Esther Neumann

Esther Neumann is the Director of the Archive for Media Arts at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne since June 2020. She holds a Master's degree in Preservation Management (State Academy of Fine Arts, Stuttgart) and prior training in Photography (Braunschweig University of Fine Arts) and Textile Design (Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz). Her expertise spans media conservation, digitization of cultural heritage, and art curation.

Education:

• 2010–2012: Preservation Manager MA in Media Conservation
• 1991–1995: Diploma in Photography
• 1989–1991: Textile Design & Screen Printing

Research Interests: She specializes in preserving digital and analog media art, including film, photography, and design archives. Her work emphasizes collaborative digitization projects like Die Gute Form (funded by DFG) and historical inventory documentation. She also investigates the intersection of art conservation and emerging technologies.

Awards:

• 2005 Kunstfonds Project Support
• 2002 Hessian Cultural Foundation Scholarships
• 1998 Wolfsburg Art Prize

Grants & Projects: Led digitization of the German Design Museum’s photo archive (2015–2020), collaborated with SLUB Dresden, and interned at TATE London for time-based media conservation. Funded by DFG and Kunstfonds.

Labs/Teams: Oversees the Archive for Media Arts, which preserves avant-garde art and design materials from the 20th century.