Michael René Sell is a German artist who lives and works in Vienna. His path into the art world began at a young age, rooted in his fascination with literature and sound. Growing up in a working-class household without a connection to art, he developed his own ways and methods to realize what he envisioned. As a teenager, he recorded sounds using a dictaphone and arranged them on a computer. In order to perform these compositions live, he began to develop his own symbols for different sounds. This way of working continues to shape his practice to this day.

Sell studied Art and Digital Media at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in the class of Constanze Ruhm, and textile techniques in contemporary art at E.N.P.E.G. La Esmeralda under Teresa Olmedo. These experiences further developed his interdisciplinary approach and his interest in working across media, combining drawing, notation, sound, and material processes.

At the core of his practice is the development of a self-constructed set of signs in which each element carries a specific meaning. This includes a personal writing system, notational forms, and a growing range of figures and elements. Each follows its own internal logic while remaining connected to the others. Across different works, these elements are continuously expanded and set into relation, forming an evolving body of work.

Drawings, objects, and notation are arranged as spatial elements and are often accompanied by sound or spoken text. Notation plays a central role as a structure that can be activated through performance, making sound an integral part of the work rather than an addition. The work unfolds within a larger context—referred to as Planet 173—in which elements recur, shift, and relate to one another.

Today, Sell’s work brings together visual language, sound, and narrative into installations and performances that can be experienced rather than fully read. While some symbols can be understood through their context, others—such as written or notational forms—remain inaccessible, allowing the work to unfold through different degrees of legibility.

His exhibitions are shown internationally and offer audiences the opportunity to encounter his work in space, discover personal connections, and engage with its evolving structure.