRITING ¥ EXHIBITIONS

 CURATORIAL EXPERIENCE  ¥ REVIEWS ¥ AWARDS ¥ GALLERY AFFILIATIONS

 

 

 

EDUCATION

 

 

MFA School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago, IL, Art and Technology, 1999

 

 

 

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

 

 

 

 

2005

Oboro Center for the Arts, curated by Valerie Lamontagne, Montreal, Canada

 

2005

Float, Indiana University Northeast, curator Neil Goodman, Gary, Indiana

 

2004

Sabrina Raaf, Richard E. Peeler Art Center, DePauw University, Indiana

 

 2003

Roving, Paul Klein Gallery, Chicago, IL

 

2001

Breathing Room, Recent Works by Sabrina Raaf, Moreau Gallery, Notre Dame, IL

 

 

 

 SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

 

 

 

 

2005

Brides of Frankenstein, San Jose Museum of Art, California, Curated by Marcia Tanner

 

 

Moving Parts, Museum Tinguely, curated by Peter Weibel, Heinz Stahlhut, Peter Pakesch, and Katrin Bucher, Basel, Switzerland

 

 

The Art of the Artist Statement, curated by Georgia Kotretsos and Maria Paschalidou, Hellenic Museum, Chicago

 

 

 

 

2004

Moving Parts, Kunsthaus Graz, curated by Peter Weibel, Heinz Stahlhut, Peter Pakesch, and Katrin Bucher, Austria

 

 

Wearable Experience, ISEA (International Symposium of Electronic Arts),August 14th-22nd, Helsinki, Stockholm, and Tallinn (Estonia)

 

 

Machinista, 2004, "Art from the Machine",  Glasgow, Scotland

 

 

Who makes self portraits in 2004?!, curated by Jason Lazarus, Heaven Gallery, Chicago, IL

 

 

Possible Worlds, curated by Dana Sperry, SoFa Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana

 

 

For the Birds, The Clarke House Museum, a Department of Cultural Affairs invitational, Curated by Edward Maldonado, Chicago, IL

 

 

 

 

2003

eShow, Krannert Art Museum, Champaign, IL, curated by Barry Blinderman 

 

 

Catching Up with the Sun, curated by David Coyle and Howard Fonda, Klein Artworks, Chicago

 

 

Art Chicago, Klein Art Works Gallery, Chicago, IL (Navy Pier)

 

 

SOURCE, Wynick/Tuck Gallery, Toronto, Canada 

 

  

 

 

2002

 Here and Now, Chicago Cultural Center, Curated by James Rondeau, Greg Knight, Lanny Silverman, Chicago, IL

 

 

Sense Data, Painted Bride Center, Philadelphia, PA

 

  

POSTFLESH, California State University, Sacremento, CA

 

 

Sculpture in Chicago Now, curated by Adam Brooks and Cory Postiglione, Glass Curtain Gallery, Chicago, IL

 

 

Signal::Noise, Swanson-Read Gallery, Louisville, KY

 

 

 

 

2001

 :::Interface: Exploring Possibilities::::, Fassbender Gallery, Chicago, IL

 

 

Immersive Art Symposium, Block Museum, Evanston, IL

 

 

Grounding Lines, Freeark Gallery, Riverside, IL

 

 

 

 

2000

in::FORMATION, sine::apsis experiments, Betty Rymer Gallery, Chicago, IL Catalog essay:  www.uturn.org/synapsis

 

 

Wired Women, The Gallery at the Three Arts Club, Chicago, IL

 

 

 

 

1999

EMBODYdisembody, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Hemicycle Gallery, Washington, D.C.

 

 

EMBODYdisembody, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL

 

 

Breath Cultures, Gallery 2, Chicago, IL

 

 

 

 

1997

Four Photographers, David Adamson Gallery, Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

 

 

2001 - current

Professor (tenure track),  Photography Department, Columbia College, Chicago, IL

 

1999-2001

PT Faculty, Intro to Digital Imaging, Interactive Multimedia I and Interactive Multimedia II, Time- Based Production Studio, Web I, Photography Dept., Continuing Education Dept., and Graduate Division, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

 ¥ Teaching the following on a college and graduate school level: Adobe Photoshop, Director and Lingo programming, Adobe Premiere, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, VR Worx, Metasynth, SoundEdit 16, Adobe InDesign. Required extensive knowledge of scanners (flatbed, transparency, etc), film recorders, printers including plotters (Epson and HP), digital cameras (still and video) and both Mac and PC platforms.

 

 2000-2001

PT Faculty, Programming for Interactive Multimedia, Web Design II, Academic Computing Dept., Columbia College, Chicago, IL

 ¥ Teaching Lingo programming, HTML, ImageReady, and Dreamweaver on the college and graduate school level.

 

 2000

PT Design Associate, creating custom interactive interfaces for artists, interior designers and toy manufacturers, Skyboy Productions, Inc., Chicago, IL

 ¥ Responsible for building interactive prototypes. Required strong competence and creativity in electronics use, machining, mold-making and casting, sensors, and programming microcontrollers.

 

 1998-2002

Director and Co-founder of the new media collaborative group sine::apsis experiments (www.sine.org), a non-profit org. for artists using new technologies

 

 1999/2000

Curator and Visiting Artist, (art)nLaboratory, Chicago, IL

 

1998/9

 

Technician, Kinetics Lab, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

 ¥ Sub-manager responsible for ordering and maintaining electronics supplies and machine shop. Provided assistance to students and faculty building kinetic sculpture. Required solid knowledge electronics, machining, mold-making and casting, sensors, and programming microcontrollers.

 

1997

Installation Coordinator, 1997 International Symposium on Electronic Arts, Chicago

 

1994

 

Intern, David Adamson Editions, Fine Arts Iris Printer (inkjet), Washington, DC

 

 

 

PUBLIC SPEAKING and WRITING

 

 

2005

ÒBody and TechnologyÓ for the Center for Art and Technology at Northwestern University

 

2004

Guest Lecturer,  Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitors Series, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

 

2004

Guest Lecturer, Art Dept., Depauw University, Greencastle, IN

 

2004

Guest Lecturer, Art Dept., Depaul University, Chicago, IL

 

2004

Guest Lecturer, Electronic Arts, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA

 

2004

Guest Lecturer, TICA Program, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

 

2004

Panelist, ÒNew Art FormsÓ, Chicago ArtistsÕ Coalition, Chicago, IL

 

2004

Guest Lecturer, DXArts Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

 

2004

ÒBody and TechnologyÓ for the Center for Art and Technology at Northwestern University

 

2003

Guest Lecturer, Electronic Visualization Lab, UIC, Chicago, IL

 

 2003

Guest Lecturer, First Year Program, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

 

2003

Guest Lecturer, Art and Technology Dept., School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

 

2003

Guest Lecturer, Art History/Theory Dept., School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

 

2003

Panelist, ÒDigital Technology in Contemporary ArtÓ, Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago

 

2002

Panelist, ÒBeing Here - Artists at Work in the CityÓ, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL, October 17, 2002

 

2002

ÒBody and TechnologyÓ for the Center for Art and Technology at Northwestern University, Nov. 12, 2002

 

2002

Guest Lecturer, Art Dept., Depaul University, Chicago, IL

 

2001

Panelist, "New Media Aesthetic: Alternate Currents", organized for Chicago Artist's Month by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago, IL

 

2001

Artist's Presentation, "Immersive Art Symposium", Block Mueseum, Chicago, IL

 

2001

Panel Chair, "A High Tech Touch," National Women's Caucus for Art Conference, Chicago, IL

 

2000

 Presenter, "Digital Collaboratives" Conference, Arizona State U., Tempe, AZ

 

2000

Guest Editor, YLEM magazine, "Contemporary ArtistsÕ Collaboratives", Sept. 2000 issue

 

 2000

Guest Lecturer, Art History/Theory Dept., School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL

 

2000

Guest Lecturer, Art Dept., Depaul University, Chicago, IL

 

2000

Guest Lecturer, Art Dept., Webster University, St Louis, MO

 

 2000

Guest Lecturer on sine::apsis experiments in the Art History Department, SAIC

 

1999

Guest Lecturer presenting personal work, Sculpture Department, SAIC

 

1998

Guest Lecturer on Electronics and Interactive Interfaces, Photography Department, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

 

1998

 

 

Guest Lecturer presenting personal work and Photoshop techniques, Photography Department School of the Art Institute of Chicago

 

 

 

 

 CURATORIAL EXPERIENCE

 

 

2004

 Tart, Klein Art Works, Chicago, IL

 

2003

Reticent Robots, Klein Art Works, Chicago, IL

 

2003

Fractured Lines, Glass Curtain Gallery, Chicago, IL

 

2002

2002 Sound.scapes and Inter.actors, 11th Street Gallery, Chicago, IL

 

1999

EMBODYdisembody, co-curated with Karen Holzberg, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C and the Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL

 

 1996

Bathers: Contemporary Photographic Works, Washington Center for Photography, Washington, D.C.

 

1995

Beyond the Looking Glass: Contemporary Women Photographers, David Adamson Gallery, Washington D.C.

 

1994

The Iris of Dionysus, M.O.C.A. (Museum of Contemporary Art), Washington, D.C.

 

 

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

 

 

Eesti Paevaleht, Digikultuuri pioneerid rŸndavad merelt Tallinna kunstielu tuiksooni, by Johannes Saar, IEstonia) 8/17/04

 Ekspress.net, KŸberkunstinŠitusel registreerivad saapad end jututoa kasutajaks, by Ave Randviir, (Estonia), 8/23/04

 Art in America, Review: Sabrina Raaf, by Susan Snodgrass, March, 2004

Contemporary Magazine, Review: Sabrina Raaf, by Michael Workman, Issue 57

 www.panel-house.com,"Sabrina Raaf: Roving @ Klein Artworks," by Terence Hannum, 9/18/03

Chicago Reader , "Critic's Choice: Sabrina Raaf", by Fred Camper, September 19, 2003

 Chicago Tribune, "Tough times put art galleries in experimental mood", by Lisa Stein, September 5, 2003

 Eye Weekly, "Breathe Deeply," by David Balzer, 4/10/03

"180: An interview with Artist Sabrina Raaf", by Lab71, www.lab71.org, Issue 3, 2002

Philadelphia weekly, "Start Making Sense,"  by Roberta Fallon, November 2002

 ÒAre 4 curator heads better than 1? 'Here and Now' suggests they're notÓ, by Alan Artner, Chicago Tribune, October 10, 2002

 NPR (WFPL - FM Radio), 7 min. preview segment on ÒSignal to NoiseÓ produced by Kim Sorese, June 29, 2002 rundate

 Leo, ÒBringing the NoiseÓ, Leslie Millar, June 26, 2002

Nouvel Objet VI, "Mixing Techno with Eco", Amy Youngs, No. 06, 2001

 IEEE Multimedia Magazine, "Embodying Robotic Art: Cybernetic Cinematics" GretchenSkogerson, Aug.-Sept. 2001

 Chicago Tribune, Sunday Magazine, "But Is It Art?", Karla Loring, February 25, 2001

The Chicago Reader, "Technically Brilliant," Fred Camper, February 11, 2000

artpress, "instantanŽs sur lÕart Žlectonique ˆ Chicago," Annick Bureaud, no. 246, May 1999

Contemporary Visual Arts, "Embody/Disembody," Dawn Fulcher, issue 22, 1999

Museums Washington, "Inside Out, Cutting Edge," premiere issue, p. 61, 1999

The Washington Post, "Bathers," Michael OÕSullivan, June 30, 1996

New Art Examiner, "Beyond the Looking Glass," Martha McWilliams, October, 1995

The Washington Post, "Women Reflecting Women," Jo Ann Lewis, July 15, 1995

The City Paper, "Cruxi-fixation," Martha McWilliams, July 21, 1995, Washington, D.C.

WHERE Magazine, Jean Cohen, June 1995, Washington, D.C.

SCENE Magazine, "Beyond the Looking Glass," Sam Serafy, July 14, 1995, Washington, D.C.

The Washington Review, James Mahoney, November 1994

The City Paper, "Corporeal Punishment," Martha McWilliams, September 2, 1994, Washington, D.C.

SCENE Magazine, "Painting with Light: The Museum of Contemporary Art," Kate Kane, September 1, 1994, Washington, D.C.

The Georgetowner, "The Iris of Dionysus," Gary Tischler, August 1994, Washington, D.C.

Washington Life Magazine, "The Young at Art," Dorothy Lapadula, April/May, 1994

Vis-ˆ-Vis International, "LÕIntime," revue #14, 1993, Paris, France

 

AWARDS

 

 

2004

Individual Artist Award Nominee, The Richard H. Dreihaus Foundation, Chicago

 

2004

International Digital Art Award (IDAA)

 

2002

Creative Capital Grant in Emerging Fields

 

 2002

Faculty Development Grant, Columbia College

 

2001

Illinois Art Council Fellowship Grant

 

2001

CAAP Grant, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL

 

1997

Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts Grant, Ithaca, NY

 

1996

Cornell Council for the Arts Grant, Ithaca, NY

 

1995

 Beatrice Brown Award, Ithaca, NY

 

GALLERY AFFILIATIONS