Don Ritter is a Canadian artist and writer living in Berlin, Germany. He creates large interactive environments that become social portraits through the active participation of audiences. His most widely exhibited work is Intersection, a 16x13m sound installation that has been experienced by over 600,000 people in seven countries. Ritter's recent works, such as Vested and Personal Armor, reflect the commodification of human tragedy into entertainment. During his interactive video-music performances, Ritter has collaborated primarily with musician George Lewis, and also with Thomas Dimuzio, Ikue Mori, Trevor Tureski, and Tom Walsh.

Since 1986, Ritter's interactive video-sound installations and performances have been exhibited at festivals and museums throughout Europe, North America and Asia, including SITE Santa Fe (New Mexico), Images du Futur (Montréal), Metrònom (Barcelona), Ars Electronica (Linz), Sonambiente Sound Festival (Berlin), New Music America (New York City), and ArtFuture 2000 (Taipei). His work has received recognition from the Canada Council, The Banff Centre (Canada), Pratt Institute (USA), ZKM (Germany),and Ars Electronica (Austria).

Ritter has degrees in Fine Arts and Psychology (University of Waterloo), Electronics Engineering Technology (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology), a Masters in Visual Studies (CAVS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and he studied cinema at Harvard University. His professors included artist Otto Piene, film maker Richard Leacock, and film theorist Vladimir Petric. Ritter has held tenured professorships in art and design at Concordia University (Montréal) and at Pratt Institute (New York City).

 

Don Ritter belongs to the most original contemporary video-artists. Although Ritter uses complex technologies to create aesthetic experiences for audiences, he is not a technocrat; for him the interaction is not the aim but the means to test the influences and impacts of nature, machines and media to human personality.
Jozef Cseres, curator/writer, Profil Contemporary Art Magazine, Slovakia

In none of Mr. Ritter’s maturing phases as an artist did he employ technology without reason or merely for its own sake as we have so often witnessed with other artists. In other words, with Don Ritter’s work we are dealing with interactive art in its purest and most beautiful form.
Dr. Christine Schöpf, co-director, Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria

Ritter's play with his viewers' phobias recalls the anxiety-provoking tendencies of Surrealism.
Dottie Indyke, ARTnews, NYC, USA

  

 

Solo Exhibitions

SITE SANTA FE, New Mexico, USA. "Vox Populi" and "Intersection." 2005

JACK THE PELICAN PRESENTS, Brooklyn, USA. "Vox Populi." 2004

BANFF CENTRE FOR THE ARTS, Banff, Canada. "Skies." 1998

METRONOM, Barcelona, Spain. "Intersection" and video retrospective. 1997

NEW YORK COLISEUM, New York City, USA. "TV Guides, "Fit" and "Intersection." 1997

 

Group Exhibitions

STRICTLY BERLIN, GdK, Berlin, Germany. "Personal Armour." 2008

SITE UNSEEN, SITE Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. "Reach." 2008

LES CHANTS MECANIQUES, Lille, France. "o telephone" and "Intersection." 2007

BALLHAUS NAUNYNSTRASSE, Berlin, Germany. "o telephone." 2007

STRICTLY BERLIN, GdK, Berlin, Germany. "Badlands." 2007

ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA, Edmonton, Canada. "Vox Populi." 2006

NAME Festival, Lille, France. "Vox Populi." 2005

EXPLORATORIUM, San Francisco, USA. "Intersection." 2005

FILE, Electronic Language International Festival, São Paulo, Brazil, “every-thing.net.” 2004

THE WORKS FESTIVAL, Edmonton, Canada. "Intersection." 2004

SCHAFLER GALLERY/Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, USA. documentaries of installations. 2004

iDEAS, Orlando, USA. “every-thing.net." 2005

VICTORIA INDEPENDENT FILM and VIDEO FESTIVAL, Canada. "Digestion." 2003

RIVA GALLERY, New York City. "Digestion." 2001

ARTFUTURE 2000, Taipei, Taiwan. "Intersection." 2000

EXIT Festival, Creteil, France. "Intersection." 2000

VIA Festival, Maubeuge, France. "Intersection." 2000

THAI ELEPHANT CONSERVATION CENTRE, Lampang, Thailand.
"Elephant Keyboard." 2000

TAIPEI GALLERY, New York City, USA. "Fit." 1999

KUNST HAUS/COMTEC ART FESTIVAL, Dresden, Germany. "Intersection." 1999

SIGGRAPH '99, Los Angeles, USA. "TV Guides." 1999

CYBER MONDE, Montreal, Canada. "TV Guides." 1997

ARS ELECTRONICA, Linz, Austria. "Intersection." 1996

SONAMBIENTE FESTIVAL, Berlin, Germany. "Intersection." 1996

IMAGES du FUTUR, Montreal. "Intersection." 1995

SAM MUSEUM, Osaka, Japan. "FIT." 1994-95

SOUND SYMPOSIUM, St. John's Newfoundland. "Intersection." 1994

EUROPEAN MEDIA ART FESTIVAL, Osnabruck, Germany. "Intersection." 1993

IMAGES du FUTUR, Montreal. "FIT." 1993

BADISCHER KUNSTVEREIN, Karlsruhe, Germany. "Stithy." 1988

CAVS/MIT, Cambridge, MA. "Fish,"b," "c," & "Stithy." 1986-88


Performances

SKLENËNÁ LOUKA, Brno, Czech Republic. “Digestion" and “Badlands.” 2006

INTRO FESTIVAL, MIllenáris Park, Budapest, Hungary. "Digestion" and "Badlands." 2005

SONIC LIGHT FESTIVAL, Amsterdam. "Badlands" performance with Ikue Mori and "Digestion." 2003

WESTERN FRONT, Vancouver, Canada. interactive video-music performances. 2003

EI, New York City. interactive video-music performances with Kathleen Supové. 2001

The TECHNOPHOBE and the MADMAN, collaborative project, New York City and Troy, USA. 2001

SHAKING RAY LEVI SOCIETY, Chattanooga, Tennessee. "Static Boy" & "Jacko" performances with Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner. 1995

OBSCURE, Quebec City, Quebec "Jacko" performance with Jean-Maurice Payur. 1994

MUSEE D'ART CONTEMPORAIN DE MONTREAL. "Oh toi qui vis la-bas!" performance with Genevieve Letarte and Michel F. Cote. 1994

SOUND SYMPOSIUM, St. John's Newfoundland. "A Structural Theory of Emotions" performance with Trevor Tureski. 1994

CENTRE FOR IMAGE & SOUND RESEARCH, Vancouver and McLUHAN CENTRE, Toronto. "Nervous Orpheus" itelecommunication performance with David Rokeby. 1994

VIDEO POOL/MELNYCHENKO GALLERY, Winnipeg, Manitoba. "Jacko" and "A Structural Theory of Emotions" performances with Trevor Tureski and Chris Marten. 1994

WESTERN FRONT, Vancouver. "Oh toi qui vis la-bas!" performance with Genevieve Letarte. 1993

CONFERENCE ON DANCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Vancouver, BC. "A Structural Theory of Emotions" performance with Trevor Tureski. 1993

OBSCURE, Quebec City and McLUHAN CENTRE, Toronto. "Performance Telematique" telecommunications performance with John Oswald, Jocelyn Robert and David Rokeby. 1993

SIGGRAPH/NYC at PACE UNIVERSITY, New York City. "Fortex2.0" performance with Nick Didkovski and Ben Neill. 1992

SIGCHI '92, Monterey, California. "A Structural Theory of Emotions" performance with Trevor Tureski. 1992

ETATS SONIQUE, Montreal. "Fortex" performance with Lisle Ellis & Lines of Descent.1992

WESTERN FRONT, Vancouver. "Fortex "&"Static Boy" performances with Amy Denio.1991

OBSCURE, Quebec City. "Cloudmouth"&"Static Boy" performances with Tom Dimuzio. 1991

NEW MUSIC AMERICA 1990, Montreal. "Beat" & "Cloudmouth" performances with Leslie Coles, Tom Dimuzio and David Rokeby. 1990

FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL MUSIQUE ACTUELLE VICTORIAVILLE, Victoriaville, Quebec. "Media Play" & "Cloudmouth" performances with George Lewis. 1990

VERONA JAZZ FESTIVAL, Italy. "The Empty Chair" performance with George Lewis. 1990

STEIM, Amsterdam. "Media Play:Given the television" performance with live television. 1990

A SPACE, Toronto. Media Play: "Given the trombone and the television" & "And Sum" performances with George Lewis and live television. 1990

ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. "And Sum" performance with George Lewis. 1990

THE KITCHEN, New York City. "The Empty Chair" performance with George Lewis. 1990

NEW MUSIC AMERICA 1989 at EXPERIMENTAL INTERMEDIA FOUNDATION, New York City. "And Sum" performance with George Lewis. 1989

HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, MA. "Mechanical Underground" performance. 1989

ALTERNATIVE MUSEUM, New York City. "Ducks Against Glass" performance with George Lewis, Leo Smith and Richard Teitelbaum. 1989

THE MUSIC GALLERY, Toronto. "Underground Orpheus" performance with CEE. 1989

MEDIA LAB/MIT, Cambridge, MA. "Nose Against Glass" performance with George Lewis. 1988

CAVS/MIT. "Telecommunications Piece" performance with Charlotte Moorman and Joe Davis. 1986 

 
Video Screenings

ROKOLECTIVE, Bucharest, Romania, "Elephant Keyboard." 2008

CLUB TRANSMEDIALE, Berlin, Germany. "Elephant Keyboard." 2008

URBAN DRIFT, Berlin, Germany. "Excity.” 2002

PAUSE-SIGN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC FESTIVAL, Budapest, Hungary. 2001

NOT SO GOOD MUSIC, Synagoga GJK, Halenarska ul, Tmava, Slovakia. "Elephant Keyboard." 2001

ZKM MEDIA ART AWARD NOMINATIONS, national TV broadcast, SÜDWEST Fernsehen. Germany. 2000

ZKM MEDIA ART AWARD NOMINATIONS, K+S Gallery, Berlin, Germany. "Intersection." 2000

ALTERNATIVA MUSIC FESTIVAL, Prague, Czech Republic. 2000

NOT SO GOOD MUSIC, The Rosenberg Museum, Slovakia. "Elephant Keyboard." 2000

VISIONS UNDERGROUND, Paris, France. "Excity." 1999

VISIONS UNDERGROUND, Montreal, Canada. "Excity." 1998

LUX CENTRE, London, England. "Excity." 1998

GALERIE OFF-OFF, Copenhagen, Denmark. "Excity." 1998

METRONOM, Barcelona, Spain. 1997

WORLD WIDE VIDEO FESTIVAL, The Hague, Netherlands. "Excity." 1996

GEMS, Pollack Concert Hall, McGill University, Montreal, QC. "Excity" and "Oh toi qui vis la-bas!" 1996

ELECTRONIE D'ARTE E ALTRE SCRITTURE, Rome, Italy. "Video Installations and Performances." 1995

GRAPHICS '94, Banff, Alberta. "A Structural Theory of Emotions." 1994

MIT/CAVS, 25th Anniversary, Cambridge, MA. "Orpheus: Current Diversions." 1993

ANGLES of INCIDENCE Conference, The Banff Centre, Alberta. "A Structural Theory of Emotions." 1993

INTERACTIVA Conference, Koln, Germany. "A Structural Theory of Emotions." 1992

CYBERIA television program. University of Washington, DC. "Orpheus: Current Diversions." 1992

ICMC(International Computer Music Conference) at McGill University, Montreal, QC. "Fortex." 1991

OBSCURE, Quebec City, QC. "C," "Certainty Persuaded Me," and "Baby Push." 1991

ARTRANSITIONS Conference at CAVS/MIT, Cambridge, MA. "Orpheus: Current Diversions." 1990

THE POWERPLANT, Toronto. "Certainty Persuaded Me, And Sum and Nervous Orpheus." 1990

SIGGRAPH 90, Dallas, TX. "Orpheus: Current Diversions." 1990

A SPACE, Toronto. "C." 1990

RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN, Providence, RI. "b." 1988

WCVB, Boston. "b." & "The Alternative Workshop." 1988

 

Guest Speaker

INTERACTIVE FUTURES. key note speaker, Victoria, Canada. 2007

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, Vancouver, Canada. 2007

MEDIASCAPE, Novigrad Lapidarium Museum, Novigrad-Cittanova, Croatia. 2007

ACADEMY OF ART, Faculty of Fine Arts, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia. 2006

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, Faculty of Art, Kosice, Slovakia. 2006

COMENIUS UNIVERSITY, Faculty of Philosophy, Bratislava, Slovakia. 2006

OSTRAVA UNIVERSITY, Faculty of Fine Arts, Ostrava, Czech Republic. 2006

SITE Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, “The Ethics of Aesthetics.” 2005

INTRO FESTIVAL, MIllenáris Park, Budapest, Hungary; with Jozef Cseres. 2005

UNIVERSITY of NEW MEXICO, Albuquerge, USA. 2005

KLANGVISIONEN SYMPOSIUM, Cologne, Germany, “The Aesthetics of New Media." 2004

EM MEDIA, Calgary, Canada, “The Aesthetics of New Media.” 2004

ALBERTA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN, Calgary, Canada. 2004

JIHUI DIGITAL SALON/PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN, New York City. 2003

ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, Prague, Czech Republic. 2003

JANACEK ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Brno, Czech Republic. 2003

FACULTY OF FINE ARTS, Brno, Czech Republic. 2003

AMAAS CONFERENCE, featured artist, Medicine Hat, Canada. 2003

VICTORIA INDEPENDENT FILM and VIDEO FESTIVAL, key note speaker, Canada. 2003

SIGGRAPH NYC, presentation on new works, New York, USA. 2002

MIT, CENTER FOR ADVANCED VISUAL STUDIES, Cambridge, USA. 2001

SIGGRAPH 2001, Interactive Art Sketch, Los Angeles, USA. 2001

BANFF CENTRE for the ARTS, Banff, Canada. 1998 , 1999, 2000, 2001

TRANSART COMMUNICATION - Human Body Electronics Festival, Nové Zémky, Slovakia. 2000

ARTISTSPACE, S.W.A.T. Think Tank Panel, New York, USA. 2000

BANFF CENTRE FOR THE ARTS. Living Architecture Summit, Banff, Canada. 2000

VIDEO ART 2000. Contemporary Museum/University of Baltimore Maryland County, Baltimore. 2000

MIT, CENTER FOR ADVANCED VISUAL STUDIES, Cambridge, MA. 1999

SIGGRAPH 99/ EDUCATION SUMMIT, Los Angeles, USA. 1999

BROWN UNIVERSITY/PONG FESTIVAL, Providence, Rhode Island. 1999

INSTITUT UNIVERSITARI de l"AUDIOVISUAL/UNIVERSITAT POMPEU FABRA, Barcelona, Spain. 1997

METRONÒM, Barcelona, Spain. 1997

TRIAD, Berlin, Germany. 1995

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ELECTRONIC ART(ISEA 95), Montréal, Canada. 1995

ALIAS RESEARCH INC., Toronto. lecture on Orpheus interactive animation software. 1995

SOUND SYMPOSIUM 7, St. John's, Nfld. workshop on interactive video performances and installation. 1994

CONFERENCE ON DANCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Vancouver, Canada. 1993

TISEA/THIRD INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ELECTRONIC ART, workshop, Sydney, Australia. 1992

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, Vancouver, Canada. 5 day seminar on interactive installations. 1992

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC, Boston, USA. Lecture on interactive video performances. 1991

SIGGRAPH 90, Dallas, TX, USA. Interactive Art and Artificial Reality, panel discussion. 1990

SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, Lecture on interactive video performances. 1990

HARVEST WORKS/STUDIO PASS, New York City. Lecture on interactive video performances. 1989

HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, USA. Lecture on perceptual differences between film and video. 1987

MEDIA LAB/MIT, Cambridge, USA. Lecture series on experimental aesthetics and human interface design. 1987


Awards and Grants

CANADA COUNCIL, New Media Production Grant. 2007

CANADA COUNCIL, Senior Fellowship Grant in Media Arts. 2003

PRATT INSTITUTE, Faculty Development Grants. 1998, 2000

ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany. "Intersection," nomination/honourary mention for International Media Art Award. 2000

COMTEC Art, Dresden, Germany. Anerkennung/Recognition for "Intersection." 1999

ACREQ Electro-Vidéo Clip Competition, Montréal, Canada. Prix du Public/Public's Selection for "Excity." 1996

CANADA COUNCIL, Integrated Media Arts Grants. 1989,1990, 1991, 1994

PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA, Honourary Mention for “Orpheus,” Linz, Austria. Interactive Art Category. 1991

BELL-NORTHERN RESEARCH, Graduate Education Grant, Ottawa, Canada. 1986-1988