Establishing Connection:

In the vibrant pulse of Vienna Art Week 2025, under the banner of “Learning Systems,” Establishing Connection... / Verbindung wird hergestellt... transforms an old university classroom into a dark sanctuary, a near-ritualistic crucible where knowledge and perception collide. Black curtains shroud the lecture hall’s academic rigidity, dimming the space into a meditative haven that invites pause and introspection. The practices of Ilaria Carli Pàris, Ivana Kralj, and Austin Settle—spanning painting, object, and expanded photography—interweave with digital support from Laurus Edelbacher to probe learning as a dynamic, relational process of recognition, unlearning, and rethinking, as framed by the festival’s curatorial vision. Their works converge not as isolated gestures but as a vibrant constellation, unified by a digital backbone, a dummy website (establishingconnection.com) crafted by Edelbacher. This digital snare, triggered at the exhibition’s entrance, subverts the lure of instant data, agitating viewers to abandon their devices and focus solely on the imminent reality of the artworks, fostering contemplative engagement.