Joseph Kohlmaier is an artist, designer and teacher. Until April 2026, he was Associate Teaching Professor in history and theory at the School of Art, Architecture and Design, London Metropolitan University. He acted as Head of Critical and Contextual Studies at the school from 2016 to 2021. He is the founder and creative director of several collectives, organisations and educational projects including Field Studies, experimental choral ensemble Musarc (2009–present), graphic design studio Polimekanos (with Stefan Kraus, 2000–2020), and independent imprint Cours de Poétique. It is through these frameworks that Joseph’s practice evolves and where it has had the greatest impact by creating spaces for people to experiment with new ideas. As a curator and producer, Joseph has commissioned and worked with emerging and established artists, and collaborated with leading arts organisations in the UK and Europe on projects that have transformed the landscape of education, contemporary music, and performance. Joseph’s work is multifaceted, situated at the intersection of different disciplines and activities that oscillate between solitary practice and collective performance. It is animated by the question of how we learn, how thought is related to symbolic form, the agony and potential of collective acts, the general ecology of the chorus, and marginalised ways of thinking such as the role of embodiment and felt sense in the production of knowledge. Joseph teaches the Vienna chapter of Figures of Eight.

Last updated September 2026