Born in Zurich, Switzerland, diploma from Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich (Art College). Guest student, at Art
Academy Düsseldorf, Germany. Studied dance and communication in Bremen, Germany. In 1980 moved
to New York, studies in modern and classical dance, professional enrollment at Nikolais-Louis Foundation
for Dance and Merce Cunningham School from 1980-1983. Development of own performance projects, with an
emphasis on the simultaneous creation of movement, visuals, light and sound.
In 1987 met Canadian painter Brian Burke and moved in 1989 to Prince Edward Island. Realization of
interdisciplinary dance-performances, incorporating film and video. The work has been supported by the
Canada Council for the Arts and the Prince Edward Council for the Arts. In 1998 was invited to perform
in the Atlantic showcase of the Canada Dance Festival as well as be part of the mentor project
"Six Emerging Canadian Choreographers". Work was presented at festivals in North America and Europe including
Sound Symposium, Newfoundland; Atlantic New Dance Festival, Halifax; Tanznovember, Zurich; Eiszeit,
Berlin; 10. Interationale Tanzwoche, Festspielhaus Hellerau Dresden. In 2008 the Confederation Centre Art
Gallery presented a survey, solo exhibition of the interdisciplinary work: Judith Scherer: Abstractions in
light-dance-music 1980-2008.
Selected Dance-Performances
1980 HELDIN, solo, Neue Gruppe für Kulturarbeit, Bremen, Germany
1984 UTOPIC EROTIC, solo, Franklin Furnace; Choreospace, Nikolais/Louis Foundation for Dance, New York
1985 TRILOGY:HEROINE-BRIDE-METROPOLITAN WOMAN, solo,Negerhalle, Munich; Seefeld-Tanzprojekt,
Zurich; Millennium, New York; Melkweg, Amsterdam; Eiszeit, Berlin
1988 RED SQUARE, duet, Swiss Institute, New York
1993 CONTINUUM, pas de cinq, music W. A. Mozart, string quartet K. 421, 4th movement, Theatre Port de la
Joie, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
1994 ISLAND, collaboration, choreographies by Kati Mason, Martha Nicholson, Judith Scherer, Theatre Port
de la Joie, Charlottetown
1996 ISLAND, solo, Confederation Centre Memorial Hall; Atlantic New Dance Festival, Halifax
1997 GATE, solo, collaboration with Shawn Ferris, music and Paul Druet, lights, Confederation Centre of the
Arts main stage
1998 GATE, excerpts, solo, Canada Dance Festival, Ottawa
COINCIDENCE, duet, collaboration with Shawn Ferris, music, Sound Symposium, Arts and Cultural
Centre St. John's Newfoundland
2000 POINT-VIRGULE, music by Jean-François Denis, guest performance with dance umbrella, Charlottetown
JEUX EN BLANC ET NOIR, septet, music by Doug Riley, 1st movement, work in progress
2001 SOMETHING WHITE, solo, after the poem by Gennedi Aigi, music in collaboration with Hans Samuelson
and Shawn Ferris, 10. Interationale Tanzwoche Dresden, “Solonacht”, Festspielhaus Hellerau,
Europäische Werkstatt fur Kunst und Kultur, Germany, curated by Detlev Schneider
2002 SHADOW I, solo, with music from L' Isola disabita by J. Haydn, Altes Spital, Solothurn, Switzerland
2004 DISSONANCE, video installation/performance, in collaboration with sound engineer Coralie Vincent, Arts
Netlantic, University of Prince Edward Island, Confederation Centre of the Arts Memorial Hall
04-06 CULTURAL SPACE, DISSONANCE opening solo performance, video installation, group exhibition "Beauty
Queens”, curated by Shauna McCabe, Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown; The Rooms Art
Gallery for Newfoundland and Labrador; St. John’s Nfld; Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, B.C.
2006 HIMMELN/REACHING OUT TO THE HEAVENS, for three dancers, video projection and audio installation
after the poem by Felix Philipp Ingold, Arts Guild, Charlottetown
2008 TREAD LIGHTLY, for eight dancers, video projection and audio installation; performed at the opening
of the solo exhibition/survey, Judith Scherer: Abstractions in light-dance-music 1980-2008, Confederation
Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown, curated by Ihor Holubizky
2014 THREE OCEANS AND ONE LAND, for dance ensemble, choir and three channel video installation performed at Art in the
Open Charlottetown, curated by Becka Viau and Pan Wendt; commision from the Prince Edward Island Council of the
Arts (Sesquicentennial Art Collection) and Confederation Centre Art Gallery
Solo Exhibition
2008 Abstractions in Light-Dance-Music, 1980-2008 , Confederation Centre Art Gallery, curated by Ihor Holubizky,
survey and new two channel video installation TREAD LIGHTLY
Group Exhibitions
1990 Kunst im Umspannwerk, Singen, Germany, "ZEICHNUNGEN", curated by Beatrice Ruff and Tom Leonhardt
1996 Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown, Great Garden of the Gulf Juried Exhibition
One Day of my Life in a Box, curated by Volker Hamann, Goethe Institute, Bangkok, sculpture
1997 Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, Great Garden of the Gulf Juried Exhibition, video installation
One Day of my Life in a Box, curated by Volker Hamann, Rathaus, Köln, Germany, (sculpture)
1998 Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, Islandness, curated by Shauna McCabe, sculpture audio sculpture
2001 Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, Great Garden of the Gulf Juried Exhibition, drawings
2003 Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, Great Garden of the Gulf, curated by Bob MacCaskull and
John Murchie, video installation
Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, video presentation in program with work of Joan Jonas
Gallery Neubacher, Toronto, group exhibition IN MY SOLITUDE, curated by "The Curatorial Syndicate", var. media
04-06 Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown; The Rooms, Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador, St.
John’s, Nfld; Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, BC; "Beauty Queens", curated by Shauna McCabe,
Bruce Johnson and Lisa Baldissera, opening performances and video installation
2007 Confederation Center Art Gallery and Museum, “Working in Landscape”, “Ice”, curated by Kevin Rice,
drawing, video installation
2009 Gros Morne National Park, Discovery Centre Gallery, “Landmarks/Repères terrestre”, group exhibition, video
installation TREAD LIGHTLY
2011 Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum FREE PAKKING, curated by Pan Wendt; 2 photo editions,
Art in The Open Charlottetown and permanent nature installation FOR THIS PLACE ITS FLORA AND FAUNA
2014 Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum IN TRANSIT: ARTISTS ON LOCATION, 50th anniversary exhibition,
group exhibition curated by KEvin Rice
Video - Film - installation - documentation (selection)
1984 UTOPIC EROTIC, 3/4 video, performance documentation, VIPER festival of video, Luzern, Switzerland
1995 CROWD WAITING FOR FIREWORKS, 16 mm, (short), component of performance ISLAND
1998 COINCIDENCE, computer animated imaging, VHS, component of the piece COINCIDENCE
2001 SOMETHING WHITE, mini DV, in collaboration with Hans Samuelson, video component for performance
2004 DISSONANCE, mini DV, DVD, video installation in collaboration with sound engineer Coralie Vincent,
Arts Netlantic University of Prince Edward
2006 HIMMELN/REACHING OUT TO THE HEAVENS, video component of performance, mini DV, DVD
2008 TREAD LIGHTLY, DVD, two channel video installation, Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Charlottetown;
2010 TREAD LIGHTLY, two channel video synched, Island Media Arts Festival, Charlottetown
2011 THE SPECIOUS PRESENT, video, Island Media Arts Festival, Charlottetown
2014 THREE OCEANS AND ONE LAND, documentation of performance, digital video
Grants/Awards/Residencies
1988 New Harvestworks New York, sound studio for artists, completion of electro-acoustic piece "Red Square"
90-95, 97-03, 05, 07, 11, 13 Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts
92/98/2001 Prince Edward Island Cultural Development Program
1994 Canada Council for the Arts, Explorations Grant, Dance
1996 Canada Council for the Arts, Interdisciplinary Work and Performance Art, collaboration with Shawn Ferris
Canada Dance Festival, Emerging Choreographers Mentorship Program (6 from across Canada)
1997 Canada Council for the Arts, Interdisciplinary Work and Performance Art, collaboration with Shawn Ferris
1998 Sound Symposium, short term residency, St. John's, Newfoundland
2002 Canada Council for the Arts, Interarts Project Grant
2002 Residency Altes Spital, Solothurn, Switzerland
2003 Arts Netlantic, University of Prince Edward Island, Artist/Technologist Award
2007 Canada Council for the Arts, Travel Grant, Interarts
Gros Morne National Park Residency in partnership with The Rooms, Provincial Art Gallery, Nfld
2014 Commission for a performance from the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts, at the occasion of
the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference, Sesquicentennial Art Collection
Selected Bibliography, Texts
- Andreas Wildfang, Trilogy im Eiszeit Berlin, taz, Berlin, Dec. 20, 1986
- Jack Anderson, Swiss Modern Sampler, NewYork Times, April 7, 1988
- Beatrix Ruf, Tom Leonhard, Kunst im Umspannwerk, Catalogue, Singen, Germay 1990
- Robin Metcalfe, Local Currents: Atlantic New Dance Festival, Arts Atlantic, #55, '96
- Rick Peters, Gate, Arts Atlantic #58, 1997
- Volker Hamann, One Day of my Life in a Box, Catalogue, Köln, Germany 1997
- Shannon Rupp, Canada Dance Festival, Ottawa Citizen, June, 8, '98
- Amanda Gibbs, The Best of the Fest, (Canada Dance Festival), Dance International, summer '98
- Janet French, Atlantic New Dance Festival, Arts Atlantic, summer, '99
- Carol Anderson, Chasing the Tale of Contemporary Dance, Dance Collection Danse, Toronto, '99
- Gabriele Gorgas, Tanzwoche Dresden, Sächsische Zeitung, July 9, 2001
- Shauna McCabe, Arts Atlantic, Fall 2001
- Susi Reinhart, Tanz mit Bildern aus dem Alltag, Solothurner Tagblatt, Switzerland, May 21, 2002
- Lisa Baldissera, Bruce Johnson, Shauna McCabe, BEAUTY QUEENS, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Victoria, BC;
Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, NFLD; Confederation Center Art Gallery, Catalogue, 2005
- Pan Wendt, FREE PARKING, Confederation Centre Art Gallery 2012