Michael Sailstorfer accompanied his father to art openings as a child, and from 1999-2005 studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich from with Nikolaus Gerhart and Olaf Metzel. He also studied at Goldsmiths College, University of London from 2003-2004. Sailstorfer has received numerous awards including the A.T. Kearney Award in 2001; Preis der Darmstädter Sezession (for sculpture), and the Ars Viva Preis 2006-2007. Fellowships include Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (2003) and the Villa Aurora (2005).

Sailstorfer is known for his constructed objects and installations. In his often elaborate works, he creates an unusual connection between everyday objects and their use in everyday life. In his installations he combines light, sounds and smells to produce powerfully poetic images. One of his works has been collected by the „Sammlung zeitgenössischer Kunst der Bundesrepublik Deutschland“ in Bonn.

Michael Sailstorfer lives in Berlin