Venice Biennial 2022

Intra-Actions Installation in Palazzo Mora and Opera-Aperta in Palazzo Michiel

Center for Didactics of Art and Interdisciplinary Education

Intra-Actions: Existence is not an individual matter

The spatial installation Intra-Actions. Existence is not an individual matter at Palazzo Mora is the contribution of the Center for Didactics of Art and Interdisciplinary Education of the University of Applied Arts Vienna to the Academic Biennale di Venezia 2022, curated by the European Cultural Center.

The installation was developed collaboratively with staff, alumni and students of the Center for Art Didactics and Interdisciplinary Education, staff of the Science Visualization Lab (Prof. Alfred Vendl), students of the Digital Art Department (Prof. Ruth Schnell), and alumni of the University of Applied Arts from various departments, as well as cooperation partners.

As a quantum physicist, Barad raises interesting questions not only for physics, but also for art, design, technology. Her work engages with both the human and the non-human, including apparatuses of whatever kind. She considers things not in their singularity, but in their interdependence, calls this method Intra-Actions. A multi-particle system of quantum physics – which as a whole assumes a well-defined state without being able to assign each of the subsystems its own state – is applied to humanity and expresses a new way of interpreting Interdisciplinarity. Intra-Actions show the Entanglement of people and nature, the material and the artificial. According to Barad individuals do not exist prior to their interactions, but emerge through and as part of their intertwined internal relationships. Understanding this approach, it becomes clear that entangling with the Other describes the absence of one’s own existence, for existence is not an individual matter.

The installation shows an ongoing approach towards the most diverse positions on the theme Time, Space and Existence. It expresses an Agential Realism, which stands for the growing awareness that we cannot separate culture, materiality, technology, nature and existence. It consists of a burnt tree whose branches are connected via cables and whose only remaining leaves are screens. The screens show selected positions of artists’ works. The organic structure of the wood in connection with technology and digitalization is also metaphoric. In relation to the digital content shown on the screens, there are ongoing intra-actions between tree and screens. The space installation draws attention to both the interconnections of deforestation, climate change and the exploitation of energy resources, and to the importance of art in this context. Here, art, as a seismograph of society, implies the power of renewal. A fragrance gives positive vibes and hope for the future and with pieces of coal for drawing on the walls, everyone can become involved.

Realization: C. Gröbner, P. Scharler, M. Bachinger, R. Mateus-Berr, S. Bösker

The installation is accompanied by artist talks, performances and workshops, the so-called Opera Aperta and will be medially mediated and live-streamed by the oldest daily newspaper still published in the world: The Wiener Zeitung (feat. by Wolfgang Renner). The programme is co-created in collaboration with Georg Russegger (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna). Topics discussed are: Art, Education & Democracy; Art & The Social Impact; Digital Humanism, Collaboration & Sustainability; Art & Media Ethics, Visual Competences; Art & Diversity.

All participants:

Ruth Mateus-Berr (Project Lead), Manuel Cyrill Bachinger, Pamela Bartar, Sophie Bösker, Andreas Broger, Barbara Brunmair, Christina Carli, Lio Ebenstein, Wagner Felipe dos Santos, Dietmar Flosdorf, Magdalena Marie Friedl, Harald Friedl, Julia Fromm, Martina Fröschl, Lara Girotto, Natascha Gerold, Eva Greisberger, Constantin Gröbner, L. Vanessa Gruber, Agnes Haider, Ida Hausner, Helmut Hlavacs, Maurício Ianês, Fares Kayali, Lisa Kielmeier, Heinrich Kovar, Eva König, Nicole Krenn, Anita Lawitschka, Moritz Matschke, Cori Maués, Igor Lintz-Maués, Aneta Luberda, Lukács Lászlo, Ferdinand Nagele, Irina Nalis, Heinrich Viktor Nagy, Pavel Naydenov, Shahab Nedaei, Ivan Pantelić, Verena Plutzar, Wolfgang Renner, Franz Reisecker, Ursula Reisenberger, Gabriela Urrutia Reyes, Rosa Roedelius, Elke Roesler, Bernd Rohrauer, Pia Scharler, Michaela Schober, Tatia Skhirtladze, Sabina Taschner-Mandl, Eleni Tomazou, Lisa Truttmann, Alfred Vendl, Raphael Vorraber, Christina Weiler, Heliane Wiesauer-Reiterer, Ruth Zimmermann, Romana Zöchling

24.11.2022

Workshop

Turning The World Upside Down – Let’s celebrate life

10–12 a.m. @ Palazzo Michiel

When we speak of inclusion of people with disabilities, we mostly consider increasing their visibility and their right to a place in society. With the interdisciplinary project TURNING THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN we investigate the possibilities of collaborations between artists and people with mental disabilities. The aim of our work is not for artists to bring their work to the world of people with disabilities – rather people with disabilities should

bring their unique perspectives, approaches, and questions to the table and in that way change the perspectives and processes of the artists. Our aim is an exchange of competences between equals. We established a theater/performance ensemble of artists with disabilities in collaboration with art association GRIESSNER STADL, LEBENSHILFE MURAU, the theater director FRANZ_XAVER MAYR and costume designer KORBINIAN SCHMIDT.

We celebrate life. We dress up in costumes and parade through the city, listen to our favorite songs, set off smoke bombs and bawl around. Why don’t you come along?

24.11.2022

Workshop

Let’s talk about death

2–4 p.m. @ Palazzo Michiel

Ever been sad? Who hasn’t? Being sad or grieving, something we don’t talk about - emotions almost tabooed in our Western European society. But why? Aren’t mourning, sadness and death part of life? The workshop Let’s talk about death wants to go on a journey exploring death and the feelings associated with it in a new light, questioning, reflecting and talking about traditions, rituals and social interaction. The traces of our journey will be visualized in a collaborative work following our individual lines of experience.

25.11.2022

Open Stage Diskussion on Art and Diversity

13–15 p.m. @ Palazzo Michiel

The open stage workshop is a pre-event to the Opera Aperta Streams. It acts as a platform for a vivid and progressive format of reflection and discussion.

The open space workshop will be moderated and will apply methods from “the art of hosting” in a “bar-camp” framework. The participants are invited to discuss the topic “Art, Education and Democracy“ with invited experts from inter- and transdisciplinary fields (stakeholders, artists, scientists, curators, and organizers). Curated questions from the discussion will fuel the Opera Aperta Stream in the evening. Besides that, the outcomes of the discussion will also be published in a dossier of the Wiener Zeitung.

25.11.2022
Open Stage STREAM on Art and Diversity

7–9 p.m. @ Palazzo Michiel

ART AND DIVERSITY

EUROPEAN CULTURAL CENTER, PALAZZO

MICHIEL, CANNAREGIO 4391, 30121 VENEZIA

The Opera Aperta Streams are panel-discussions hosting interdisciplinary experts and artefacts to present, discuss and reflect. The panel is dedicated to the multi-perspectivity of contemporary art and the constructivism of education as an attribute of democracy. The aim is to reflect on the meaning of art and education in so-called post-democratic times. The invited panelists are:

Barbra Brunmair, Priv. Doz. Dr. St. Anna Children’s Cancer Research Institute

Rita Isiba , BSc, MBA, Aphropean Partners, Applied Human Rights, University of Applied Arts Vienna

Ruth Mateus-Berr, Univ.-Prof. Dr. phil. Mag. art. Head of Center for Didactics of Art and Interdisciplinary Education, University of Applied Arts Vienna

The event will be online and offline available and will be in English language.

Live-Stream: https://youtu.be/R6Oy2e-t3pY

insitu ani·motion
Palazzo Mora, Palazzo Bembo, Marinaressa Gardens
11-12 June
10:00 – 18:00

Ivan Pantelić & Bernd Rohrauer from the Center for Didactics of Art and Interdisciplinary Education, University of Applied Arts Vienna, are presenting various performative participatory stop motion-based spatial interventions.

The touch of a heartbeat
Palazzo Mora
12 June
16:00 – 17:00

Four musicians from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna have come together and play their own compositions and improvisations for piano, saxophone, viola and drums.

Ivan Pantelic
Bernd Rohrauer

Installation
insitu ani·motion
performative participatory
stop motion-based spatial
interventions

When: June 11th and 12th, 2022
Multiple pop-up locations

OPERA APERTA- WORKSHOPS
Day 1: June 13th, 2022

GRIESSNER STADL

Workshop
Art & Inclusion – Turning The
World Upside Down
10–12 a.m. @ Palazzo Michiel

DEMEDARTS

Workshop
Empathy: Being touched
1.30–3 p.m. @ Palazzo Michiel

Art4Science

Workshop
Navigate cancer through
artistic roadmaps
3.30–5 p.m. @ Palazzo Michiel

INTERACCT

Workshop
New Incentives for
Patient Empowerment

5–6.30 p.m. @ Palazzo Michiel