Tobias Leingruber

Tobias Leingruber is a German artist and media activist.

Through his art projects, he draws attention to topics such as data protection, censorship, privacy, and power dynamics in digital public spaces. His main goal is often to advocate for the rights and freedoms of users. However, at times, he focuses on creatively exploring the digital realm beyond predefined paths – "Skate the web!"

Using the label »Artzilla«, he collected and published works between 2007 and 2011 that used so-called browser extensions to intentionally manipulate digital space. Notable projects include the »Webmarker«, a tool for leaving digital graffiti on websites; »China Channel«, an extension that made internet censorship visible; and »Pirates of the Amazon«, a tool that allowed digital goods to be downloaded "for free" via Amazon.

The screen prints featured in the exhibition »Choose your Filter!« visually reference this period of digital activism. For example, the "anonymous" dinosaur was originally the symbol of the Mozilla open-source movement, which fundamentally enabled these digital art projects.

Leingruber’s work, including collaborations with the Free Art & Technology Lab, gained international recognition – media outlets such as Arte, ZDF, Bild, and The New York Times reported on it. In the art world, his works have been exhibited at the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, La Gaîté Lyrique in Paris, Gray Area in San Francisco, and Transmediale in Berlin.