Christian Jankowski (b. 1968) is a German contemporary multimedia artist. He was born Göttingen and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Hamburg. He largely works with video, installation and photography, often utilising the medium of human relationships, the comedic slapstick humour of Formulae, or any of the other innumerable tools of modern communication available, Jankowski trades blows with history, politics and the language of art. His works are almost always 'performances' – both literally and figuratively – in so far as his carefully calibrated set-ups and interactive scenarios engage occasionally unsuspecting collaborators: televangelists, fortune-tellers, border guards and professional magicians have all innocently colluded with him to become 'co-authors' of his wide-ranging work. The collaborative nature of Jankowski's practice is paramount, as each participant often unwittingly contributes his or her own texture to the story. There is as much emphasis on the journey as the destination, and the risks and chances inherent in Jankowski's collaborations ultimately give surprising shape to the final works, whether these are photographs, paintings, sculptures or video installations. His playful and far-reaching projects tug at the very fabric of society itself, querying many notions of authorship, ownership, originality, propriety and authenticity that might otherwise be taken for granted. He currently lives and works in Berlin and New York.
