Axel Braun studied photography at Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen, and fine arts at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris.

Since 2006, his work has received recognition and support, e.g. through the Young Artist Award of the Federal State of North-Rhine Westphalia, the artist-in-residence programmes of Goethe-Institut Bukarest and the Institute for Advanced Study at Central European University, as well as grants by Stiftung Kunstfonds and Kunststiftung NRW. He received the Allbau Kulturpreis of the city of Essen in 2023 and will be artist-in-residence at the German Center for Venetian Studies in 2024.

His works and projects have been presented in various solo and group shows, e.g. at Hartware MedienKunstVerein at Dortmunder U, Kunstmuseum Bochum, tranzit.sk, Bratislava, Vera and Donald Blinken Open Society Archives, Budapest, Kunsthaus NRW Kornelimünster, Galerie Conrads, Düsseldorf, Krakow Photomonth 2018, Kunst Haus Wien – Museum Hundertwasser and Kunstforum Montafon. 

He was an honorary fellow at Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Potsdam and held a lectureship at Folkwang University of the Arts. Furthermore, he gave numerous talks and lecture performances, e.g. at the Universities of Cambridge, Vienna, Saarbrücken, Trier and Weimar, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien, Raum?Station Zürich, Kunstverein Bochum and Museum für Gegenwartskunst Siegen.

He is the author of artist books like Technology must be cruel in order to assert itself, To the benefit of a society of tomorrow for which we build today, The Best in Demolition All Over the Country and Noxious Interference. Moreover, he contributed essays to publications by Translocal Institute and Haus der Kulturen der Welt.