Death Before Disko is a kinetic sculpture that resembles a futuristic disco ball.

The transparent acrylic cylinder hangs on two chains from the ceiling and contains a speaker at either end, LEDs, magnets and ferrofluid, all of which pulsate in response to a live audio feed of sounds from outer space, streamed from the Internet.

By revealing the core components on which the sound system is based, Weiser explores the relationship between the user and new technologies. The work takes its title from an album by the techno musician Christian Morgenstern.

Herwig Weiser is an interdisciplinary artist in the most expansive sense.

Originally trained as an architect at the Technical University in Innsbruck, he studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, and at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne.

His long term investigation of the relationship between electronic systems, sound and material environments and the representation of the raw hardware stock that drives these technologies, draws on aesthetic, engineering and programming disciplines, as well as a wider spectrum of scientific principle.

He produces highly complex pieces, both visually and technically, where the very materials and creative processes inform the work, resulting in thought provoking pieces unique to his vision. His work has been shown internationally, most notably in a solo show at Galerie Lisa Ruyter (Vienna, 2005), and in the Art Positions section of Art Basel Miami Beach (2005).

Weiser’s pieces have been seen in numerous public exhibitions including the Kunsthaus Graz; China Millennium Art Museum (Beijing); Bortolami Dayan Gallery (New York); Phonica Records (London); International Film Festival (Rotterdam); ARCO 2006 (Madrid); Studio National des Arts Contemporains (Lefresnoy, France); Goethe Institut (Mailand); 51st International Film Festival, (Oberhausen); Barbican Center (London); among many others.

He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Hermann Claasen Preis für Fotografie and Medienkunst (Förderpreis); Jury Award, International Festival of New Film, Split, Croatia; Transmediale 01-Award Interactive, International Media Art Festival, Berlin; Honorary Mention, Ars Electronica, Linz; 2002 Nam June Paik Award, International Media Art Award, Düsseldorf; and the Förderpreis für Bildende Kunst des Landes Tirol, Austria.