News
Selected Projects

February 12, 2026—April 19, 2026
Victoria Square Is Not a Metaphor
Solo show
Neue Galerie
Rennweg 1, 6020
Innsbruck, Austria
More info here

March 17, 2026
Three Films by Nicolas Cilins
Screening and Q&A
Bartibae
St. Bartlmä 3, 6020
Innsbruck, Austria

October 15, 2025November 28, 2025
Along Lines and Traces
Group show
4th Larnaca Biennale
Larnaca, Cyprus

September 21, 2025
Femstival @ Marseille
Screening
Videodrome 2
49 Cours Julien, 13006
Marseille, France

May 17, 2025August 28, 2025
wild thinX — non-conformist strategies in architecture, design and art
Group show
Fünfzigzwanzig
Residenzplatz 10, 5020
Salzburg, Austria
More info here

June 13, 2025June 20, 2025
The Most Beautiful Swiss Books
Group show
Helmhaus Zürich
Limmatquai 31, 8001
Zürich, Switzerland

May 8, 2025May 10, 2025
Le Femstival
Screening
La Flèche d’Or
102 bis rue de Bagnolet, 75020
Paris, France
More info here

November 14, 2024April 13, 2025
Faits divers : une hypothèse en 26 lettres, 5 équations et aucune réponse
MACVAL, Contemporary Art Museum of Val-de-Marne
Place de la Libération
94407 Vitry-sur-Seine
Paris, France
More info here

December 6, 2024February 16, 2025
Pathways, Encounters, Thresholds: Victoria Square
Solo show
Curated by Angelo Plessas
P.E.T. Projects
Kerkyras 87, 11363
Athens, Greece

December 4, 2024February 3, 2025
Healing Routine
Solo show
Curated by Elisa Rusca
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum
Avenue de la Paix 17, 1202
Geneva, Switzerland

December 19, 2024
Where Time Becomes a Loop: Silent Night
Curated by Panos Fourtoulakis
3 137 @ Vatsaxi Street
Αthens, Greece

July 47, 2024
Stills From Seven Works
Screening and book launch
Q&A with Nicolas Cilins on July 4, 7 pm
Ongoing screenings until July 7
Wiener Art Foundation
Schadekgasse 8, 1060
Vienna, Austria

March 1531, 2024
La Box, une première histoire (1990-2024)
Group show
Screening and Q&A Three Films by Nicolas Cilins, March 14, 7.30pm
La Box
Bourges, France
More info here

February 21March 10, 2024
Research trip
Mumbaï, India

October 1December 3, 2023
Une sensation contemporaine

Group show
Centre d’art de la Villa Bernasconi
Route du Grand-Lancy 8,
1212 Lancy
Geneva, Switzerland
More info here

October 2429, 2023
DokumentART, European Film Festival
Video installation, screening and Q&A
Neubrandenburg, Germany
Link to catalogue

Residency @ Victoria Square
Αthens, Greece

August 1820, 2023
Chennai International Queer Film Festival (CIQFF)
Official Selection
Goethe-Institut, 4, 5. Street, Rutland Gate
Chennai, India
More info here

August 46, 2023
The 13th Bangalore Queer Film Festival (BQFF)
Official Selection
Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, Indiranagar
Bangalore, India

June 711, 2023
14th KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival
Non-Competition Section
Liberty Cinema, 41-42, New Marine Lines
Mumbai, India

March 21, 2023
PiaPia x La Branlée
Screening
LeDoc
26 rue du docteur Potain
Paris, France

November 8, 2022April 23, 2023
Équilibres Précaires
Group show with Denise Bertschi, Olafur Eliasson and Nina Haab
International Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Avenue de la Paix 17, 1202
Geneva, Switzerland

January 2023April 2023
Residency @ imagespassages & weavers associations
Forges de Cran-Gevrier
Annecy, France

January 18January 25, 2023
Solothurner Filmtage
Panorama section
January 20, Canva Club, 12pm
January 24, Canva Club, 5.45pm
Luzernstrasse 7, 4500
Solothurn, Switzerland

February 9February 10, 2023
Budapest Independent Film Festival
Official Selection 2023
nominated for Best Documentary Short
Kino Cafe Mozi Cinema
Budapest, Hungary

December 21, 2022February 21, 2023
Acquisitions 2021
Group show
Fonds municipal d’art contemporain
Chemin du 23-Août 5, 1205
Geneva, Switzerland

September 27October 12, 2022
Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival (BIEFF)
International Competition
September 27, Cinemateca Eforie, 6.30pm
Strada Eforie 2, 030167
Bucharest, Romania

October 10October 23, 2022
Image de Ville Festival
Screening and Q&A
October 12, Cinéma Le Miroir, 1.30pm
2 rue de la Charité 13002
Marseille, France

October 12October 17, 2022
Festival International du Film Indépendant de Bordeaux
Compétition contrebande
October 13, 8.30pm with Q&A
October 14, 6pm
UGC Ciné Cité
13-15 Rue Georges Bonnac, 33000
Bordeaux, France

November 8November 13, 2022
42. Duisburger Filmwoche
Screening: Diva
November 11, 11pm with Q&A
Kino Filmforum
Dellplatz 16, 47051
Duisburg, Germany

November 1929, 2022
Chéries-Chéris, 28e Festival LGBTQI &+++ de Paris
Screenings : Diva
MK2 Beaubourg
Paris, France

August 1420, 2022
Pune International Queer Film Festival
International selection: Diva
Pune, India

June 24July 24, 2022
Make Room in your mouth
Group Show
Wiener Art Foundation
Vienna, Austria

June 8July 31, 2022
Mix Mexico 2022
Program Mundo de Transiciones, Cineteca Nacional
Mexico City, Mexico

June 16June 19, 2022
Milano Mix Festival
Official Short Film Competition: Diva
Milano, Italia

June 818, 2022
Côté Court Festival / Pantin
Panorama section: Diva
Paris, France

March 23, 2022
Talk to me!
Lecture: Justin Bartley, Karen Cooper and Regina Houedanou on their remote working conditions
Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Bern University of the Arts HKB

February 1020, 2022
72nd Berlin International Film Festival
Forum Expanded: Diva
Wednesday 16.02, 20.00, Kino Arsenal 1, premiere with Q&A
Wednesday 16.02, 21.30, Cubix 9, Six Queer Short Films of the 72nd Berlinale
Thrusday 17.02, 14.00, Werstattkino@silentgreen
Saturday 19.02, 14.00, Kino Arsenal 1
Sunday 20.02, 17.30, International, Six Queer Short Films of the 72nd Berlinale
Berlin, Germany

September 2026, 2021
Swiss Art Awards 2021
Art Basel / Halle 3
Basel, Switzerland

April 2021June 2021
Residency: Theatrum Festival 2021
Golden Mask, Vladimir Potanin Foundation, and Pro Helvetia
Moscow, Russia

June 6June 9, 2021
The Moscow Planetarium Museum
Performance: Conquest
Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya Ulitsa 5 стр.1
Moscow, Russia

JanuaryJune 2021
Residency @ Kanton Genf Berlin’s studio
Wiesenstrasse 29 e.G
Berlin, Germany
Nicolas Cilins (they/them) is a queer conceptual, video, and performance artist from Geneva, Switzerland.

The monograph Stills From Seven Works (2024) is available via NERO, Rome and Les Presses du Réel.

Inquiries
studio [at] nicolas-cilins [dot] com
Talk To Me!

2021—2022
Digital durational performance: on‑demand workers, monitor on stand, conference hardware and software


On-demand workers from digital labour platforms Upwork, Fiverr, and People per hour have been hired to talk to visitors during the entire exhibition period in real‑time.Academics call them ghost workers of platform capitalism, since they are rendered anonymous, providing invisible content and services to tech companies and A.I. development.

In the installation, they are given a face and provided with a space to recount their own stories and experiences from their homes in Benin, Jamaica, Indonesia, and England. They are paid the same hourly rate regardless of the country they live in.

      Des travailleurs à la demande recrutés sur des plateformes de travail en ligne comme Upwork, Fiverr et People per hour sont engagés pour parler aux visiteurs en temps réel pendant toute l'exposition. 

      Ceux que les universitaires appellent parfois les travailleurs fantômes, ceux qui façonnent le contenu et les services pour les entreprises technologiques et autres intelligences artificielles parlent de leurs expériences depuis chez eux au Bénin, en Jamaique, en Indonésie ou en Angleterre. Ils sont payés au même taux horaire quelque soit le pays où ils vivent.

          Related Materials

          Catalogue — Swiss Art Awards 2021
          Video feature — Vernissage TV, Swiss Art Awards 2021
          FeatureMake Room in Your Mouth, Wiener Art Foundation, Vienna @ KubaParis
          Digital Lecture — Talk to Me!, Bern and Vienna Academies of Fine Arts,  2022, 78 minutes

          Credits

          conception and online performance Justin Bartley (born in Jamaica 2003, works in Negril), Karen Cooper (born in UK 1968, works in Nottingham), Regina Houedanou (born in Benin 1985, works in Porto Novo), Radithya Febriani (born in Indonesia 1996, works in Jakarta)
          artistic advisor Yan Duyvendak
          Installation views Guadalupe Ruiz, Swiss Art Awards 2021, Federal Office of Culture
          additional documentation: Nicolas Cilins
          Support FCAC Fonds Cantonal d'Art Contemporain, République et canton de Genève, FMAC Fonds Municipal d'Art Contemporain de la Ville de Genève