Reiner Riedler Biography

Born in Gmunden, Austria.

He went to Vienna with the intention of studying ethnology. He then attended a college for photography in Vienna and decided to dedicate himself solely to photography.

As a documentary photographer he deals with important topics of the present day. His view always centers on human beings and their environment. The main focus of his documentary work is to challenge our value systems. As a traveller he visits the periphery of our habitats, always searching for the fragile beauty of human existence with its desires and abysses.

Reiner Riedler’s work has been shown in numerous countries at photo festivals, galleries and museums. He has been working for periodicals and magazines. His pictures have been published in magazines such as National Geographic, Stern, The New York Times, Newsweek, Fortune, Le Monde 2, Der Spiege etc..

Several projects, which took him mainly to Eastern Europe and Russia, were subsequently published in book form. The following books appeared:

“Albanien, Leben an der Peripherie” (Albania, Life on the Periphery), Triton Verlag, Vienna, 2001
“Ukraine. Fotografien” (Ukraine. Photographs), Edition Fotohof, Otto Müller Verlag, 2003
“Gestürmte Festung Europa” (The Stormed Fortress of Europe),
Styria Verlag, 2007
"Fake Holidays", Moser Verlag, Munich, 2009

One of his last projects took him to Kenya to start a cooperation with Austrian filmmaker Ulrich Seidl.

Reiner Riedler is married and has two sons. He lives with his family in Vienna/ Austria.

Solo Exhibitions:

2011
Altered States, Salons d’Honneur of the Town Hall Levallois, Paris 2010
2010
Fake Holidays, Stadthaus ULM, Gremany
2009
Fake Holidays, Gallery AVLA NLB, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Reiner Riedler - Wunderwelten, Fotoforum West, Innsbruck
Fake Holidays, International Festival of Photography Lodz, Poland
2008
Fake Holidays, International Festival of Photography Lodz, Poland
Fake Holidays, Heart Galerie, Paris, Mois de la Photo
Fake Holidays, Images 08, Vevey, CH
Fake Holidays, Backlight Festival, Tampere, FL
2007
Fake Holidays, House of Photography, Novo Mesto, Slovenia
Wonderland, Galerie Momentum, Vienna
Fake Holidays Festival of Light, Kaunas / Lithuania
2006
The Possibility of an Island, Sirius Art Center / Cork / Ireland
Russian Circus, Anzenberger Gallery, Month of Photography Vienna
Russian Circus, Month of Photography Crakow
2004
Ukraine, Fotoraum für Fotografie, Schloß Weinberg/ Austria
2002
Ukraine, Nikon Image House / Zürich / CH
2001
Ukraine , City Hall of Ivano-Frankivsk / Ukraine
Albania, Life at the periphery, Alte Schieberkammer / Vienna
1996
Pilgramiges, Galerie Profil / Bratislava

Group Exhibitions:

2011
Real, Fotogalerie Wien A
"Zeitzeugen- Fotografie in Österreich seit 1945", Künstlerhaus Wien
2010
Dreamlands, Centre George Pompidou Paris
2009
The Robinson Centrifuge, Künstlervereinigung März, Linz, A
Die Ideale Ausstellung, ACC Galerie Weimar, Kunstfest Weimar
Tourism. Spaces of Fiction, Design Center Barcelona
Fake Holidays, Blue Sky Gallery, Portland, Oregon
2008
Tourismus – All Inclusive, Kunsthalle Schirn, Frankfurt / Germany
The other side, Brick 5, Month of Photography Vienna
Wolfsburg-Vienna, Städteansichten, Goethe Institut Bangkok
2007
Fake Holidays, Darmstädter Fototage
24 hours in Vienna, Leopold Museum, Vienna
2006
Fake Holidays, Photofestival Boutographie / Montpellier / France
2005
Ukraine, Fotosommer Stuttgart / D
Fake Holidays, Wiesbadener Fototage
2004
Poverty has faces in Europe - Crossed looks of three European photographers
European Parlament Brussels
Das Wunder Mensch, Museum of Modern Art Passau – International Photoart
2003
Ukraine, Fotohof Salzburg / A
Poverty, Museum of the City of Vienna
Poverty, Sozialamt Graz
2001
Austrian Documentary Photography , Leica Gallery New York
1998
Aperto, Galerie Station U3 / Vienna
1997
Homeless, Fotogalerie Wien

Awards / Grants:
Winner of the „bild der wissenschaft“ – Fotopreis 2008
Finalist of the Photolucida Critical Mass 2008
Nominated for the Grand Prix of Lodz 2008
Winner of the Grand Prix of Kaunas 2007
Portfolio Review Bratislava 2007, 2nd Price
Humanitarian Photo Award 2006, 2nd price
Bruno Kreisky Award 2006 for the book Gestürmte Festung Europa of Corinna
Artist in residence / Sirius Art Center / Ireland 2006
Nominee of the International Colour Award 2006
Nominated for the World Press Masterclass 1999

Lectures and Workshops:
Institut of Technology, Cork / Ireland
Ecole D´Art appliques Vevey /CH
EU project – participation: Workshops in Yerevan / Armenia and Austria
Tampere School of Art and Media
Höhere Graphische Bundeslehr - und Versuchsanstalt, Vienna

Bibliography:
Photographers International/ Austrian Documentary Photography
Le Monde 2 / France
Foto Pozytyw / Poland
Ojodepez / Spain
Hotshoe / England
La Repubblica delle Donne / Italy
Spiegel spezial / Germany
Cheese / Estonia

Presentations at Photofestivals:
Kaunas Photo
Backlight Festival, Tampere, Finland
Darmstädter Fototage
Fototage Wiesbaden
Visa pour l´image / Perpignan
Month of Photography Vienna
Month of Photography Crakow
Mois de la Photo, Paris
Rencontre d´Arles, Voies Off
Rhubarb Rhubarb
Fotosommer Stuttgart
Foto Freo, Australia
Boutographie, F
Lodz Photo Festival