16 March 2021

Annotation on 20 September 2021: The Viennale Biennale map at viennabiennale.org/en/locations/ shows the locations of exhibitions, events such as the media sculptor 'Collective Action Viewer' by Verena Tscherner & Joerg Auzinger with augmented reality video showing the public space Karlsplatz with changed surfaces due to climate change or the exhibition 'Ines Doujak: Landscape Painting' with focus on biodiversity at Kunst Haus Wien; part of the exhibition is 'Seeds Renamed', Ines Doujak's encyclopedic directory of revolutionary women with short bio and Latin motto.

Vienna Biennale (architecture, design, art) presented this year's exhibitions and projects under the title 'Planet Love. Climate Care in the Digital Age' (28 May – 3 October)

Every two years, the Vienna Biennale selects an overall theme addressing topics which are changing our society or referencing issues that are changed by society. The exhibitions and projects of the 'Vienna Biennale for Change' are presented at various venues throughout the city. Initiator of the Vienna Biennale is the MAK - Austrian Museum for Applied Arts which collaborates with partners like the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Kunsthalle Wien or the Az W (Architekturzentrum Wien). This year, two topics - climate on earth and the digitalisation of our world - were merged into one: 'Planet Love. Climate Care in the Digital Age'.

Digital technologies play a crucial role in the futuristic outlooks and are explicitly addressed such as at the exhibition 'Space for Kids. Footprints in a Sea of Data' reflecting upon the ecological impact of data storage and photography, on view from 10 June until 27 June at Kunsthalle Wien Karlsplatz. The exhibition will make aware where images are stored, how images are transmitted and how deep the ecological footprints of digital photos are.

The main exhibition 'Climate Care. Reimagining Shared Planetary Futures' will happen from 28 May until 3 October at the MAK. 'Climate Care' provides optimistic views from various disciplines, from architecture, design and art on the future with objects like the 'Biogarmentry' by Roya Aghighi who develops textiles which can help reducing waste (fully compostable) and air pollution as "the material will work to purify the air through photosynthesis" such as described at royaaghighi.com.

Image: Roya Aghighi, Living photosynthetic textile. What if textiles were alive and photosynthesized?, 2018 © Roya Aghighi.