Constantin Hartenstein: Video Art, Sculptural Installation, and Performance

Constantin Hartenstein is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Berlin. His artistic practice is characterized by a deep exploration of the human body, masculinity, and the visibility of queer communities. Working across video art, sculpture, installation, and performance, Constantin Hartenstein investigates how identity is shaped by technology, commercial aesthetics, and historical narratives. Hartenstein studied Art and Media at the Berlin University of the Arts (UdK) and Fine Arts at the Braunschweig University of Art (HBK), where he was a post-graduate student under Candice Breitz. His work often utilizes a post-digital materiality, blending synthetic substances like epoxy resin and translucent pigments with high-definition moving images. These works frequently address the optimization of the body in the digital age and the commercialization of queer aesthetics. Throughout his career, Constantin Hartenstein has received significant recognition, including the Karl Hofer Gesellschaft studio grant and the Kraft Prize for New Media. His installations and video works have been exhibited internationally at prestigious institutions such as the Anthology Film Archives in New York, the Museum of Moving Image, the Nationalgalerie Berlin, and the transmediale festival. By deconstructing the visual languages of fitness culture and industrial media, Constantin Hartenstein creates a unique dialogue between physical objects and virtual projections, challenging viewers to reconsider normative gender codifications and societal claims to power.