Siegfried Zielinski

Siegfried Zielinski is a renowned media theorist and Professor of Media Theory at The European Graduate School / EGS, holding the Michel Foucault Chair. He concurrently serves as Chair of Media Theory at Berlin University of Arts, Honorary Professor at Budapest University of Arts, and curator at the ZKM Karlsruhe. His academic career spans roles as founding director of the Academy of Media Arts Cologne (1994–2001) and Rector of the Karlsruhe University of Arts & Design (2016–2018).

Zielinski’s education includes studies in theatre arts, German literature, semiotics, and philosophy at Marburg and Berlin universities. His research focuses on media archaeology, variantology, and the intersection of technology with cultural practices. Key works include Deep Time of the Media (2006) and the Variantology series (2011), exploring deep historical connections between arts, sciences, and technologies.

His curatorial projects include exhibitions like Without Ground – Vilém Flusser and the Arts (2015–2016) and Art in Motion (2018–2020), emphasizing interdisciplinary and historical perspectives. He is a member of prestigious academies, including the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Arts and European Film Academy.

Zielinski’s academic contributions span teaching, research, and curation, with over 200 essays and numerous books. His recent work focuses on the genealogy of media thinking and collaborative exhibitions exploring historical technological innovations like Islamic automata.