Michael Stevenson

Michael Stevenson is a New Zealand-born artist and educator based in Berlin. Since 2011, he has served as Professor of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts Nuremberg, where his work bridges art, philosophy, and institutional critique. His practice interrogates systems of power, philanthropy, and knowledge production through installations that reimagine bureaucratic and educational frameworks as speculative artifacts.

• BFA, Elam School of Fine Arts (1986)
• Lives/works in Berlin (since 2000)

Research interests span contemporary art practices, installation theory, and critical engagement with economic systems. Recent projects like Mind’s Eye (2024) and Disproof Does Not Equal Disbelief (2021) employ soft furnishings and telethon motifs to critique philanthropy’s paradoxes. His Serene Velocity series (2017–2023) merges theological and tech pedagogy, inspired by John Wimber’s healing clinics and Peter Thiel’s Silicon Valley ideologies.

Scientific awards include the Berlin Senate’s working scholarship (2005) and Art Center Pasadena scholarship (2001). Key publications such as Animal Spirits (2013) and This is the Trekka (2003) reflect his interdisciplinary approach. Collaborations with galleries like Michael Lett (Auckland) and KW Berlin showcase his global institutional presence.