My Presentations
I gave my first public slide presentation in 1978 at the age of 15 in the Paul Klee Room of the Zum Strasser inn in Gersthofen. Eight paying visitors attended, along with my family. However, that quickly changed, and I was soon able to fill increasingly larger venues.
I have never counted the number of public presentations I have given between 1978 and today, but it is likely well over 2,000. I have presented only 16 different topics. My most recent major presentations—The Deserts of the Earth, Planet Desert, and TERRA—have each already been shown several hundred times.
Although my presentation tours have always focused primarily on Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, invitations have since taken me to give presentations on every continent.
Even in the digital age, I have deliberately remained true to my presentation style. I completely avoid video clips and special effects, relying instead on the power of images. When images, music, and narration work together, the impact is often far greater than that of a video sequence. In addition, a powerful image conveys content and emotion in a much shorter time while still leaving room for the audience’s own associations and interpretations.
Presentations over Time
1978
To be Free Requires little
Bicycle journeys into the Alps with Achim Mende for the purpose of observing the stars
Two BRAUN Paximat projectors, an upside-down map on a map stand served as the screen, so-called “stereo projection” onto two screens positioned side by side, with alternating commentary by Achim Mende and Michael Martin
1981
On the Way to Morocco
Moped trip with Achim Mende to Morocco to observe objects in the southern sky
Two BRAUN Paximat projectors, initially controlled by slide controllers, later by a console, projected onto a screen with cross-fading
1982
Sahara Sahel Rainforest
VW bus journey with Achim Mende from Gersthofen through the Sahara to the rainforest of the Congo
Two BRAUN Paximat projectors, controlled by a console, projected onto a screen with cross-fading
1984
Sahara
Peugeot 504 journeys with Armin Peither, Detlev Kratz, Walter Heimbach and others through the Sahara to West Africa
Two KODAK Carousel projectors, manually controlled
1985
Sahara
Further Peugeot 504 journeys with Armin Peither, Detlev Kratz, Walter Heimbach and others through the Sahara to West Africa
Two KODAK Carousel projectors, manually controlled
1987
Africa—From the Nile to the Niger
With Stefanie Ramisch in a Nissan Patrol off-road vehicle from the Nile in Egypt and Sudan across Africa to the Niger in West Africa
Two KODAK Carousel projectors, manually controlled
1989
Ténéré
Nissan Patrol off-road vehicle expedition with Armin Peither, Gregor Karch, Alex Ramisch and Achim Mende through the Ténéré—a part of the Sahara Desert in the Republic of Niger
Two 400-watt KODAK Carousel projectors, for the first time synchronized with music using BÄSSGEN control technology
1991
Transafrica
BMW R 100 GS motorcycle journey with Kay Maeritz, Gregor Karch and Christoph Hofbauer from Kenya to Cape Town
Two 400-watt KODAK Carousel projectors, synchronized with music using BÄSSGEN control technology
1995
Nile—Adventure and Myth of Africa
On a BMW R 100 GS sidecar motorcycle and a BMW R 1100 GS with Holger Fritzsche and Wojo Kavcic from Egypt to the sources of the Nile in Ethiopia and Central Africa
Four 400-watt KODAK Carousel projectors, synchronized with music using BÄSSGEN control technology
First collaboration with Alex Schwindt, Art of Vision in Erlangen, on the concept, music selection and synchronization
1998
The Deserts of Africa
BMW R 1100 GS motorcycle journey with Katja Kreder from Cape Town through all the deserts of Africa to the coast of Mauritania
Four 400-watt KODAK Carousel projectors, synchronized with music using BÄSSGEN control technology
Collaboration with Alex Schwindt, Art of Vision in Erlangen, on the concept, music selection and synchronization
2004
The Deserts of the World
BMW R 1150 GS motorcycle journey with Elke Wallner through all the deserts of the world
Four LEICA Pradovit Carousel projectors, synchronized with music using BÄSSGEN control technology
Collaboration with Alex Schwindt, Art of Vision in Erlangen, on the concept, music selection and synchronization
2009
30 Years of Adventure
Travel biography of Michael Martin
PANASONIC 6700 projector, images and music controlled with m.objects
Collaboration with Alex Schwindt, Art of Vision in Erlangen, on the concept, music selection and synchronization
2015
Planet Desert
With motorcycle, icebreaker, dog sled, off-road vehicle and helicopter four times around the Earth—through the Arctic and Antarctic and along the two desert belts
Travel companions were Jörg Reuther, Thilo Mössner, Ralf Leistl and Elfriede Martin
PANASONIC DZ 21 projector, images and music controlled by AV STUMPFL Wings Platinum. 8 screen sizes, up to 14 m x 7 m
Collaboration with Alex Schwindt, Art of Vision in Erlangen, on the concept, music selection and synchronization
2021
The World in the Viewfinder
A journey through five decades of travel photography with many tips for photographers
4K laser projector PANASONIC with 30,500 ANSI lumens. Nine screen sizes up to 14 m x 7 m
Simple image presentation, live and passionately narrated
2022
TERRA—Faces of the Earth
A fascinating portrait of our Earth, photographed in ten selected natural landscapes around the world
Travel companions were Jörg Reuther and Elly Martin
4K laser projector PANASONIC with 30,500 ANSI lumens. Images and music controlled by AV STUMPFL Wings X. 9 screen sizes, up to 14 m x 7 m
Collaboration with Alex Schwindt, Art of Vision in Erlangen, on the concept, music selection and synchronization. Technical finalization by Christian Horn, Horncolor
2024
Around the World on Two Wheels
The best images and stories from 30 years of motorcycle journeys around the world
4K laser projector PANASONIC with 30,500 ANSI lumens. Images and music controlled by AV STUMPFL Wings X. 9 screen sizes, up to 14 m x 7 m