Bio / Contact

Photo by Moju Vids, Cave 12 – Geneva.

Tobias R. Kirstein (b. 1972) is an artist, writer and composer living in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Kirsteins works are often monomaniacally concerned with sound and power in both a conceptual and very concrete manner in either physically challenging performances or very discrete installations in the public space. For several years, he has been investigating the power of the act of listening – listening as an aggressive, but invisible, territorial tool. Main instruments in these investigations are the tone generator, recording equipment, and the white noise generator.

Part of TOPOS which was founded in 2019 by the three artists and composers, Jacob Kirkegaard, Tobias R. Kirstein and Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard, to pursue their shared commitment to cross cultural and cross media activities that move beyond the strictures and boundaries of separate fields and disciplines.

Kirstein cofounded and worked as a booker at MAYHEM, a pivotal venue for extreme and experimental music in Copenhagen. He and the other three founders left Mayhem in 2017, leaving room for new beautiful people.

Kirstein worked 2013-19 as an external curator of the crossmedia festival CLICK.

He has toured, done performances and exhibitions in Egypt, UK, USA, Holland, Switzerland, Japan, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Denmark.

Kirstein has collaborated with Tony Conrad, Johs Lund, Ursula Nistrup, Claus Haxholm, Pär Thörn, Jacob Kirkegaard, Jacob Lillemose, John Duncan, Robert Turman, Goodiepal/Mainpal, Leif Elggren, Rhys Chatham, CM von Hausswolff and many more.

In collaboration with Kasper Opstrup, Kirstein has translated William S. Burroughs: Akademi 23 (The Job) and William S. Burroughs: The Wild Boys. Is currently working on the translation of William S. Burroughs: Cities of the Red Night. All out on Antipyrine

KREV Ministry of the Imaginary Forces
Minister: Tobias R. Kirstein

Part of the performance group CAAST  with Cæcilie Trier, Asger Hartvig, Andreas Führer, Simon Latz.

Played in the drum duo To\To with Toke Tietze Mortensen.

Part of Lights People

Contact: tobias[dot]kirstein[at]gmail[dot]com