Heiko Wommelsdorf

Heiko Wommelsdorf (born April 17, 1982 in Bremen) is a German sound installation artist currently serving as a Visiting Professor in Sound Art at the Saar University of Fine Arts (HBK Saar) in Saarbrücken for the Winter Semester 2023/24. Previously, he held teaching positions at the Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts in Kiel (2014-2015). His artistic practice focuses on creating sound-space sculptures through the interaction of sound, object, space, and light, with installations characterized by extremely reduced materiality.

Wommelsdorf's educational background includes:

• 2002-05: Vocational school for wood sculptors in Flensburg (state-certified wood sculptor)
• 2006-09: Studies at Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts in Kiel (Media art/art with media)
• 2009-12: Studies at Braunschweig University of Fine Arts (Sound sculpture/sound installation with Prof. Ulrich Eller, diploma with distinction)

Wommelsdorf's work focuses on sound phenomena from everyday life, using common objects such as plastic buckets, TVs, ventilation shafts, fluorescent tubes, intercoms, and cement mixers. The reception of his compositions occurs as much through sight and movement as through hearing, creating evocative optical-acoustic experiences. In his recent work (2023-2025), he has been exploring ventilation systems, architectural elements, and material resonances in site-specific installations across Germany and internationally, with projects like 'Room with a view' demonstrating how exhibition spaces themselves become integral components of the artistic work.

His notable awards include:

• Nomination for the Northwest Art Prize (2023, 2017)
• NEUSTART KULTUR scholarship from Kunstfonds Foundation (2022)
• Working scholarship from Kunstfonds Foundation (2021-22)
• Project scholarship from Dorit and Alexander Otto Foundation (2020)
• Studio scholarship from Künstlerhäuser Worpswede (2020)

Wommelsdorf maintains an active exhibition schedule with numerous solo and group exhibitions across Germany and internationally. His approach to sound art emphasizes the integration of acoustic phenomena with architectural spaces and everyday objects, creating immersive environments where the space itself becomes part of the artistic composition. His work often involves intricate arrangements of transducers, miniature speakers, and sound sources that interact with the specific spatial qualities of exhibition venues, transforming ordinary environments into sound-producing elements.