Life
Steff Gruber is the son of the painter Hannes Gruber and Annemarie Gruber-Vogelsanger. He grew up in Oberrieden on Lake Zurich. In childhood his greatest ambition was to be a pilot and inventor. He constructed his first radio receiver at the age of eight; when he was fifteen, during the first manned space flight to the moon, he succeeded in listening in on the dialogue between the astronauts and ground control. He started to train as an electronics engineer, but abandoned the course before completing it after deciding that he wanted to become a film director. Up to the present day Steff Gruber has not settled on a choice of career. Instead he combines different professional identities, as an artist, technician and entrepreneur. He also continues to indulge his passion for flying, making round trips as a pilot in theFilm
Both during and after his time at the Juventus Gymnasium igher secondary schoolin Zurich, from 1972 on Gruber attended film lectures and courses given by Dr Martin Schlappner, Viktor Sidler, Georg Radanowicz and Sebastian C. Schröder at the University of Zurich, ETH Zürich wiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurichand F+F, Schule für Gestaltung (Zürich) +F Zurich College of Design During his two-year course at the College of Design he studied with Doris Stauffer, Serge Stauffer, Hansjörg Mattmüller and Peter Jenny. On the side he worked as a commercial photographer and film maker. In 1974 Gruber studied Mass Media Philosophy for one year at the University of Georgia, where he made the acquaintance of the painter and film director James Herbert. His friendship with Herbert had a lasting effect on him, and remains an influence on his work to the present day. In the seventies Steff Gruber was one of the first film makers to work in thePhotography
Gruber has been involved with the subject of photography since 1970. During his time at the F+F Schule für Gestaltung, he worked not only as a filmmaker but also as a press photographer for Keystone Press. In 1977, Gruber examined new photographic techniques to fuse diapositives with instant images. He called this method diatypie. In his art projects SEXTOX.COM and webdesire.com in the 1990s, Gruber used so-called bots, or fully automated processes, to search the internet for sex images, which then became the subject of his art installations in modified form. Based on his interest in documentaries, Gruber began shooting photo stories in various countries that focused, in particular, on human interest subjects and humanist concerns. He produced many of his photo series over a period of several years, visiting places and people on repeated occasions. One of his long-term reports is the series about the floating villages of Lake Tonle Sap in Cambodia. As a publisher, Steff Gruber founded the independent, non-commercial magazine TOX, an open-format platform for photography and other artistic disciplines. The first edition of the magazine was dedicated to the Swiss artist and filmmaker Jürg Hassler, showcasing photographic work produced primarily during his time as a photographic reporter in Switzerland, France and Italy in the 1960s. Triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Gruber founded the Lumiere.Gallery in April 2020 with the aim of offering photographers a platform through digital photo exhibitions.Internet
Steff Gruber was a hacker of the first hour. As an internet pioneer, he was already surfing through cyberspace when it was still based on government, military and university computers. Through his Cultnet association, founded in 1980 for likeminded internet freaks, he was responsible for the birth of the very first Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Switzerland. The first ‘Public Internet Dialup’, Cultnet.uucp (which later became cultnet.com and cult.net), was originally a service provided free of charge to registered users. The CULTNET e.V. Communication Society for Art & Science, for example, was aimed at establishing a communication medium for film creators in the form of a culture database. But at the time this digital service met with limited success. Thus for ten years Gruber was practically the only beneficiary of his own internet facility. Cultnet differed from subsequent internet service providers in its financing and its aims. It was not focused on profit, and at times was dependent on sponsors. 1989 saw the founding of the firm NETLINK AG. However, it proved impossible to procure the necessary venture capital, because none of the potential investors believed in the vision of a comprehensive global internet. In 1991, 180 people were making use of Cultnet as a platform for the exchange of ideas and information. Steff Gruber's firm Pixxel.com meanwhile created ‘internet identities’ by designing domains with memorable names, while at the same time offering related services. For example, in 1995 the first SwissHigh frequency technology
Steff Gruber was aCompanies
As long ago as 1973 Steff Gruber founded his first company, Steff Gruber Enterprises. As a graphic artist, film maker and technician, he functioned in multiple roles in creating his first authored films, television advertising spots and industrial films, and designing posters and advertisements. In 1976 Gruber joined René Grossenbacher to found ALIVE Productions GmbH, today a cultural publicity firm under the name of ALIVE Media AG. The company, which he continues to direct at the present day, is the leading distribution firm for cultural publicity in Zurich. Since 2004 the company has also been a partner and shareholder of Lucerne-based Modul AG, the market leader in this field in Central Switzerland. In 1995 Gruber set up the Erotic Book Store (EBS) in Zurich. This was the first bookshop in Europe to stock everything erotic in print, ranging from sex education books to theoretical manuals, from belles lettres to picture books. It has been going for ten years, meeting with an enthusiastic response from the media. In 1998 Gruber, together with the auctioneer Peter Simon, opened the Zurich gallery PAGE, Prints and Graphic Editions, a forum for original graphics. Today Steff Gruber is managing director of ALIVE Media AG, of the film production company KINO.NET AG and of the internet company media.ch AG, as well as a member of the board of directors of the cultural publicity firm Modul AG and President of WaveFactory.Photography exhibitions
* 2022: photoSchweiz, Zurich * 2002: Werkschau Bern, group exhibition, Bern * 2022: 11th Annual International Photography Competition, group exhibition, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa * 2022: HOCH3, Zurich Witikon * 2022: photoSchweiz, Zurich * 2022: FOTO WIEN, Café Prückel, Vienna * 2021: photoSchweiz, Zurich * 2021: PORTRAITS – Hellerau Photography Awards, finalists exhibition at the Technische Sammlungen Dresden with "Living on Water" * 2020: New Talents, Collective exhibition, PEP – Photographic Exploration Project, Bpart Berlin * 2020: The International Street Photography Exhibition, group exhibition, Glasgow Gallery of Photography, Glasgow * 2020/21: Cambodian Stills, Online exhibition, LUMIERE.GALLERY * 2020: Living on Water, Online exhibition, LUMIERE.GALLERY * 2002: SEXTOX #1 Museum Baviera, Zurich (Lamda-Prints) * 2002: SEXTOX #1 Kunst 2002 Zurich, 8th International Fair for Contemporary Art * 1977: Zurich artist in the Züspa Halls (Polaroids) * 1972: Zurich artist in the Züspa Halls (photographs)Photography Awards
* 2022: Bronze at the Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) * 2022: Honorable Mention at the Budapest International Foto Awards (bifa) in the category Editorial / Press Photo Essay * 2022: Honorable Mention at the International Photography Awards (IPA) in the category Editorial / Press Photo Essay / Feature Story * 2022: Shortlist at the PX3 "State of the World" photo contest * 2022: Bronze at the PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris in the category Press / Feature Story * 2022: Honorable Mentions at the Monovisions Photography Awards in the Photojournalism category * 2022: Shortlisted at the Global Photo Awards (GPA) in the People category * 2022: Shortlisted at the Helsinki Photo Festival * 2022: Nomination at the Fine Art Photography Awards (FAPA) in the Photojournalism category * 2022: Selected to participate in the 4th Annual Chelsea International Photography Competition collective exhibition at the Agora Gallery, New York City * 2022: Silver Winner at the Muse Photography Awards in the Black & White - Photojournalism and Editorial Photography - Documentary categories * 2022: Honorable Mention at the Annual Photography Awards in the Photojournalism category * 2021: Silver Winner at the Tokyo International Foto Awards (Tifa) in the category People - Culture * 2021: Gold Winner at the New York Photography Awards in the category Black & White - Religion * 2021: Honorable Mention at the Budapest International Foto Awards (Bifa) in the People - Culture category * 2021: Honorable Mention at the ND Awards in the Editorial / Documentary category * 2021: Honorable Mention at the PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris in the Portraiture / Culture category * 2021: Gold Winner at the Muse Photography Awards in the Black & White – Photojournalism category * 2021: Shortlist at the Vienna International Photo Award in the Black & White category * 2021: Nominations at the Fine Art Photography Awards (FAPA) in the Photojournalism category * 2021: Nominations at the PHOTO IS LIGHT World Photography Contest * 2021: Honorable Mention at the Tokyo International Foto Awards in the Editorial-Photo Essay category * 2020: Honorable Mention at the Monochrome Awards in the Photojournalism category * 2020: Honorable Mention at the Chromatic Awards in the Photojournalism category * 2020: Honorable Mention at the Budapest International Foto Awards (Bifa) * 2020: Winner at the Photography Festival Luminous Frames in the Black and White and Landscapes categories * 2020: Honorable Mentions at the Monovisions Photography Awards * 2020: Five nominations at the Fine Art Photography Awards (FAPA) in the Photojournalism categoriesFilmography
1972: ''Portrait'' (short film, 16mm, s/w, 12 Min.) 1973: ''Tourist Information'' (short experimental film, 16mm, black/white, 14 min.) 1980: '' Moon in Taurus'' (docudrama, 35mm, colour, 97 min.) 1984: ''Wo Männer zu erscheinen haben'' (1-inch-video, 4 min.)Film Awards
*1980: Quality Prize of the Federal Department of the Interior for '' Moon in Taurus'' *1985: Quality Prize of the Federal Department of the Interior for ''Publications of Steff Gruber
*Alt und Jung in Asien, publication series, text: Urs Schoettli, Stiftung Vontobel 2021 *Gruber, Steff, ed., ''TOX. Jürg Hassler'', Zurich 2013. *Gruber, Steff, ''Location Africa: Gespräche mit Werner Herzog von Steff Gruber'', in: Edition Stemmle, ed., ''Werner Herzog Cobra Verde - Filmbuch'', Schaffhausen 1987: 113–137. * Gruber, Steff, ''Who ist Steff Gruber HE9GRQ (Mai 1967)?'', in: HBradio. Swiss Radio Amateurs, 6/2015: 51–55. * Gruber, Steff, ''Newcomer I'', in: HBradio. Swiss Radio Amateurs, 2/2016: 51–55. * Gruber, Steff, ''Newcomer II'', in: HBradio. Swiss Radio Amateurs, 3/2016: 49–51. * Gruber, Steff, ''Newcomer III'': Propagation – eine Einführung, in: HB radio. Swiss Radio Amateurs, 6/2016: 43–49.Bibliography
* ''Moon in Taurus'', in: Cinémathèque suisse, ed., Histoire du cinéma suisse 1966–2000, Tome 1, Lausanne 2007: 383. *''Fetish & Dreams'', in: Cinémathèque suisse, ed., Histoire du cinéma suisse 1966–2000, Tome 1, Lausanne 2007: 594. *''Location Africa'', in: Cinémathèque suisse, ed., Histoire du cinéma suisse 1966–2000, Tome 1, Lausanne 2007: 708. *Presser, Beat, ed., ''Werner Herzog'', Berlin 2002: 76–85. *''Gruber, Steff. Secret Moments'', in: Stiftung Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., ''Schweizer Filme. 1995'', Zürich 1995: 34. * Diodà, Karin / Schindler, Sara: ''Steff Gruber: "Location Africa"''. Proseminar ''Die Eigenwilligkeit des Dokumentarfilms in der Schweiz'', University of Zurich, WS 1989/90. * Elber, Irène / Sahli, Jan / Studinka, Felix: ''Fetish & Dreams. Steff Gruber''. Proseminar ''Die Eigenwilligkeit des Dokumentarfilms in der Schweiz'', University of Zurich, WS 1989/90. *''Gruber Steff: Photo'', in: Stiftung Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., ''Schweizer Filme. 1986'', Zürich 1986: 128. *Badran, Jaqueline, ''Fetish & Dreams'', in: Filmstelle VSETH/VSU, ed., ''Unmögliche Liebesgeschichten'', Zürich 1986: 189–194. *''Fetish & Dreams'', in: Stiftung Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., ''Schweizer Filme. 1985'', Zürich 1985: 22f. *''Steff Gruber: Fetish & Dreams'', in: Stiftung Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., ''Schweizer Filme. 1984'', Zürich 1984: 24. *''Steff Gruber: Wo Männer zu erscheinen haben'', in: Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., ''Texte zum Schweizer Film. 20 mal Video. Ein Beispiel privater Förderung''. Zürich 1984: 60–65. *''Film Off. Verleihkatalog 1983/84'', in: FILMPOOL des Schweizerischen Filmzentrums, ed., Zürich 1983. *Schaub, Martin, ''Männersache'', in: CINEMA, ed., ''Die eigenen Angelegenheiten. Themen, Motive, Obsessionen und Träume des neuen Schweizer Films 1963-1983'', Zürich 1983: 78. *''Steff Gruber: Fetish and Dream'', in: Stiftung Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., ''Schweizer Filme. 1982'', Zürich 1982: 107. *''Steff Gruber: Smara'', in: Stiftung Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., ''Schweizer Filme. 1981'', Zürich 1981: 117. *Schelbert, Corinne, ''Von einem der auszog die Ursachen zu ergründen. Eine sprunghafte Reise durch Steff Grubers Film "Moon in Taurus"'', in: CINEMA, ed., ''Rückgriffe. Neue Schweizer Filme'', 1/81: 26–33. *''Moon in Taurus'', in: XXIX. Internationale Filmwoche Mannheim 1980. Dokumente - Berichte - Kommentare 1980, ed.: 37, 110, 123, 210, 280, 315, 347, 383. *''Portrait. Steff Gruber'', in: Film-Pool des Schweizerischen Filmzentrums, ed., ''Film CH. Verleihkatalog'', Zürich 1980: 50. *''Tourist Information. Steff Gruber'', in: Film-Pool des Schweizerischen Filmzentrums, ed., *''Film CH. Verleihkatalog'', Zürich 1980: 50. *''Steff Gruber: Shady Grove, Triumph der Wölfe'', in: Stiftung Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., ''Schweizer Filme. 1979'', Zürich 1979: 42f. *''Steff Gruber. Portrait'', in: Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., Schweizer Filmkatalog, Zürich 1974. *''Steff Gruber. Tourist Information'', in: Schweizerisches Filmzentrum, ed., Schweizer Filmkatalog, Zürich 1974.References
External links