Kai Kniepkamp was born in Cologne, Germany, in 1969. From an early age, he was fascinated by moving images captured on his father's Super-8 and VHS cameras. Immediately after graduating from school, he traded his prospective law studies for an open career at the young television channel, RTL Television. The vibrant world of new entertainment shows, ranging from the German adaptation of "The Price is Right" to the "Gong Show," became his realm.
In 1994, he was drawn to Berlin by the extraordinary creative opportunities that arose during the post-reunification period. There, he continued producing content for the German adaptation of the comedy show "Saturday Night Live" and other private and public broadcasters. He later became an editor and director for the German version of the MTV format "RealWorld," titled "Das Wahre Leben." He remained in the realm of music television, creating several hundred successful music videos for the German and international music scene, including works for Run DMC, Xavier Naidoo, Seeed, Nena, and No Angels (among others, he received the Echo 2003 award for Music Video of the Year). He also took on directing projects for young hip-hop artists.
As the new millennium arrived, Kai's work shifted towards commercial film production for renowned clients, both national and international. His work received numerous accolades, including awards at Cannes, ADC, and LeadAward.
In 2006, he founded the cultural blog TEUTONIKA, focusing on life in Germany, portrayed through various artists from different genres. Within just six months, the website received the prestigious LeadAward 2007 in Gold as "Weblog of the Year.“
In the summer of 2012, he embarked on the photography project "AbseitsBerlin" - an exploration of the city that, despite being his long-time home, still appeared completely unfamiliar to him. The artistic elevation of the project, achieved through a strict graphical composition of architectural portraits and urban landscapes, along with a distinctly manipulated color palette, presents the depicted space as a stage: surreal yet real. This artificiality is intended to stimulate the viewer's imagination, where the stories unfold. A selection of early works was exhibited in October 2012 as part of the "Berlin - L'Insaisissable" exhibition at the German Embassy in Paris. In March 2014, a solo exhibition took place at the ArtLoft Berlin, showcasing his artwork.
From March 2021 to June 2022, during the Covid pandemic, Kai Kniepkamp participated in a seminar at the renowned Ostkreuz Fotoschule under the guidance of Ina Schoenenburg. During the course, his series titled "Thrill Is Gone" was created. Drawing on his extensive experience in cinematic storytelling, as well as his attention to detail and light, Kniepkamp crafted peculiar moments of unease, moments where the end has long passed. This selection was part of the group exhibition titled "Im Moment" (In the Moment), which served as the culmination of the seminar at the Ostkreuz Fotoschule and took place at Bethanien in Berlin Kreuzberg in August 2022.
From November 2022 to February 2023, Kniepkamp presents his exhibition "1/24th" in Berlin's Wedding district. Here, he continues his narrative photography and showcases five video installations featuring diverse collages of images (photographs). Accompanied by carefully designed soundscapes, these installations bring the images to life in a unique way, allowing the film to unfold within the viewer's imagination.
Kai Kniepkamp's photography is primarily done using analog medium and large formats, although digital cameras are also employed.
Currently, he resides and works in Berlin and Southern France.
