Manu Kumar
I am of German and Indian descent. Currently my primary base is in Berlin, but I have lived throughout Europe and Asia – a manifestation of my ‘nomadic tendencies’. I spent a large part of my school years on a boarding school where students from many countries came together and where studying abroad was part of the curriculum – my destinations were Australia, France and Italy. Later I travelled extensively throughout Asia, each journey strengthening my desire for a ‘gypsy lifestyle’.
Since graduating from university I have been working as a freelancer and have therefore often dreamed of a network of people and places that would significantly simplify the life of a freelancer, a network – so I thought – that many freelancers would appreciate. Since such a network never showed up, I decided to take things into my own hands. And everyone is invited to join in – as a Port-Agent or a network member.
1983 - 91 Jesuit College St. Blasien, Abitur
1992 - 98 Hochschule für Bildende Künste (HfBK) in Hamburg/Germany
Graduation: HfBK, Hamburg - Kogakuin University, Tokyo. The project was supported by the NAI (Netherlands Architecture Institute) in Rotterdam.
1999 Cofounder of kube libre - Concepts / 3d / Renderings
2001 - 04 Post-graduate studies at the Academy of Media Arts (KHM) in Cologne/Germany
Studio Atelier Kumar founded - Architecture / Arts
2006 Idea and realisation of The Business Class. Net
Curriculum vitae
All of my work has one main theme: SPACE. I am fascinated by the border region between art and architecture. In this area separation transforms into connection. Space looses its true dimension, time becomes multi-dimesional. America, Asia and Europe dance to the same tune.
I enjoy working with a variety of professionals: architects, professional dancers, mathematicians, artists, painters, media professionals, craftsmen... Setting up a team that really communicates is a great challenge, but is usually rewarded with a highly motivated group and a productive environment that is reflected in the final result.
Interdisciplinary integration is the main – but not the only – aspect of my work ;-)
Projects dear to me
http://www.ManuKumar.com/refl9x6-sml.pdf
http://www.ManuKumar.com/ManuKumar.pdf
http://www.ManuKumar.com/meltingpoint
http://www.ManuKumar.com/vw_mp_projector_pc.exe (Download: 5MB / Flash / only PC)
Press
http://www.ManuKumar.com/atd-China.pdf
http://www.ManuKumar.com/monument-Australien.pdf
http://www.ManuKumar.com/shinkenchiku-Japan.pdf
Selected Projects and Exhibitions
since 1999 working as a freelancer for Architects – Concepts / 3d / Renderings
since 2001 regular exhibitions and ‘discussions’ in the own Atelier – Art / Architecture
2007 1st of Mai – Labour Day
THE BUSINESS CLASS. NET opens the first ‘Port‘ in Berlin
2006 Conceptional and creative development of THE BUSINESS CLASS. NET
China International Exposition 2005 (CIGE) Beijing
‘Reflections / Berlin – Beijing – Los Angeles’ Concept
2004 Gallery der Künste, Berlin/Germany
‘The spellbinding behaviour of floating images’ - solo exhibition
Aedes East, Berlin/Germany
‘Constructed Connections’
‘Fata Morgana’ Light installation in the public space, Berlin/Germany
The project was funded by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds and the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation)
2003 ‘Con-Con’ international competition for architecture and arts in the public space, together with the architect Tom Heneghan, Sydney/Australia
2002 Invitation for the UIA World Congress of Architecture, Berlin/Germany
‘architecture and dance’
‘Melting Point’, multimedia dance performance in collaboration with Labor Gras
(Berlin/Germany) and David Hernandez (Brussels/Belgium)
The project was funded by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds.
2001 City planning competition Qintao/China
Works for the Beijing based office ‘9.3 Institute of Architectural Design & Research’
City planning competition in collaboration with Strecker & Partner, Berlin/Germany
Platz der Lüftbrücke – Berlin (Concept/Design)
Messeturm – Berlin (Concept/Design)
1998 ‘Aquamarine’ Hamburg
‘The Shiodome Project’ diploma in architecture at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg/Germany - Kogakuin University, Tokyo/Japan. The project was supported by the NAI (Netherlands Architecture Institute) in Rotterdam/Netherlands.
‘Gaia’ - Pavilion for people threatened with extinction in collaboration with Tom Fecht (photography), Andreas Leipelt (mathematics) and Labor Gras (dance), Expo 2000 Hannover/Germany
1996 Gallery Kammer, Hamburg/Germany
‘Coexistence’ - paintings and sketches
‘Virtual Window’, dance performance in collaboration with Labor Gras (dance) and e.don creation (new media), Hamburg/Germany
