Herbert W. Franke
Encyclopedia
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He is considered one of the most important science fiction authors in the German language.
He is also active in the fields of future research
Futurology
Futures studies is the study of postulating possible, probable, and preferable futures and the worldviews and myths that underlie them. There is a debate as to whether this discipline is an art or science. In general, it can be considered as a branch under the more general scope of the field of...
, speleology
Speleology
Speleology is the scientific study of caves and other karst features, their make-up, structure, physical properties, history, life forms, and the processes by which they form and change over time...
as well as computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
and digital art
Digital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
.
Biography
Franke studied physics, mathematics, chemistry, psychology and philosophy in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. He received his doctorate in theoretical physics in 1950 by writing a dissertation about electron optics
Electron optics
Electron optics deals with the focusing and deflection of electrons using magnetic and/or electrostatic fields.- Electron properties :Electrons are charged particles . The electron also has an associated spin of + 1/2...
.
Since 1957, he has worked as a freelance author. From 1973 to 1997 he held a lectureship in "Cybernetical Aesthetic" at Munich University (later computer graphics - computer art). In 1979, he co-founded Ars Electronica
Ars Electronica
Ars Electronica is an organization based in Linz, Austria, founded in 1979 around a festival for art, technology and society that was part of the International Bruckner Festival. Herbert W. Franke is one of its founders. It became its own festival and a yearly event in 1986. Its director until 1995...
in Linz/Austria. In 1979 and 1980, he lectured in "introduction to perception psychology" at the Art & Design division of the Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences
Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences
The Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences is the second largest education institution in Bielefeld. It divides itself into eight divisions :-Divisions:* FB1: Art & Design...
. Also in 1980 he became a selected member of the German PEN
International PEN
PEN International , the worldwide association of writers, was founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere....
club.
A collection of short stories titled "The Green Comet" was his first book publication. In 1998, Franke attended a SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH is the name of the annual conference on computer graphics convened by the ACM SIGGRAPH organization. The first SIGGRAPH conference was in 1974. The conference is attended by tens of thousands of computer professionals...
computer graphics
Computer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
conference in Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
and was a juror at the "VideoMath Festival" Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He also took part in innumerable performances and presentations.
Publications
- 1964 The Magic of Molecules (Magie der Moleküle, 1958)
- 1973 The Orchid Cage (Der Orchideenkäfig, 1961)
- 1974 The Mind Net (Das Gedankennetz, 1961)
- 1974 Zone Null (Zone Null, 1972)
- 1979 Ypsilon minus (Ypsilon Minus, 1976)
- 1971 Computer Graphics: Computer Art (Computergraphik - Computerkunst, 1971)
- 2003 "Vorstoß in die Unterwelt - Abenteuer Höhlenforschung" (Approach to the Underworld - Adventure Cave Research) was published.
- 2004 "Sphinx_2" released.
- 2005 "Cyber City Süd" released.
- 2006 "Auf der Spur des Engels" released.
- 2007 "Flucht zum Mars" released.
The well-known weekly German newspaper "Die Zeit
Die Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
" calls him "the most prominent German writing Science Fiction author".
Awards / Honors
- 2007 Austrian Decoration for Science and Art
- 2007 Collection of projects in honor of Herbert W. Franke's 80's birthday on May 14th
- 2002 Dr. Benno-Wolf-Preis by VdHK (German Speleologic Society for merits in speleology)
Museum collections and exhibitions
- http://museum-abteiberg.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=119Franke at Abteiberg MuseumAbteiberg MuseumThe Museum Abteiberg is a municipal museum for contemporary art in the German city Mönchengladbach.Since the 1970s, the museum has been known for its experimental and avant-garde exhibitions, starting with director Johannes Cladders , and also its museum architecture, designed by Austrian architect...
collection] - Franke at ZKM
- Ex machina : Frühe Computergrafik bis 1979 Kunsthalle BremenKunsthalle BremenThe Kunsthalle Bremen is an art museum in the Hanseatic City Bremen, Germany.The Kunsthalle was built in 1849 and enlarged in 1902 by architect Eduard Gildemeister....
- Works held by the Victoria and Albert Museum
External links
- Digital Art Museum, DAM
- Franke at the AVA International agency
- Franke at Siggraph
- Exhibit with Prof. Dr. Rodney Chang Pygoya at Truly Virtual Web Art Museum
- Interview with Franke by the Goethe-InstitutGoethe-InstitutThe Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...
- Franke's home page at the University of Munich