Biography:
The Swiss-born, Amsterdam-based artist Batia Suter (b. 1967) studied at the art academies of Zürich (CH) and Arnhem (NL), and was also trained at the Werkplaats Typografie. Suter produces monumental installations of digitally manipulated images for specific locations, and works on photo-animations, image sequences and collages, often using found historical pictures. In 2007 and 2016 she published the artist books Parallel Encyclopedia and Parallel Encyclopedia #2, based on compositions of images taken from old books she has collected along the years. Her other books; Surface Series (2011), Radial Grammar (2018), Hexamiles (Mont-Voisin) (2019), and Exosphere (2023), are evocative montages of found images, and reproductions of found objects, exploring the diverse resonances of geological shapes and landscapes, visual surfaces and image structures. The underlying themes of Batia Suter's practice are the 'iconification' and 'immunogenicity' of images, and the circumstances by which they become charged with new associative values. Her work intuitively situates old images in new contexts to provoke surprising reactions and significative possibilities. By this method, and with an attuned sensitivity to hidden harmonies and expressive accidents, Suter thus generates hypnagogic spaces where pictures can communicate by their own logic, in a force field of
imaginative metamorphosis.
Education:
1998 - 2000 Werkplaats Typografie Arnhem, NL (master)
1995 - 1996 Ateliers Arnhem, NL (master)
1992 - 1995 Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Arnhem, Fine Art NL (bachelor)
1990 - 1991 Vorkurs, Schule für Gestaltung Zürich, CH
Exhibitions (selection):
2025 'Octahydra' / Les Rencontres d'Arles FR (solo)
---- 'Passage' / SAC project, Gemmipass CH (group)
---- 'TUBE.PHOTO.DASH return' / Casino Luxembourg, Forum d'art contemporain LX (group)
2024 'Arcadia / Bally Foundation', Lugano CH (group)
---- 'Parallel Encyclopedia' / Open M Art Fair, abC platform, Chengdu CN (group)
---- 'FEEL / FIRE' - Photography and its Metamorphoses / Centre d'Art Contemporain, Yverdon-Les-Bain CH (group)
---- 'Octahedral' / Out of the Metropolis @ NŌUA, Bodø NW (solo)
---- 'Octahedral' / Exibition in Bodo NW (solo)
2023 'Exosphere' / Collaboration Keijiban and the Cage Gallery, Tokyo JP
---- 'Zandgrond' / Cultuurhuis de Warande, Turnhout BE (group)
---- 'Blind Date' / Städtische Galerie Fürth, Nürnberg DE (group)
2022 'BF22' / Bienal de Fotografia de Vila France de Xira PT (group)
---- 'We are all Lichens' / Musee d'art contemporain de la Haute-Vienne - Chateau de Rochechouart F (group)
---- 'Fatamorgana' / Jeu de Paume, Paris FR (group)
---- 'Comer a mesa' / Colegio das Artes da Universidade de Coimbra PT (group)
---- 'Everyday, Someday and other Stories, Collection 1950-1980' / Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam NL (group)
---- 'Tool' / Keijiban, Kanazawa JP (solo)
---- 'Was Dinge erzaehlen' / Schule für Gestaltung Bern CH (group)
---- 'Zoo-Morphe' / 4 x 3 Expositions Rennes FR (solo)
2021 'Domestic Night' / Musee des beaux-arts Le Locle CH (solo)
---- 'L' appartment' - Espace Images Vevey CH (group)
---- 'Re:Re:Re / AG' - Ruimte voor nieuwe kunst en media, Utrecht NL (group)
---- 'Animalities' / Arcoop Wall Project, Geneva CH (group)
---- 'Alt.+1000' / Festival de photographie, Valee de La Brevine, Le Locle CH (group)
---- Villa Romana Florence IT (group)
---- 'Multiplicity' / Images Gibellina IT (group)
---- 'The Garden of Delight' / exibition in the public space by the Netherlands Ambassy / Budapest (group)
---- 'Piu nuovo piu grande piu museo' / Palazzo dei Musei / Reggio Emilia IT (group)
---- 'A change of scenery' / Madame Bovary in the village of Ry / Frac Normandie Rouen FR (group)
2020 Festival Images 2020 / Vevey CH (group/solo)
---- 'Constellations: a choreography of minimal gestures / Museu Colecao Berardo Lisbon PT (group)
---- 'The Lives and Loves of Images / Biennale für aktuelle Fotografie 2020, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum Ludwigshafen DE (group) Wallpaper / Le Labo, Geneva CH (group)
2019 'MOMENTA 2019 The Life of Things / Biennale de lÕimage, Montreal CA (group)
---- 'La Mesure du Monde, Musee regional dÕart contemporain Occitanie at Serignan FR (group)
---- 'Praise of the misunderstanding (Elogi del malents) / M|A|C Mataro Art Contemporani, Barcelona SP (group)
---- 'Elogi del malentes' / Mataro Art Contemporani ES (group)
---- 'Radial Grammar' / MOMENTA Biennale de l'image / Montreal CA (group)
---- 'Bookworks' / MUMA Monash University Museum of Art, Melbourne AU (group)
---- 'Hexamiles (Mont-Voisin)' Barrage de Mauvoisin / Museum Bagnes CH (solo)
---- 'Hexamiles (Odysee)' / Schaufenster, Kunstverein München DE (solo)
---- 'Cloud Service' / Printed Matter Inc., New York US (solo)
---- 'Lost and Found' / Lasalle Institute of Contemporary Arts, Singapore SG (group)
---- 'des attentions' / Credac, Paris FR (group)
---- 'The Gulf Between' / Cultuurhuis de Warande, Turnhout BE (group)
2018 'Parallel Encyclopedia Extended' / The Polygon Gallery, Vancouver CA (group)
---- 'Cream Cheese and Pretty Ribbons' / Galerie Martin Janda, Wien AT (group)
---- 'Radial Grammar' / Le Bal, Paris FR (solo)
---- 'Sole Summary' / Centre Culturel Suisse, Paris FR (solo)
---- 'Nature Grammar' / SNCF Gare Montparnasse, Paris FR (solo)
---- 'Swiss Art Awards' / Bundesamt für Kultur, Art Basel CH (group)
---- 'Deutsche Brse Photography Foundation Prize 2018' / Museum fr Moderne Kunst (MMK), Frankfurt am Main DE (group)
---- 'Rendez-vous met Frans Hals' / Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem NL (group)
---- 'Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2018' / The Photographers' Gallery, London GB (group)
---- 'Some Things Hidden' / Framer Framed, Amsterdam NL (group)
2017 'Flawa - Solo Annaquato' in collaboration with Katinka Bock / Colli independent art gallery, Rome IT
---- 'Arts & Music Festival Horst' / Castel van Horst, Sint Pieters-Rode BE
---- 'Les Nouveaux Encyclopdistes' / Fotografia Europea 2017, Reggio Emilia IT (group)
---- 'Spaces without drama or surface is an illusion, but so is depth' / Graham Foundation, Madlener House, Chicago USA (group)
---- 'A L'Antique' / Musee des Antiquites (RMM) & FRAC Normandie, Rouen FR (group)
2016 '3500m2' / Rome (Open City) IT (group)
---- 'Where the Other Rests' / Les Rencontres de la Photographie Arles (group)
---- 'Artists' Documents: Art, Typography and Collaboration' / MMCA, Seoul, South Korea (group)
---- 'For Every Purpose' / P-Exclamation New York (group)
---- 'Artists' Documents: Art, Typography, and Collaboration' / 3F Digital Information Center, MMCA Seoul (group)
---- 'For Every Purpose' / P-Exclamation New York (group)
---- 'Quickscan' / Fotomuseum Rotterdam (group)
2015 'Sea Of Ice' / KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin DE
---- 'Earth Effect' / Fotografia Europea 2015, Reggio Emilia IT (group)
---- 'Something Thrown in the Way of the Observer' / Museum Van Loon, Amsterdam NL (group)
---- 'The Whole World, Up To Today' / Villa du Parc, Centre d'Art Contemporain, Annemasse F (group)
---- 'De Fotokopie 4th Edition' / Galerie De Schans with FOAM Amsterdam, Arles 2015, 'Les Rencontres de la Photographie' (group)
---- 'YES YES YES alternative press' / Colli Independent Art Gallery, Rome IT (group)
---- 'Les recits de l'insu', Micro Onde, Velizy-Villacoublay FR (group)
2014 'Roma Publications 1998-2014', Fondazione Giuliani, Rome IT (group)
---- '25x25x25', Westfälisches Landesmuseum Münster DE (solo)
---- 'Vanishing Point', MIART in collaboration with Fantom Magazin and Macelleria, Milan IT (group)
---- 'Various Artists', curated by Marc Nagtzaam, Barbara Seiler Galerie, Zürich CH (group)
---- 'Some Things Perishable', Nest Den Haag NL (group)
---- 'Staged City', Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam NL (group)
2013 '5 x 3', Kunstraum Düsseldorf DE (group)
----- 'Dublin Doubles', Broadcast Gallery, Dublin IR
----- 'Au dtour de la mer de nuages', Galerie Florence Loewy, Paris FR
----- 'Ladekastproject', Galerie Phoebus Rotterdam (curated by Ellen Timmermans) DE
----- 'Reiner Nachtwey und Batia Suter' / Bridges 2013, Haus 34A, Bad Bentheim DE
----- 'Beyond Frames' / Reframe Festival, TAC Eindhoven NL (group)
----- 'Two in the wave' / Printroom Rotterdam NL (group)
----- 'Perspectives on Collage' / The Photographers Gallery London UK (group)
2012 'Lecture' / Probe 17 (www.projectprobe.net/probe/17)
----- 'Dear Aby Warburg, what can be done with images?' / Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Siegen DE (group)
----- 'Caverne Cabinet ou les objets du degluge' / Biennale de Belleville II, Paris FR (group)
----- 'Les Prairies' / Les Ateliers de Rennes - Biennial for Contemporary Art, Frac Rennes FR (group)
----- 'Autumn of modernism II' / Temporary Gallery, Cologne DE (group)
----- 'Esta puerta pide clavo' / Tatjana Pieters Gallery, Ghent BE (group)
----- 'Roma Publications 1998-2012' / Research Centre for Artists' Publications, Museum für Moderne Kunst, Bremen DE (group)
----- 'Atlas at last' / ESADHaR, Rouen FR (group)
----- 'Provisional Space' / Castillo Corrales, Paris FR (group)
----- 'Autumn of modernism' / De Vleeshal, Middelburg NL (group)
2011 'Nos hicimos la ilusin de avanzar directamente' / Espai Cultural Obra Social Caja Madrid, Barcelona ES (group)
----- 'Hypothesis for an exibition' / PSM Gallery, Berlin DE (group)
----- 'Limits of an object' / Forde, Geneva CH (group)
----- 'Fantastique Elastique' / Galerie Francesca Pia, Zürich CH (group)
----- 'Voorkamer II' / Les Brasseurs, Liege BE (group)
----- 'Beyond the Dust, Artist's Documents Today' Part 3 / Fondation d'entreprise Ricard, Paris FR (group)
2010 'Beyond the Dust, Artist's Documents Today' Part 2 / La Fabbrica del Vapore, Milan IT (group)
----- 'Beyond the Dust, Artist's Documents Today' Part 1 / De Kabinetten van de Vleeshal, Middelburg NL (group)
----- 'Use Me, Abuse Me' / New York Photo Festival #10, New York City USA (group)
----- 'Roma Publications @ Motto Berlin' / Motto, Berlin DE (group)
----- 'Published by: Roma Publications' / De Kabinetten van de Vleeshal, Middelburg NL (group)
2009 'Surface Series' / Culturgest, Porto PT (solo)
----- 'Mimes' / Kalfayan Galleries, Athens, GR (group)
----- 'Wall House #2 / Groningen NL (solo)
2008 'Het torentje' / Almelo NL (solo)
----- 'The Garden of Cyrus' / Gennevilliers public Art Centre, Paris FR (group)
----- 'Found, Gevonden, Trouve' / Voorkamer, Lier BE (group)
----- 'The Order Of Things' / MuHKA, Antwerpen BE (group)
2007 'A Few Artists' Books, Roma Publications and Christoph Keller' / ProjecteSD, Barcelona SP (group)
----- 'Nieuwe Collectie' / Stedelijk Museum Wuyts-Van Campen & Baron Caroly, Lier BE (group)
2006 'Vademen' / Stadsgalerij Heerlen NL (group)
----- 'Roma Publications' / Culturgest, Lisbon PT (group)
2005 'Circuitos-Circuits' / Matucana 100, Santiago de Chile CL (group)
----- 'Interval' / Consortium, Amsterdam NL (group)
----- 'Auswahl 05' / Kunsthaus Aarau CH (group)
----- 'Mixed Pickels' / k3 project space, Zurich CH (group)
2004 'R3' / Rothenbaumchaussee 173, Hamburg DE (group)
----- Wettbewerb für bildende Kunst der Stadt Zürich' / Helmhaus, Zürich CH (group)
----- Maria Kapel / Hoorn NL (group)
----- Galerie Hans-Trudel-Haus / Baden CH (solo)
2003 'WOMAN' De verleiding op straat / Centraal Museum, Utrecht NL (group)
----- 'Storage & Display' / Programa Art Center, Mexico City MX (group)
----- Eidgenoessischer Wettbewerb fuer bildende Kunst / Basel CH (group)
----- 'Snippets' / Museum voor moderne Kunst, Arnhem NL (group)
----- 'Salto del Agua' / De Geele Rijder, Arnhem NL (group)
----- 'O1' / Hamburg DE (group)
2002 'Evergreen' / Galerie Stefan Rasche, Muenster DE (solo)
----- Mama Cash Prijs / 'Het Botenhuis', Rotterdam NL (group)
----- 'SMAX' / Villa de Bank, Enschede NL (group)
----- Wettbewerb fuer bildende Kunst der Stadt Zürich / Helmhaus, Zürich CH (group)
----- 'Made in Arnhem' / Museum voor moderne Kunst, Arnhem NL (group)
----- Aargauer Kuratorium - Kunstkredit 2002 / Spinnerei Kunz, Windisch CH (group)
----- 'Among Friends - Entre Amis' / La Plate-Forme, Dunkerque F (group)
----- 'Neubau #2' / Galerie Stefan Rasche, Muenster DE (group)
----- 'Roma Publications' / Krller Müller Museum, Otterlo NL (group)
2001 'Biennale Gelderland' / Museum het Valkhof, Nijmegen NL (group)
----- 'Zie onder canape' / Villa de Bank, Enschede NL (group)
----- 'City Jam #2' / Hooghuis, Arnhem NL (group)
----- 'Rotonde #3' / CBKN, Nijmegen NL (group)
2000 'Room' / Academiegalerie, Utrecht NL (group)
----- 'Hotel' / CBK, Nijmegen NL (group)
----- 'Zwitserland on the move' / Tent, Rotterdam NL (group)
1999 'Speciale aanmaak' / Artis, Den Bosch NL (group)
----- 'Bountyeiland' / Archipel, Apeldoorn NL (group)
1998 'Blow Up' / Hooghuis, Arnhem NL (group)
1997 'Under My Skin' / Artis, Den Bosch NL (group)
---- 'Ateliers Arnhem' / Museum voor moderne Kunst, Arnhem NL (group)
1996 'Vervolgens' / Arti et Amicitiae, Amsterdam NL (group)
----- Stelling Gallery / Leiden NL (group)
----- 'Crossoverall' / De Fabriek, Eindhoven NL (group)
----- 'No Content, No Show' / W139, Amsterdam NL (group)
----- 'Biennale Gelderland' / Museum voor moderne Kunst, Arnhem NL (group)
Awards:
2025 Swiss Grand Award for Design 2025 / Federal Office of Culture CH
2022 Nomination Berry Koedam Award / FKA Witte de With, Rotterdam NL
2020 Nomination Berry Koedam Award / FKA Witte de With, Rotterdam NL
2018 Nomination Swiss Art Awards 2018, Bundesmat fr Kultur Switzerland CH
----- Nomination Deutsche Brse Photography Foundation Prize 2018
2017 'Parallel Encyclopedia #2' in selection Kassel Photobook Award 2017 DE
----- 'Parallel Encyclopedia #2' in selection Best Verzorgde Boeken 2016 NL
2016 'Parallel Encyclopedia #2' shortlisted for the 2016 Paris Photo - Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards USA
----- Nomination Photobook Award 2012 / 5th International Photobook Festival, Kassel DE
2008 'Parallel Encyclopedia' in selection Best Verzorgde Boeken 2007 NL
2004 Hans-Trudel-Kunstpreis, Baden CH
----- Euregio-Kunstpreis, Kunstverein Art Euregio, Kleve DE and GBK, Arnhem NL
2001 Werkbeurs, Fonds voor beeldende Kunst, Amsterdam NL
1997 Kiefer Hablitzelstipendium CH
Various:
2023 Focus Photo / funding support, Pro Helvetia CH
----- Teaching / Werkplaats Typografie (Master Graphic Design) ARTEZ Arnhem NL
----- Stipendium / Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam NL
2022 External Critic / Werkplaats Typografie (Master Graphic Design) ARTEZ Arnhem NL
----- Guest lecture / Universitt Siegen Fakultt II, Department Kunst und Musik DE
----- Talk with Beatrice Gross & Katinka Bock / Atelier Neerlandais Paris FR
----- Talk Atlas of Looking at Water / Parsons School of Design, Art and Media / New York City US
2021 Lecture with Danae Panchaud / Spectrum Days - Photography in Switzerland / ETH Zurich CH
----- Lecture / PAGE NOT FOUND Space for Publishing as Artistic Practice, The Hague NL
----- Lecture / Friends of Jeu de Paume, Paris FR
----- Guest Lecture / Master Photography & Society, Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, Den Haag NL
2020 Jury member Carte Blanche / Paris Photo FR
----- External Critic / Werkplaats Typografie (Master Graphic Design) ARTEZ Arnhem NL
----- Guest teacher at HEAD Geneva (2020-2021), department Information/Fiction CH
----- Guest Lecture / Academy of Finearts HGB Leipzig DE
----- Guest Lecture / Akademie der Knste, Berlin DE
2019 Jury member Berlagefonds / Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam NL
----- Art Talk with Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa / Printed Matter, New York US
2018 Q&A Photobooks by women / Foam, Amsterdam NL
----- Guest Lecture / St Lucas University College of Art & Design, Antwerp BE
----- Final Jury / Aperture PhotoBook Awards, Paris FR
----- Art Talk The Exhibition as Medium / Paris Photo FR
----- Art Conversation / Helga Pakasaar, Polygon Gallery, Vancouver CA
----- Art Talk / Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver CA
----- Art Talk / Hochschule fr Gestaltung und Kunst (HGK) Basel CH
----- Interview Par le temps qui courent / Marie Richeux, Broadcast Radio France Culture FR
----- Art Talk Deutsche Brse Photography Foundation Prize 2018 / The Photographers' Gallery, London GB
2017 Stipendium / Mondriaan Foundation NL
----- Lecture Information Design, Design Academy Eindhoven NL
----- 'On the shoulders of giants', talk with Roland Groenenboom and Robert Zandvliet / Ketelfactory Schiedam NL
----- External examiner graduation, department Graphic Design / ArtEZ Institute of the Arts, Arnhem NL
----- Jury member GRA-award, Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam NL
2015 Teaching at Txt (textile department), Gerrit Rietveld Akademie Amsterdam NL
2011 Video animation for 'Baal', Berthold Brecht, Orkest de Ereprijs NL
2010 Proposal installation for Hospital Rijnstate, Arnhem NL
2009 - 2010 Teaching Visual Arts / Photography at the Hogeschool Voor de Kunsten Utrecht NL
2005 Proposal installation for PricewaterhouseCoopers AG, Zürich CH
----- Installation for Hospital Bülach CH
----- Workshop Gerrit Rietveld Akademie Amsterdam, Fashion Context NL
----- Workshop Minerva Akademie Groningen, Graphic Design NL
2004 Wallpaper / Managmentcentrum VNO-NCW, Driebergen-Zeist NL
2003 Portrait Series for Aargauer Kulturblatt / Aargauer Kuratorium, Aarau CH
----- Wallpaper / Managmentcentrum VNO-NCW, Driebergen-Zeist NL
----- Photo series / TeneT bv, Arnhem NL
----- Proposal for waiting-room / Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum (LUMC), Leiden NL
2001 Video animation for fashionshow (collection AW 2001-02) Oscar Suleyman / Rome IT
----- Leader for 'Ster' / Dutch broadcasting company NL
1999 Concept and Photography invitation series / Paraplufabriek, Nijmegen NL
1997 Work for public space / Gemeente Leiden NL