About Swetlana Gerner
Born in Kyiv, I fled to Frankfurt with my three-year-old daughter following the collapse of the Soviet Union. My work has been exhibited internationally, including two exhibitions at the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt. In 2024, I received the Frau schafft Raum Award in Vienna, and in 2025 I was a finalist for the Peace Prize, with my work exhibited at the Museum of Klosterneuburg Abbey. Additional exhibitions include Galerie Krinzinger, sehsaal, Alte Schiebekammer, Galerie Kras, Amtshaus Margareten, Schillerplatz, and the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna Rundgang.My practice investigates patriarchy and its impact on contemporary society. Through a queer-feminist lens, I explore female identity, fashion as a body without a body, the performance of women's burdens, and the hidden costs of success. Drawing on my background in advertising, clinical art therapy and social work, I combine conceptual rigor with irony and humor to challenge established narratives.I am currently studying at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in Daniel Richter's class and will spend my next semester as an exchange student at the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London.
