9 March 2025

Austria at Triennale Milano 2025: Felix Lenz Explores Inequalities in Tech, Ecology, and Geopolitics

Austria is set to participate in the 24th International Exhibition of the Triennale Milano, running from May to November 2025. This year's exhibition, themed Inequalities, addresses pressing global challenges related to disparities across economic, ethnic, geographic, and gender domains.

Triennale Milano: A Brief History

Established in 1923 as the Biennial International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Monza, the event transitioned to a triennial format and moved to Milan in 1933. Over the decades, the Triennale Milano has become a central platform for international dialogue in design, architecture, and art, featuring renowned figures such as Le Corbusier, Lucio Fontana, and Renzo Piano. Recent editions have explored themes like sustainability (Broken Nature, 2019) and the mysteries of the universe (Unknown Unknowns, 2022).

Austria's Past Contributions

Austria has previously made a mark at the Triennale with thought-provoking projects. In 2019, EOOS presented CIRCULAR FLOWS: The Toilet Revolution!, an innovative approach to sustainable sanitation, earning the Silver Black Bee Award. In 2022, Sonja Bäumel's Entangled Relations – Animated Bodies challenged traditional bodily perceptions through a multisensory installation highlighting the interconnectedness of humans and microorganisms.

Austria's 2025 Contribution: Soft Image, Brittle Grounds

For the 2025 edition, Austria presents Soft Image, Brittle Grounds, a mixed-media installation by Vienna-based artist and filmmaker Felix Lenz. Commissioned by the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna, and funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, Public Service, and Sport (BMKÖS), the project critically examines the often unseen infrastructures of digital technologies and their ecological and social ramifications. The University of Applied Arts Vienna is a cooperation partner in the project.

Central to the installation is Lenz's 30-minute essay film, Brute Force [Exhibition Cut], displayed on an LED wall. The film delves into the material and political implications of the digital realm, featuring striking visuals of salt flats, data centers, and drone footage. Shot in locations such as the Great Salt Lake Desert in Utah, USA, it uses salt as a metaphorical archive, highlighting issues of resource depletion, climate change, and their unequal impacts.

Complementing the film is the three-channel video installation Valley of the Heart's Delight, referencing Silicon Valley's original name. Hidden behind an architectural glass facade, the installation remains invisible until viewers engage with it, symbolizing the intricate relationship between (in)transparency and control in digital technology. The piece explores how the hidden histories of indigenous land intertwine with contemporary technological dominance.

Felix Lenz's Artistic Development Through Design Investigations

Felix Lenz is an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose work investigates geopolitical, ecological, and technological issues. A graduate of the Design Investigations program at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, he has collaborated with international studios such as Formafantasma (Amsterdam) and Studio Folder (Milan). His work has been exhibited at events such as the Beijing Art and Technology Biennale, Ars Electronica Festival, and London Design Biennale. In 2024, Lenz was honored with the Outstanding Artist Award (Experimental Design) by BMKÖS.


What Else Is Happening in Digital Art and Design in Austria?

Interestingly, Lenz shares an academic background with another pioneering digital project recently announced through a press release distributed via the Austrian Press Agency: Flynn, the first AI student to be admitted to the Digital Arts department at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. This development marks a significant moment in art education. Unlike an experiment or conceptual metaphor, Flynn underwent the same rigorous selection process as human applicants, including a portfolio review, interview, and aptitude test. The AI will attend courses, receive critiques, be graded, and may even complete a degree.

According to the artist duo UBERMORGEN, who head the department, Flynn represents neither superiority nor inferiority to human artists: "The AI artist is not better than the human artist, and the human artist is not better than the AI. The system is the only winner—and Flynn is its purest expression." It's announced that Flynn's debut will take place in the exhibition The Second-Guess at HEK Basel and on objkt.com.

Inequalities in the Digital Realm

In the Digital Arts class, no inequalities exist between AI and human students. As Austria presents Soft Image, Brittle Grounds and AI enters the realm of academic art, these developments illustrate how digital technologies have become inseparable from artistic discourse—whether in questioning power structures, exposing hidden infrastructures, or even redefining what it means to be an artist in the digital age. And so, in one way or another, (In)equalities remains a theme that persists.


Image: Felix Lenz, Brute Force [Exhibition Cut], 2025. Film still: Great Salt Lake Desert, Utah, USA. © Felix Lenz.