The princess of flickering synergies delights with a distinctive high-end video aesthetic that is both sexy and rough, stimulating viewers' retinas to climax.

Münchner Kammerspiele

Bettina Müller aka BettyMü

Visual artist (BBK Munich and Upper Bavaria E.V.)

 

Photo: KuschelPhotography

Photo: KuschelPhotography

Betty Mü was born and raised in Munich-Schwabing. In 1995 she moved to New York, where she worked as an art director and attended New York University and the School of Visual Arts. At the same time she experimented with Super-8 cameras and projectors and gained her first experiences with video art and live visuals.

After 6 years Betty Mü returned to Munich to expand her skills as a live visualist and designer. She advanced to one of the most famous VJs and worked in the hottest clubs, where she heated up the scene with her live videos. She went on tour with artists like Richard Bartz and was soon ennobled as the “princess of flickering synergies”, as in the announcements of the Munich Kammerspiele.

In 2011, Betty Mü exhibited her “Salon of Diversity” at the Munich City Museum (Nachtmuseum) as well as at the Kunstverein (Kunstarkaden), a work inspired by 19th century salon painting. Quotations, classics, and self-produced pieces, finely coordinated, captivated the viewer.

In 2013, the artist presented her first interactive room installation under the title “Wings“: the viewer stood opposite his projected mirror image, in which wings unfolded in neon colors. 

Thousands of enthusiastic guests celebrated the 150th birthday of the Gärtnerplatz Theater in the fall of 2015. Real façade climbers were integrated as the highlight, merging with the video animations and forming the number 150 in the grand finale. Three years earlier, Betty Mü had already performed on the facade of the theater as part of the Klassik OpenAir Festival.

For several years, Betty Mü was a regular at ArtMuc, a contemporary art fair on Munich’s Praterinsel. In 2014, she made a splash there with the umbrella collage Parapluie, followed by Replex horizontal (2015), Vortex, Dots and Moving Stairs (2016), Infinity Cube and Flowing #8 (2017), and Bliss (2018). In fall 2019, Betty Mü curated her own digital exhibition in an off-location with ARTMUC DIGITAL.LAB. Supported by artist Yul Zeser, over 15 artists occupied a total area of 1,000 square meters in “The Hub” with interactive art, mapping and light installations – the largest and most comprehensive digital art exhibition in Munich to date.

In parallel to her freelance work, Betty Mü designed mappings and immersive video installations for companies such as BMW Mini (2013/14), Absolut (2014), SAP (2015/17), Trivago (at AIDA 2017), Audi (2017), Lodenfrey (2017), and Mercedes AMG (2018), and was also present at trade fairs and events such as Medientage München (2017), Inhorgenta (2018 and 2019), Baselworld (2019), and the DLD Conference (2019 and 2021).

The LED installation Aesthetic Beast #2, conceived in 2017, was first exhibited at the Harry Klein Club and later at art25 at the Botanikum Munich. With the abstract 3D sculpture made of wood and Plexiglas, which spread into space like a titanic Archaeopteryx, the artist combined the latest video and LED technology, video mapping and rhythmic choreography. 

In spring 2019, Betty Mü delivered a spectacular live performance with her urban skyscraper mapping at Schwabinger Tor (Munich).

Photo: Florian Holzherr

Photo: Florian Holzherr

In her largest project to date, the task was to stage the Munich Kunstareal between Königsplatz and Pinakotheken in the winter of 2020/21. At the center of her concept “The Kunstareal Connects“, selected by a jury of experts, was the work “Inside | Out,” in which Betty Mü abstracted exhibits from the museums and rearranged them with great feeling. In addition, light and video installations invited visitors to take a stroll and illuminated the Kunstareal with its eighteen museums and exhibition spaces, universities and a multitude of cultural institutions. 

In autumn 2022, she was also the only German artist to inspire thousands of visitors at the Leipzig Light Festival. With an oversized walk-in kaleidoscope, she recalled the Monday demonstrations of 1989 – and at the same time called for civil courage in today’s world. One year later, her work could be admired at the Berlin “Festival of Lights” with a central mapping on a 5-star hotel in Berlin.

Betty Mü has long been considered one of the most outstanding artists in the field of video art and live visualization and, despite her Munich background, is now known far beyond the borders of Germany. Currently, for example, with performances in other European countries, America and Africa.

As a former New York art director and sought-after club visualist, the label of female avant-garde and “ladypunk” was attached to her early on, which originally characterized her well, but today falls short. Works such as Vortex exude a meditative calm, immersive exhibitions such as “Comic Hive” focus on new ways of conveying scientific knowledge, and with her initiative “VideoArt4Future” (“The Container Project“ and „Egosphere“) she reflects on the difficult relationship between man and nature. Like hardly anyone else in digital art, Betty Mü is a border crosser. Sometimes she enchants, sometimes she challenges, always she surprises.

What her works have in common is the eye-catching aesthetics and the light-handed handling of the three-dimensionality of the objects she plays with. Front projection, rear projection, everything is used, often even simultaneously. Her installations like to question the point of view, in terms of content as well as visual, and draw the viewer into a maelstrom of impressions and emotions. There is no way to escape the hypnotic effect of her installations.

Betty Mü lives in Munich and Anzing and has two children.

Installations

2023

10/2023 Festival of Lights / Berlin

07/2023 »Real / Irreal« / Munich

06/2023 50 Years Europ. Patent Office / Munich

05/2023 Flower Power / Munich

 

2022

11/2022 Mapping and EgoSphere / Kaufbeuren

10/2022 Light Festival / Leipzig

10/2022 Desert Festival / Marrakech M0rocco

10/2022 Bavarian Cultural Representative / HUB Montreal Canada

09/2022 MakeUsVisible x denkFEmal / New York

07/2022 Tantris Insides / Munich

07/2022 Installation & Live Gig / Venice 

06/2022 Waterkant Festival / Kiel

05/2022 Immersive NFT-Kunstgalerie / Munich

04/2022 Transatlantic Innovation Week / Munich

 

2021

10/2021 Flower Fondue / Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig

10/2021 The Container Project (VA4F)/ Munich

10/2021 Supplier-Meeting / Wildbad Kreuth

05/2021 Cosmic Hive / Pathos / Munich

02/2021 Transatlantic Innovation Week / US General Consulat / Munich

02/2021 Pacha Livevisuals / Munich

01/2021 Day of remembrance / NS Documentation Center / Munich

01/2021 Video WonderLand / Art in a Cube

 

2020

12/2020 The Kunstareal connects / Kunstareal / Munich

10/2020 euward Archive / Haus der Kunst / Munich

02/2020 The woman in wolf fur / different locations / Munich

2020 Creative Night / MCBW / HFF Munich

2020 Lylit / Music video / Munich

 

2019

09/2019 Glamorous Wedding / Kurhaus Baden-Baden

07/2019 art25.SPACE / Fidschi’s Space / Munich

05/2019 Corso Leopold / High-rise mapping /  Schwabinger Tor / Munich

03/2019 Baselworld 2019 / Jewelery Show / Messegelände / Basel

03/2019 Baselworld 2019 / Press Conference / Messegelände / Basel

02/2019 Inhorgenta Award 2019 / Eisbachstudios / Munich

02/2019 Birthday Celebration / Haus der Kunst / Munich

02/2019 Inhorgenta 2019 / Jewelery Show / Messegelände / Munich

01/2019 DLD Conference Afterparty / MMA / Munich

 

2018

12/2018 Bain & Company Christmas Celebration / BMW Welt / Munich

10/2018 Sporthaus Schuster Reopening / Munich

06/2018  20 Years Equistone / Haus der Kunst / Munich

05/2018  Bliss / ARTMUC 2018 / Munich

02/2018  Inhorgenta Award 2018 / Postpalast / Munich

02/2018  Inhorgenta 2018 / Catwalk Show / Messegelände / Munich

01/2018  Bench. Fashionweek / Fair ground / Berlin

01/2018  Michael Käfer´s Birthday Celebration / Postpalast / Munich

 

2017

12/2017  Shop window Christmas decoration / Lodenfrey / Munich

10/2017  Audi Retailer Meeting / Gare Maritime / Cannes

10/2017  175 Years Lodenfrey / Residenz / Munich

10/2017  Medientage 2017 / Haus der Kunst / Munich

09/2017  Facade mapping in the silver hall / Deutsches Theater / Munich

09/2017  Trivago Celebration / AIDA Cruise Ship / Warnemünde- Stockholm – Kristiansand – Kopenhagen

09/2017  2565 Birthday Bash / MMA / Munich

06/2017  Aesthetik Beast #2 / Botanikum / Munich

04/2017  Infinity Cube / ARTMUC 2017 / Munich

04/2017  flowing #8 / ARTMUC 2017 / Munich

04/2017  Aesthetic Beast #2 / Harry Klein / Munich

02/2017  Bar Mitzwa / Haus der Kunst /Munich

02/2017  Inhorgenta 2017 / Fairground / Munich

 

2016

12/2016  trivago Christmas party / Nachtresidenz / Düsseldorf

10/2016  7 Years Superpaper / Heart House  Loft / Munich

08/2016  WINGS at Gärtnerplatz / Your quarter, your canvas / Munich

06/2016  Vortex / ARTMUC DIGITAL / Munich

06/2016  Dots / ARTMUC DIGITAL / Munich

06/2016  Moving Stairs / ARTMUC DIGITAL / Munich

02/2016  Polar Circles / UNPAINTED Lab 3.0  / Munich

02/2016  RE:BOOT / Bavariafilm / Berlinale / Berlin

 

2015

11/2015  VideoMapping Gärtnerplatztheater / 150 Years Gärtnerplatz theater / Munich

09/2015  Inflatable 3D Head Mapping / OMClub hurra / Cologne

07/2015  art25.feuer+flamme / Projection in smoke / Botanikum / Munich

05/2015  Replex #2 Horizontal / ARTMUC 2015 / Munich

05/2015  ARTisFACTION / Pinakothek der Moderne / Munich

03/2015  Salon of Diversity  – Simple Moments / SAP / CeBit 2015 / Hannover

 

2014

09/2014  WINGS / LichtStromFestival / Ingolstadt

07/2014  #ABSOLUTMUNICH / Absolut Villa / Munich

05/2014  parapluie and flowing #07 / ARTMUC 2014 / Munich

03/2014  RE:ORIONTATION / Bavariafilm / Berlinale / Berlin

 

2013

11/2013   The Ring – interactive 360° video mapping/ Postpalast / Munich

09/2013  40 years European Patent Office/ Zenithhalle & Kesselhaus / Munich

09/2013  Stage setup Pohlmann / Breathing / Bundesvision Song Contest / Mannheim

08/2013  Wagner Calling / A disco myth / Bayreuth

07/2013  art25.helium / Video projection on water curtain / Botanikum / Munich

06/2013  Indivisualismus pixel rock & optic shock Videokunst
Ausstellung: Devil lady, Talisma, Infinity, Wings, sss/ Gallery of the artists Munich / curated by Betty Mü

04/2013  Head Trip / Punktum Art Gallery / YipYab / Munich

02/2013  Salon of diversity III / Unter Deck / Munich

02/2013  Monster and bad guys / Upside East / Munich

 

2012

10/2012  La Ritournelle / 100 years intimate theater / Munich

09/2012  VideoMapping Gärtnerplatztheater / Klassik OpenAir / Munich

06/2012  Replex / 3D video installation / Corleone Bar / Munich

02/2012  Food and truth / Daily fresh! / 100 years central market Münchner Stadtmuseum / Munich

 

2011

08/2011  Salon of diversity I & II / Art Association Munich / Kunstarkaden / Munich

02/2011  Salon of diversity I & II  / Munich City Museum / Nachtmuseum / Munich

 

2010 and earlier

08/2010  Water bunnies / Puerto Giesing / Munich

07/2010  Patrik Mohr + DJ Hell / T-Shirt Installation / Puerto Giesing / Munich

06/2010  A Munich Showcase / Blinded by the lights / Congress / Munich

07/2006  RealTimePoster Showcase / Munich

10/2005  Foreign.Vision / Riva Ausstellung / Munich

09/2005  Schrannen hall clock / Schrannenhalle / Municho

EDUCATION/STUDY

1996 – 1997 School of Visual Arts New York

1995 – 1996 New York University

1993 – 1995 Media Design School Munich

1990 – 1993 Training as repro photographer

Professional experience as designer and art director

2002 – Today freelance in Munich

2001 – 2002 SZM Studio, Postproduction & Special Effects, Munich

1999 – 2001 dash.com, New York

1998 – 1999 DEUTSCH Inc. New York

1995 – 1998 Soho Advertising / Interactive Group and Popular Records, New York