Eni Brandner

I want to talk about my own way of using (and mis-using) technology in my work and why I employ it as a tool that represents the topic I want to talk about. Spawning from that, I want to touch on topics of newer technology like MotionCapture and AI, and the (ethical, political and anthropological) questions that come up when using them in combination with more traditional animation techniques. How can we as artists use technology to be more embodied, how can we subvert existing semi-mainstream technologies for our work and use it to inspire us?
I have been working in the field of animation with new technologies since almost 20 years. I like questioning my own approach and keep exploring the possibilities of mis-use of technology, and finding ways to evoke the opportunity of the glitch. How can I stay playful when working with highly advanced technologies? How can I translate my own expression in an authentic way that represents my feelings and knowledge about a topic? How can I make something digital translate into the analogue world?
I have recently started to come back to the idea of expanded cinema, as it can be practiced in the context of live performance, and animation as an element that can happen in the moment and add to the spontaneity of the live context, and would like to talk about what challenges and questions this brings up in relation to the animation process as well as the process of developing a performance.

Eni Brander is a prizewinning filmmaker and media artist who lives and works in Vienna as a writer, director, animator and video designer. Her work is focused on exploring experimental connections between the disciplines of film, music and the performing arts.
Her two most recent films have been screened at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (FR), the Tricky Women Festival (AT), the London International Animation Festival (GB), the Encounters Short Film Festival (GB), the Sarajevo Film Festival (BA), Fest Anca (SK), and many others.
Eni has held lectures (Digital Body Lab 1+2/Berlin, Expanding the Digital Skin/Bielefeld) on the topic of using technology in connection with animation and live performance. She has also done research in several new technologies as part of her artistic practice.
Brander holds two degrees: one in Multimedia Art from Salzburg’s University of Applied
Sciences another in classical animated film from Zagreb’s Academy of Fine Arts. She is a native of Innsbruck, Austria – based in Vienna, Austria.