Michael Marcovici
Michael Marcovici (born 27 September 1969) is an Austrian sculptor, painter, conceptual artist and designer of CADO Danish Modern furniture. His eclectic oeuvre includes works that feature strong statements regarding politics, science and technology, social topics and style. His output includes media works of ironic content, lithe furniture designs, and abstract hi-tech sculptures. Marcovici was born in Vienna and was by age seven drawn to technology, especially electronics and mathematics. His formative years were spent as a financial analyst and outdoor sportsman. Marcovici turned to art in 1995 as the publisher of two art magazines: werk-zeug and streetfashion. Most of his art dates from 2005 to 2009.
Biography
Marcovici’s career is a rather unusual one: born in 1969 in Vienna, he became interested in technology, especially electronics and mathematics, at the age of seven. By 12, he had worked as a programmer, and quit school at 17. He then started his first business in the financial field, publishing analysis on the financial markets Page text. and managing funds, until he sold his business at the age of 23. Marcovici spent the next three years climbing and hiking in Africa, USA, Asia, and all over Europe.
From 1995 on he was the publisher of werk-zeug, a technology and art magazine, as well as streetfashion, a magazine featuring fashionable people on the streets of the world. He was also active as a software developer and inventor. Marcovici holds international patents for climbing equipment, bicycle gears, trading systems and electronic payment systems Page text.
In 2001, he started a business on eBay that eventually became the world's largest power-selling enterprise on eBay, a company with 80 employees and a turnover of 20 million euros a year. In early 2005, the company went bankrupt. He wrote a book, ''"The End of EBay” in 2008, about the company and its demise.
Michael Marcovici lives and works in Vienna.
Works
The artist about his work: "there is no way to (mate)realize all the plans and projects I have on my mind in one lifetime- I can only pick the best and feasible". His work addresses a variety of fields such as technology, politics, science, social topics,finance, religion and style. His most famous piece of work became in 2009 One Billion Dollar, a sculpture made of 10 Million USD Notes and represent one Billion USD. The Artwork itself is conceptual but Marcovici has build a model that has been exhibited many times. Rattraders is onother famous work, the artist has trained rats to trade in the financial markets, the work has received international attention in mainstreem media. in the mids of the 2008 financial crisis. Another important work is Free Tibet, a 15 foot long sign made from special steel with the words "Free Tibet" the sign was produced entirely in China, the aim of the work was to show the unreflected industrila production process on one side and the need for global resources in controversy: "No anti globalisation movement without airplanes, no anti Google movement without Google". Other works to mention are: Democratic Chess. Rolex Time Sand. Unix a concept of an underground robotic transportation system. All captions are direct quotes from the artist.
Exhibitions
- 2010 Burn at greenbench.
- 2009 At Ofroom.
- 2009 Speed Show.