Souvenirs from Earth

Souvenirs from Earth
TypeBroadcast television network
Livestream via Souvenirsfromearth.com
BrandingSFE
Country
Germany, France, Austria
AvailabilityInternational
Motto"There is no Gravity"
HeadquartersEllerstrasse, Düsseldorf
Broadcast area
Worldwide
Launch date
April 30, 2006 (2006-04-30) (television)
Picture format
1080i (HDTV)
576i (SDTV)
CallsignsSFE
Callsign meaning
Souvenirs From Earth
Webcasthttps://www.souvenirsfromearth.tv/live-tv-pre
Official website
souvenirsfromearth.tv

Souvenirs from Earth (SFE) is an independent TV station broadcasting a 24/7 program of art films, music, installations, and performances. It is based in Germany and currently can be viewed via French, German, and Austrian cable as well as over the internet through the website's livestream and in certain public locations.

A catalog of over 3000[1] videos of art, experimental films, contemporary dance videos, avant-garde music videos, and films of photographs are in constant motion within the channel earning it the nickname as "The MTV of Contemporary Art".[2]

History

Close to the ideas of Nam June Paik and Brian Eno, the concept for the channel was first presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1998 and at the Venice Biennale in 1999 by Marcus Kreiss. In 2006, SFE received the license to broadcast in Germany and the channel officially went on air that year. In 2008, the channel started airing in France via Iliad and in 2014 the channel started broadcasting via Austrian cable through Kabel Austria and A One.

In 2009, SFE acquired a permanent installation at Palais de Tokyo and, in 2010, the channel became a residing fixture in all German airports. In 2011, the SFE was invited by the French Institute to present the channel at the Nam June Paik Center in Seoul, South Korea[3] and while there put a show together to be viewed in Central Station on the largest LED screen in the world.

In 2007, the channel's staff added Alec Crichton, a curator from the Academy of Media Arts Cologne to manage the incoming submissions from international artists for the channel's broadcast. In 2008, SFE released its second DVD of works entitled "Souvenirs of Earth V2", including works by Marcus Kreiss.[4] In 2012, Markus Kienast, a telco engineer, created the livestream and aided the station's programming software and international development while Wolfgang Kabisch, a cultural journalist, became the editor-in-chief of the channel's cultural output in 2013. In 2014, glamour girl Melissa Mourer Ordener joined the team as the official muse. On August 8th 2026, the channel celebrated its 25th anniversary with a special 25 ans de Souvenirs from Earth (25 years of Souvenirs from Earth) programme block which ran from 10pm to 2am, featuring art new and old.[5]

Programming

SFE has been referred to as "anti-television" or "the MTV of contemporary art". The content is submitted by artists around the world and then curated into constantly changing broadcasts. The channel has no published schedule and is constantly bringing in new content. This approach aims to make each viewing experience unique and unpredictable.

Identifiable slots of sorts (all adhering to France timezone) include the morning "A dry, cool place", which consists of nature based videos (5am - 12am), a daytime mixed block of contemporary dance, contemporary art, performance art, glitch art, and music videos named "Pipe Dreams" (12am- 6pm). In evening there is the similarly mixed content block "Strawberry Fields" (6pm- 9pm). There is notably a late night slot (12pm- 2am) of new art called "Midnight special program Feeding Radiation", usually including an hour of abrasive, extreme art called Hard contemporain[6]. Generally, blocks are typically not published on SFE's site, and the only way to access the names and times of the blocks is to watch the channel itself.[7]

SFE programming is largely non-verbal due to the nature of video art and can be understood no matter what language the viewer speaks. SFE plans for this to appeal to a broader international audience and is the first international art channel thanks to the lack of a language barrier. The online livestream broadcasts the same content around the world so everyone is always watching the same content in real time.

The channel also gives universities the opportunity to have their own broadcast time so students can showcase their own work on the same platform as other renowned artists, such as Tom Sachs, James Turrell, Bill Viola, and Mike Kilo. In these cases, the broadcasts adopt the title "Souvenirs from ________ " (ex. Souvenirs from Mars is the name of the broadcast from The University of Marseille).

A large portion of the broadcast is allotted to externally curated programs, often provided by young, up and coming curators, or to Carte Blanche special formats for artists (Iris Brosch, Tom Sachs...) or institutions (Art Cologne, Centre Georges Pompidou.)

SFE expands the idea of television, giving it opportunities to be viewed both actively and passively as "video paintings" through the integration with public spaces.

Advertisements

The channel refuses to have advertisements broadcast on the channel in order to maintain the integrity of the art space and viewing experience. Companies looking to have their name on the channel have the option of making an art video that can be seamlessly integrated in to the programs or the station can air an "anti-commercial" in which the station broadcasts a solid color field with the name of the company in it for 30 seconds.

Notable clients who have advertised using the channel include:

Distribution

SFE distributes its programming continuously:

  • In France by Orange S.A. (channel 221), Free (channel 169), SFR (channel 183), and Bouygues (channel 217)
  • In Germany by Unitymedia and Kabel BW
  • In Austria by Kabel Eins
  • Via online streaming at souvenirsfromearth.tv
Venue/ClientLocation
Palais de TokyoParis, France
Electric ParisParis, France
Ecole des Beaux Arts de MarseilleMarseille, France
Le Petit BarCannes, France
Oui MadameLondon, England
Le Méridien Hotelsworldwide
NeuehouseNY, USA
Bandol Sur MerBerlin, Germany
French Institute of CologneCologne, Germany
The QuestCologne, Germany
Nam June Paik CenterSeoul, South Korea
Platoon KunsthalleSeoul, South Korea
Le Petit MuseeShanghai, China

Notable artworks

Artwork Artist Description References
Ice Mike Kilo A woman eats an ice cream in a village summer outdoor space. [8]
Sorry Guys Chantal Michel A young woman in a blue dress experiences an Alice in Wonderland like problem of scale in a grey room. [9]
Kindergarten Marcus Kreiss A view of a group of people in a white space wearing childlike outfits. [10]
Escalade N/A A woman runs up an outdoor flight of stairs in Montmartre, leaving the camera crew to run after her.

Traditionally played every Good Friday on SFE.

 [11]
Cantine Mike Kilo A man lip synchs words as a party plays behind him in a kitchen cantine. [12] [13]
Camping Marcus Kreiss A group of campers [14]
Beach Marcus Kreiss A group of people on a beach, shot in bright white light background. [14]
Skating Marcus Kreiss The view of a group of skateboarders. [14]
L'asenceur

(The Lift)

 Marcus Kreiss

(feat Julie Barranger)

 A young woman goes down a lift, wearing different clothes and fashions. Each time the lift appears, she is wearing different clothes. [15]
Still Life and Death - With vegetables and Chrysalys Stephane Soulié Vegetables on a table in a 16th/17th century-style tableau begin to slowly rot. [16]
Atterrissage de Banche-Neige

(Snow White lands)

 Catherine Bay Various women dressed as fairytale character Snow White, train in a forest landscape with guns. [17]
Iceplanet Dezoom Jeremie brunet

(feat Lulu Rouge & Fanney Osk)

 Icy landscapes including rocks, diggers, mountains and factories are accompanied by the song "Landscape of Love" by Lulu Rouge (feat Fanney Osk). [18]
Roots Karina smigla-Bobinski On a window style surface, a young woman reflects as water droplets of her face appear in subtle CG on the window. [19]
Swallowable Purfume Lucy McRae A young woman stretches out on a table, as she is wrapped in a clingfilm type texture. Meanwhile scientists test purfume samples. [20]

Non exhaustive list of notable artworks premiered on SFE, and are catalogued on film databases. Does not include extreme art from Hard Contemporain hours. Some artworks are from archives of art institutions worldwide.

The logo for SFE is inspired by In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. In the book, there is a scene in which Proust recalls sitting in his garden and having a moment of total recall triggered by the taste of the madeleine (cake) he was soaking in his tea. Proust's writing focused on memories and the idea that our memory affects our perception of reality and SFE incorporated this iconic madeline to symbolize the artistic process in which we transform our reality. The basis of the channel is a collective memory of moments which are the created reality of the artist behind the screen. The graphic design of the madeline also recalls the icon for Star Trek and the futuristic concept of "video paintings" which were originally inspired by science fiction set designers.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kohler, Michael. "Wandeln zwischen den Welten." Kölner Stadtanzeiger 26 May 2014: Print.
  2. ↑ "Transform your television into a work of art with Souvenirs from Earth TV: Interview with Marcus Kreiss." . AMA, 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 May 2014. <http://en.artmediaagency.com/73243/transform-your-television-into-a-work-of-art-with-souvenirs-from-earth-tv-interview-with-marcus-kreiss/>.
  3. ↑ "'Article of Souvenirs from Earth'". koreatimes. 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  4. ↑ Various - Souvenirs From Earth V2, 2008, retrieved 2026-07-08
  5. ↑ "IMDB: 25 ans de Souvenirs from Earth (2026)". IMDB.com.
  6. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2024-04-11. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
  7. ↑ "Live TV - PRE". SOUVENIRS FROM EARTH TV. Retrieved 2026-07-29.
  8. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  9. ↑ "IMDB: Sorry Guys (1997)".
  10. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  11. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  12. ↑ "IMDB: Souvenirs from Earth V.2".
  13. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2026-08-12.
  14. 1 2 3 "IMDB: Souvenirs from Earth V1".
  15. ↑ "IMDB: L'acenseur (2026)".
  16. ↑ Ladamenrouge Ladamenrouge (2020-04-11). Souvenirs From Earth - Still Life and Death - With vegetables and Chrysalys. Retrieved 2026-08-18 – via YouTube.
  17. ↑ Ladamenrouge Ladamenrouge (2020-03-15). Souvenirs From Earth - Atterrissage de Banche-Neige - Catherine Bay. Retrieved 2026-08-18 – via YouTube.
  18. ↑ Ladamenrouge Ladamenrouge (2020-03-09). Souvenirs From earth - Iceplanete - dezoom. Retrieved 2026-08-18 – via YouTube.
  19. ↑ Karina Smigla-Bobinski (2011-01-11). routes - video by karina smigla-bobinski. Retrieved 2026-08-18 – via YouTube.
  20. ↑ Ladamenrouge Ladamenrouge (2017-10-16). Souvenirs from earth - Swallowable Parfum - by Lucy Mc Rae. Retrieved 2026-08-18 – via YouTube.
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