Souvenirs from Earth
Souvenirs from Earth is an independent international television channel devoted to contemporary art, experimental film, music, installations, and performance.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Souvenirs from Earth (SFE) is an independent television channel built around the idea that broadcasting can function as a continuously changing gallery for moving-image art. Rather than following the conventional model of scheduled entertainment, the channel transmits a 24-hour stream of art films, experimental cinema, contemporary dance, performance documentation, music videos, installations, photographic films, glitch works, and other forms of visual culture. Its catalogue contains more than 3,000 videos, drawn from international artists, archives, institutions, universities, and independent curators. The concept was developed by Marcus Kreiss in the late 1990s and was first presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London in 1998 and at the Venice Biennale in 1999. The project was influenced by the expanded television and video-art ideas associated with Nam June Paik and by Brian Eno's approach to ambient, non-linear audiovisual experience. SFE subsequently obtained a German broadcasting licence and went on air in 2006. It later expanded its television distribution to France and Austria while also making its programming available through an internet livestream. SFE is often described as the "MTV of contemporary art" or as an example of "anti-television." Its programming is intentionally fluid: the channel does not depend on a conventional published schedule, and content is continuously replaced or rearranged. The largely non-verbal nature of the programming is central to its international positioning, because viewers can engage with much of the material without sharing a spoken language. The online stream is designed to provide a common, simultaneous viewing experience for audiences in different locations. The channel operates both as an active viewing service and as an ambient visual installation. Its programming has been presented in public and cultural spaces, including a permanent installation at Paris's Palais de Tokyo and installations in German airports. SFE has also collaborated with or presented work connected to artists and institutions such as Tom Sachs, James Turrell, Bill Viola, Centre Georges Pompidou, Art Cologne, and Jeu de Paume. Universities can receive dedicated broadcast windows for student work, sometimes using the "Souvenirs from..." naming format. SFE's business and editorial model deliberately excludes conventional advertising from the broadcast stream. Organizations that want to associate with the channel may instead commission an art video or use an intentionally minimal "anti-commercial" format. This preserves the channel's gallery-like character while allowing selected cultural and commercial partners to participate. The brand's visual identity uses a madeleine-inspired symbol associated with memory, artistic transformation, and the act of turning lived reality into an image. Souvenirs from Earth remains positioned as a niche but internationally distributed art-media platform, combining television transmission, livestreaming, cultural partnerships, and curated moving-image programming.
History
Souvenirs from Earth originated as an art and television concept developed by Marcus Kreiss. Its intellectual background lies in the expanded-video practices of Nam June Paik and in Brian Eno's interest in ambient, continuously evolving audiovisual environments. Kreiss presented the idea at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1998 and subsequently at the Venice Biennale in 1999. These early presentations framed the project less as a conventional television station than as a platform where moving images could be experienced as an ongoing exhibition. The project became an operating broadcaster after receiving a German licence in 2006. From its launch, SFE used a 24-hour model centered on contemporary and experimental visual culture rather than conventional programming genres. Its catalogue grew to more than 3,000 works, including art films, experimental films, contemporary dance, performance pieces, avant-garde music videos, photographic films, installations, and glitch-based works. Submissions from artists around the world were reviewed and curated for transmission. In 2007, Alec Crichton, associated with the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, joined the staff to manage incoming international submissions. International distribution developed in stages. In 2008, SFE became available in France through Iliad. The same year, the organization released a second DVD collection, Souvenirs of Earth V2, which included works by Kreiss. In 2009, the channel established a permanent installation at Palais de Tokyo in Paris. In 2010, it became a resident visual service in German airports, demonstrating its effort to make television function both as a dedicated viewing experience and as an ambient public installation. The channel's international cultural profile expanded further in 2011, when the French Institute invited SFE to present its work at the Nam June Paik Center in Seoul. During that presentation, the channel assembled a programme for the giant LED screen at Seoul Central Station. In 2012, Markus Kienast helped create the online livestream and supported the programming software and international development. This digital infrastructure allowed audiences outside the cable footprint to access the same continuously transmitted stream. Wolfgang Kabisch became editor-in-chief of the channel's cultural output in 2013, and Austrian cable distribution followed in 2014. Melissa Mourer Ordener joined the team in 2014 as the channel's official muse. SFE's editorial identity is based on unpredictability and minimal reliance on conventional scheduling. The station generally does not publish a detailed programme grid, instead presenting a constantly changing flow. Broad programming periods have included nature-oriented material, mixed blocks of dance, performance, contemporary art and music video, and late-night segments devoted to newer or more abrasive work. The programming is primarily non-verbal, which supports the channel's ambition to operate internationally without depending on translation. A distinctive element of the model is the use of external curators, artist-led Carte Blanche formats, and institutional collaborations. Universities may receive their own broadcast periods for student work, sometimes branded with a location-specific "Souvenirs from..." title. Cultural institutions and art events have also supplied curated programming. The channel has presented or carried work associated with artists and organizations including Tom Sachs, James Turrell, Bill Viola, Art Cologne, Centre Georges Pompidou, and Jeu de Paume. SFE rejects conventional advertising in order to protect the integrity of its art-oriented environment. Instead, organizations seeking visibility may produce an art video that fits into the programming or use an intentionally stripped-down anti-commercial consisting of a color field and the sponsor's name. This approach allows commercial and cultural associations without introducing ordinary advertisement breaks. The channel's logo, inspired by Marcel Proust's madeleine episode in In Search of Lost Time, expresses the relationship between memory, perception, and artistic transformation. Overall, Souvenirs from Earth has developed as a hybrid of television station, online stream, curatorial service, and public video-art installation.
- 2014
Austrian cable expansion
[1]SFE began broadcasting through Austrian cable distribution.
- 2012
Online livestream development
[1]The organization developed its online livestream and supporting programming software.
- 2011
Nam June Paik Center presentation
[1]The French Institute invited SFE to present at the Nam June Paik Center in Seoul, including a programme for Seoul Central Station's large LED screen.
- 2010
German airport installations
[1]SFE became a resident visual service in German airports.
- 2009
Palais de Tokyo installation
[1]The channel established a permanent installation at Palais de Tokyo in Paris.
- 2008
French distribution and second DVD release
[1]SFE entered French television distribution and released Souvenirs of Earth V2, a DVD collection of works including material by Marcus Kreiss.
- 2006
German broadcast launch
[1]After receiving a German broadcasting licence, Souvenirs from Earth officially went on air.
- 1999
Presentation at the Venice Biennale
[1]The developing art-television project was presented at the Venice Biennale.
- 1998
Concept presented at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
[1]Marcus Kreiss presented the initial Souvenirs from Earth concept at the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
Products and positioning
An independent, international art-television platform that treats continuous broadcasting as a form of video gallery or ambient visual art. SFE differentiates itself through non-verbal programming, unpredictable curation, a no-conventional-advertising policy, and distribution across television, online streaming, and public spaces.
Television channel · 2006
Souvenirs from Earth television channel
A continuous, independent television service dedicated to contemporary art, experimental film, dance, performance, music, installations, and related moving-image practices. Its output is curated from international submissions and institutional programmes rather than organized around conventional entertainment genres.
Online video service · 2012
Souvenirs from Earth livestream
The web livestream extends SFE beyond its European cable distribution. It carries the channel's continuously changing broadcast flow online, allowing international viewers to access the same real-time programming without relying on a local television provider.
DVD compilation · 2008
Souvenirs of Earth V2
The second DVD collection from the project, released in 2008, compiled selected works connected with the channel and included material by Marcus Kreiss. It represents SFE's archival and collectible-media extension beyond continuous broadcast.
Curatorial service
Institutional and university broadcast programmes
SFE provides broadcast windows and special formats for universities, artists, museums, galleries, and cultural events. University editions can showcase student work, while Carte Blanche programmes give artists or institutions an opportunity to shape a dedicated segment within the channel.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Nam June Paik Center presentation
South Korea
SFE presented its channel concept and programming at the Nam June Paik Center in Seoul at the invitation of the French Institute, and assembled content for display on the large LED screen at Seoul Central Station.
Outcome. The project gained a prominent institutional and public-space presentation in South Korea.
- University Souvenirs from... broadcasts
International
Universities can receive dedicated broadcast periods for student work, using location-specific titles such as Souvenirs from Mars for a programme associated with the University of Marseille.
Outcome. The format expands the channel's commissioning and educational role while bringing emerging artists into the same distribution environment as established practitioners.
Brand decisions
2012
Expansion into online livestreamingStrategyBackground
Cable distribution limited access to audiences in particular European markets, while the channel sought an international audience for largely language-independent programming.
Action taken
SFE developed a livestream and supporting programming software to distribute its continuous broadcast online.
Aftermath
The online service broadened access beyond the channel's television footprint and reinforced its international positioning.
2006
Launch as a licensed German television channelProduct launchBackground
The project moved from biennale and arts-institution presentations into regular broadcasting after securing a German licence.
Action taken
Souvenirs from Earth launched a 24-hour channel centered on curated contemporary and experimental moving-image work.
Aftermath
The launch established the operating platform that later expanded through French and Austrian television distribution and online streaming.
- No conventional advertising policyStrategy
Background
The channel's identity depends on preserving an uninterrupted art-viewing environment rather than inserting ordinary commercial breaks.
Action taken
SFE rejects standard broadcast advertising and offers partners the option of producing an art video or an intentionally minimal anti-commercial.
Aftermath
The policy preserves the channel's gallery-like editorial character while permitting selected brands and cultural institutions to associate with its programming.
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