PIET BAUMGARTNER
PIET BAUMGARTNER
©Fabienne Wild
Piet Baumgartner is a visual artist and director. He works transdisciplinarily in film, visual arts and theatre. He worked as a journalist before completing an MA in film directing at the Zurich University of the Arts and later the "Drehbuchwerkstatt München". This was followed by training with Andrej Wajda in Warsaw and assistant role with Frank Castorf and Rene Pollesch at the Schauspielhaus Zurich. Piet Baumgartner works both independently and collectively with Rio Wolta and has received numerous international awards. He lives in Zurich and lectures at the F+F School of Art and Design.
Piet Baumgartner lives and works in Zurich, Switzerland
Exhibitions
You can find future exhibitions on our page:
You can find Piet Baumgartner’s portfolio here:
Piet Baumgartner — San Sebastian Film Festival — Winner: New Directors Award
Winner of prize: New Directors Award with film “Bagger-Drama”
Piet Baumgartner — Bagger Drama — Movie Premiere
In San Sebastian Piet Baumgartner received an award for this film - now BAGGER DRAMA will be shown for the first time in Germany and Switzerland:
60TH SOLOTHURN FILM FESTIVAL
in the “Prix De Soleure” competition
Sat, January 25, 2025 at 5:30 pm, Reithalle
Mon, January 27, 2025 at 8:30 pm, Landhaus
46TH FILMFESTIVAL MAX OPHÜLS PREIS
in the feature film competition
Wed, January 22, 2025 at 9:00 pm, CineStar1
Thu, January 23, 2025 at 10:30 pm, CineStar4
Thu, January 23, 2025 at 3:45 pm, PassageKino2
Sat, January 25, 2025 at 8:45 pm, PassageKino1
Sun, January 26, 2025 at 4:30 pm, CineStar5
BAGGER DRAMA starring Bettina Stucky, Phil Hayes and Vincent Furrer, produced by Karin Koch/Dschoint Ventschr, camera by Pascal Reinmann, edited by Tania Stöcklin, music by Rio Wolta.
In Swiss cinemas from May 1, 2025.
Video - Drones Over All (A Tribute to Pipilotti Rist)
2018—2019
A video work with 15 drones and 1 baseball bat.
For Jungkunst Winterthur, Piet Baumgartner shot and updated an homage to Pipilotti Rist's Ever Is Overall (1997). He replaced the cars with drones, which today seem as untouchable and promise freedom as the status symbol car used to.
The video is shot in the same colours, in the same street and with the same costume.
Exhibition: Jungkunst Winterthur / Concept: Piet Baumgartner / Music: Rio Wolta /
Supported by Volkart Foundation
All images are film stills from the video. Curtosy of Piet Baumgartner.
Theatre Neumarkt — EWS Der einzige Politthriller der Schweiz
2022—2023
Eveline says yes. Switzerland has never seen this before. Blocher is out, the election divides her party and Switzerland.
At the Neumarkt theatre, extended twice, everything completely sold out.
Eveline Widmer - Schlumpf's election to the Federal Council made political history 15 years ago. She, who saw herself as a solution-oriented politician, was overnight at the centre of Switzerland's biggest - perhaps only - political thriller.
Director Piet Baumgartner, together with David Attenberger, Melina Pyschny, Lara Stoll and a choir of Swiss women, devotes himself to women in power and Swiss political culture. A concordant choreography to the beat of the Swiss beat. Strange, Helvetic, poetic.
Place: Neumarkt Theatre / Director: Piet Baumgartner /Dramaturgy: Julia Reichert / Costume Design: Delia Keller / Stage Design: Anna WohlgemuthThe play won the Swiss Theatre Production 2022.
“Julia Reichert, Piet Baumgartner and their ensemble have really created a hot property with EWS – Der einzige Politthriller der Schweiz. The play is side-splittingly funny when the clones of Eveline scurry around the stage, precise down to the last crease of their grey two-pieces and changing pace dynamically. It is both quirky and unique, just like the episode involving Federal Councillor Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf. At the same time, it offers a small but concentrated lesson in Swiss political history and a reminder that the machinations of Swiss politics actually have more scope for surprises than people like to claim.”
Nicolette Kretz, jury member
Photo credits: Philip Frowein
Documentary - The Driven Ones
2023
A long-term cinema documentary about HSG students. In cinemas in autumn 2023.
They could be the next CEOs of this world: Five students are starting the Master's programme at the University of St. Gallen, which is considered the best in the world (No1 since 2013, Financial Times). They all have a clear goal: to make a career and help shape our society. They will soon be able to wield a lot of power. In return, they are prepared to do without - and perhaps achieve something much greater.
This cinema documentary follows its protagonists over seven years, during perhaps the most exciting phase of their lives: during their studies and the first years of their careers. They come under pressure, take on responsibility, fall in love, ask questions and sometimes question everything.
With ARD, SRF, RTS / Directed by Piet Baumgartner / Camera by Stefan Dux / Produced by Catpics
All images are film stills from the movie. Curtosy of Piet Baumgartner.
Performance — Showroom
2018
A performance with 5000 tennis balls, 10 tennis ball machines, 4 performers, 3 musicians and 1 dog.
“The machine is lonely.” - Eva Hediger, Tages-Anzeiger
“A world that invites you to immerse yourself, enjoy, smile and marvel.” - Nadine Landert, Radio 1
“I don't know how they do it. But when Zurich musician Rio Wolta and Bernese filmmaker Piet Baumgartner work together, the result is something dreamlike.” - Miriam Lenz, Rockette
Venue: Gessnerallee Zurich / Concept: Piet Baumgartner / Rio Wolta
Photo credits: Katinka Kocher
Performance — Choreographies
2015 — ongoing
Video installation with 3 cranes, 2 excavators, 5 robotic lawnmowers, 3 lifting platforms and 12 sheep.
“In the performative video installation, compiled for the exhibition in Paris, Piet Baumgartner shows choreographies for machines that have been created over the years on three monitors. When construction cranes perform a sequence of movements in unison, excavators explore the limits of their physical possibilities and measure the pit with their bodies in dance, when mowing robots perform visual spatial interventions in the ensemble and their motor skills are juxtaposed with those of sheep, a subtle humour about a world in which industrial machinery has overflowed into artificial intelligence is revealed. The personification of the machines, which is made possible by the artifice of choreography, is also reflected in the presentation. Three monitors show the interwoven video works as a unit. They stand in the room like sculptural objects, like communicating vessels that tell a story about the aesthetics of change. The machines are no longer merely usable devices. They become actors in a theatrical performance in the setting of contemporary art.” - Judith Pichlmüller, curator
Exhibitions: Cité des Arts, Paris, Haus zur Ameise, St. Gallen, and Gessnerallee, Zurich / Concept: Rio Wolta / Piet Baumgartner
All images are film stills from the video. Curtosy of Piet Baumgartner.