Mike Steiner: Contemporary Art Pioneer Between Painting, Video, and Berlin Avantgarde

What happens when the boundaries between painting, video, and performance dissolve? Mike Steiner’s contemporary art is a vivid answer to this riddle: an oeuvre that morphs between media, spanning decades and international avantgarde circles—restlessly experimental, profound, yet always accessible. His works radiate both elegance and radicality, their surfaces shifting between the intense chromatics of abstract paintings and the nebulous narrative of the moving image. This rare duality made Mike Steiner one of contemporary art’s most influential personalities in Berlin and far beyond.

Discover Contemporary Art by Mike Steiner now – unique paintings and video works at a glance

His creative journey began early: Born in 1941 in Allenstein, Steiner entered Berlin’s art scene at just 17 during the Große Berliner Kunstausstellung. From these painted beginnings, his path led quickly to the epicenter of contemporary art: the Kreuzberg bohemia and later New York, where he immersed himself in the legendary circles around Fluxus icons like Allan Kaprow and Al Hansen. These formative encounters with radical minds such as Robert Motherwell, Joseph Beuys, and Pop Art doyenne Lil Picard, sharpened Steiner’s sensibility for art’s power to transcend genre boundaries—an energy palpable throughout his life’s work.

The 1970s marked his leap from classic painting to new artistic terrains. Doubting the adequacy of painting as a solitary mode of expression, Steiner embraced the young medium of video. Rooted in Berlin but connected worldwide, he founded the legendary Hotel Steiner: a vibrant hub compared to New York’s Chelsea Hotel, drawing artists like Beuys, Arthur Köpcke, and international figures eager for a creative home in the divided city.

In 1974, inspired by Florence’s Studio Art/Tapes/22, Steiner opened Berlin’s Studiogalerie—a beacon for video, performance, and Fluxus within the contemporary arts Berlin scene. Here, innovation thrived. Not only did the gallery provide rare, expensive video equipment, it also offered a stage for radical experiments. Feminist avantgarde stars such as Valie Export, Marina Abramovi?, Jochen Gerz, and Carolee Schneemann found in Steiner’s haven the freedom to unleash transformative performances. It was within these walls that legendary projects like Ulay’s “Irritation – Da ist eine kriminelle Berührung in der Kunst” unfolded—a staged ‘art theft’ at the Neue Nationalgalerie, forever etched into Berlin’s performance art history.

Meanwhile, as a documentarian and producer, Mike Steiner charted the fleeting pulse of the performing arts. His camera became a witness and interpreter, turning ephemeral happenings into art historical documents. Modern-day contemporary art in Berlin would inevitably look different without these preserved moments.

The 1980s witnessed the next metamorphosis: the televised “Videogalerie” (1985–1990) brought video art into German living rooms, just as Gerry Schum’s Fernsehgalerie had attempted before. Over 120 episodes, produced and hosted by Steiner, showcased not only his own collection but broader international developments, making contemporary art accessible beyond gallery borders. His “Painted Tapes” series embodied this phase perfectly: a seamlessly interwoven fusion of abstract painting and electronic video—art oscillating between sensory thrill and analytical sharpness.

The illustrious arc of Mike Steiner’s career reached a highlight with his acclaimed solo exhibition "Color Works" (1999) at the Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart. Immortalizing his impact, the museum also became home to the legendary Mike Steiner video art collection, including works by luminaries such as Nam June Paik, Bill Viola, and Richard Serra. This positioned Steiner not just as artist, but as a pioneering curator and chronicler of his generation—his systematic collecting and archiving proved visionary for the documentation and mediation of media art worldwide.

Comparisons to contemporary giants such as Marina Abramovi? feel organic, but Steiner’s place is singular—less as a solitary genius, more as a connector and catalyst. Much like Joseph Beuys or Allan Kaprow, he embodied the spirit of avantgarde by turning creative spaces into living laboratories for new ideas. Yet, Steiner’s return to painting in his late years allowed another facet to emerge: exuberant, gestural abstractions; canvases pulsing with color, as seen in his shows at DNA Galerie, Galerie Dittmar, and various Berlin venues. These contemporary abstract paintings reveal his lifelong dialogue with form and color—a dance of improvisation and discipline, echoing the energy of American abstract expressionists while rooted in the unique Berlin narrative.

Mike Steiner’s working methods were always interdisciplinary, adaptive, and dialogical. He embraced multiple mediums: Super-8 film, analog photography, copy art, installations. His curiosity led him around the globe, with travels—from the US to Egypt and Australia—informing his photographic cycles and pushing the boundaries of his visual vocabulary. These forays into global contemporary arts demonstrate a cosmopolitan vision unmatched among his Berlin contemporaries.

Equally important was Steiner’s engagement as educator and advocate. As juror for the renowned Künstlerprogramm (DAAD), or as a speaker at symposia and universities, he influenced the discourse on video and performance art. His Berlin Video compilation remains a key resource for understanding both West-Berlin’s experimental spirit and the international evolution of media art in the late 20th century.

A keen eye senses how Steiner’s approach combined improvisational freedom with rigor—a legacy especially resonant today, when the boundaries of artistic media are more porous than ever. The continued relevance of works by Mike Steiner is palpable: they open new vistas, challenge artistic conventions, and invite viewers to rethink both history and the present. That his collection in the Hamburger Bahnhof still awaits full digitization makes the treasures of his archive even more valuable and mysterious.

In a city like Berlin, drenched in contemporary arts, Mike Steiner’s life and work remain guideposts of innovation, openness, and resilience. Both emerging artists and seasoned collectors will find ample reason to rediscover his legacy—be it the kinetic swirl of his abstract paintings, the audaciousness of his performance art, or his prescient championing of video as art form. Visiting the official website offers direct access to images, detailed texts, and a deep dive into a singular archive of living art history.

For images, texts, and current exhibition info: visit the official Mike Steiner website