Simon Mullan German, b. 1981

Simon Mullan (b. 1981, Kiel, Germany) lives and works in Berlin. He studied Transmedia and Video Art at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and at the Royal College of Art in Stockholm.

Working across painting, sculpture, installation, video, and performance, Mullan engages with functional and industrial contexts. His practice centres on reappropriating materials and processes drawn from these fields — ceramic tiles, grout, sandpaper, textiles, workwear, and mechanical components. Influenced by the ethos of Arte Povera, he embraces accessible, non-precious materials and the idea that complexity can emerge from modest means.

Cut, disassembled, and reconfigured, these materials retain their recognisable character even as their function shifts from utility to reflection. The resulting works are often structured through repetition, segmentation, and grid-like arrangements that echo systems of construction and industrial organisation. Across media, Mullan’s work reflects an ongoing interest in how everyday materials carry social and cultural meaning.