Thomas Altheimer

Who is Thomas Altheimer?

Thomas Altheimer is a filmmaker, activist, comedian, conceptual and performance artist. He is an alumni of the now defunct London Consortium and holds a PhD in art practice from Goldsmiths College. He was awarded his doctorate in 2012 for the thesis "Fictioneering Rogues, or, The End of the Artist". Altheimer is known for using his identity as a site for political experimentation and exploration. This work has led to a series of projects — so-called "parallel actions" — which seek to blur the boundaries between art and life. During the Presidency of George W. Bush, his work would often make use of political forms as conceptual readymades. Altheimer works in the Situationist tradition with détournement as a key tactic. In recent years the impact of several legal proceedings has foregrounded questions of fictionalization and identity in his work. He has exhibited and performed internationally in artist-run spaces like Alma Enterprises in London and municipal art spaces like the ICA in London, Angel's Gate in San Pedro and Nikolaj, Center of Contemporary Art in Copenhagen. His films have been broadcast by ZDF, ARTE, DR and ORF and screened at several international film festivals. In 2007 Wiener Festwochen commissioned work from Altheimer in combination with performances on the theme of democracy. He lives and works in Los Angeles.