24 Oct 2025, 17:00 – 20:00
AIL/ Angewandte Interdisciplinary Lab (Georg-Coch-Platz 2, 1010 Wien)
https://ail.angewandte.at/program/empathetic-exchange
How to take action!
Performances, discussions and presentations, presented by the project ‘SPACEX – Spatial Practices in Art and Architecture for Empathetic Exchange’
The Townhall Event is convened by Barbara Holub (artist, principal investigator of SPACEX, University of Applied Arts Vienna) and Paul Rajakovics (transparadiso) as partners of SPACEX. It will be documented and presented by Barbara Holub at the SPACEX Conference at the Coventry Biennial, Nov.13.-14, 2025.
The research project SPACEX responds to the troubling rise of populist nationalism and conflict in European societies by engaging new publics and forging a culture that embraces diversity, difference, and discursive exchange within cities, towns and urban sites.
SPACEX proposes that inventing new and inclusive ways of living together, requires the implementation of new transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral practices and methods, that connect spatial practice with cultural sociology, cultural policy, critical pedagogies and behavioural economics.
With contributions by: Mel Jordan (Coventry University) and Andrew Hewitt (University of Northampton), leaders of SPACEX; Jitka Hlavačková (Prague City Gallery/ GHMP, Prague), Susanne Prinz (Kunstverein am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin), Vittorio Iervese (Università di Modena, Modena), Aline Hernandez/ Marianna Takou (CASCO Art Institute, Utrecht); Annette Krauss (University of Applied Arts Vienna), Julienne Lorz (University of Applied Arts Vienna), Barbara Putz-Plecko (University of Applied Arts Vienna / former Head of the Dept. Art and Communicative Practice), and others.
Information about SPACEX: https://www.spacex-rise.org/
Preliminary program
An evening of discussions and performances (17:00–20:00)
17:00-17:15: Welcome:
Barbara Putz-Plecko and Annette Krauss
(former and current professors and Heads of Dept. Art and Communicative Practice, University of Applied Arts, Vienna)
+++ performative moments start: Mel Jordan (Coventry University) and Andrew Hewitt (University of Northampton); Jitka Hlavačková (Prague City Gallery/ GHMP, Prague); Susanne Prinz (Kunstverein am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin); Vittorio Iervese (Università di Modena, Modena); Aline Hernandez/ Marianna Takou (CASCO Art Institute, Utrecht) and Annette Krauss (Art and Communication Practices, University of Applied Arts Vienna).
17:15-17:30: Introduction:
Barbara Holub (artist, transparadiso, lecturer and principal investigator of SPACEX, University of Applied Arts Vienna)
18:00-19:00: Panel discussion with:
Mel Jordan (professor, Coventry University, initiator and lead of SPACEX)
Julienne Lorz (professor, Expanded Museum Studies, University of Applied Arts Vienna)
Cornelia Offergeld (artistic director, Public Art Vienna)
Barbara Putz-Plecko (former professor, Art and Communicative Practice, University of Applied Arts, Vienna)
Paul Rajakovics (architect and urbanist, transparadiso, partner of SPACEX, Vienna)
Moderated by: Kathrin Wildner (urban ethnologist, metroZones, Berlin)
18:45-20:00: performative moments continue