Thomas Oberender, born in 1966 in Jena, is an author and curator.
Since 2011, he has been the artistic and managing director of the Berliner Festspiele / Gropius Bau.
He has initiated multi-year formats for theater, art, and literature and curates time-based exhibitions.
Previously, he served as the Director of Drama at the Salzburg Festival and Co-Director of the Schauspielhaus Zürich.
In 1999, he earned his doctorate on Botho Strauß, and in 1997, he co-founded the author theater association
Theater neuen Typs. He has published plays, critiques, and essays on artists as well as on political and aesthetic
transformation processes. Additionally, he has worked as a consultant for state institutions and individuals.
In 2016, he launched the “Immersion” program, which he conceptualized. A key element of this initiative is the
project “The New Infinity – New Art for Planetariums,” featuring works by renowned media artists for the
modern planetarium.
In collaboration with the Institute for Pop Music at the Folkwang University of the Arts.