Art or chaos? Surrealism and sculpture revealed at KunstHausWien!

Art or chaos? Surrealism and sculpture revealed at KunstHausWien!

On February 26, 2025, the Kunst Haus Wien will open two new exhibitions that critically examine consumption and plastic. The first, "Mika Rottenberg. Antimatter Factory", presents the effects of hyper-capitalism in a surreal way and questions social injustices through absurd, humorous depictions. According to Gerlinde Riedl, director of the Kunst Haus, Rottenberg is considered one of the most innovative artists of today. In her works, including videos such as "NoNoseKnows" and "Cosmic Generator", she addresses the absurdities of an economic system based on exploitation and alienated labor Small newspaper reported.

Absurd art and interactive experiences

Upon entering the exhibition, the visitor is greeted by a three-minute video in which men with grotesque noses do bizarre things, while kinetic sculptures made of objects and plants invite you to interact with art in an action-oriented manner. Barbara Horvath, curator of the exhibition, describes these works as “nonsense machines” that humorously address the pointlessness of energy consumption. At the opening, the artist will discuss her works and their meanings in a roundtable discussion, which will further increase interest in her critical approach OTS determines.

In addition, the exhibition “Plastic Matters” opens in the Garage project room on the same day, which follows the approach of viewing plastic not just as waste, but as a valuable material. Here, visitors can actively participate in workshops to work independently with recycled plastic and thus raise awareness of sustainable material use. Veronika Hackl, curator of “Plastic Matters,” emphasizes that the exhibition is designed as a recycling process and offers an opportunity to see plastic in new contexts. Both exhibitions underline the urgency of addressing ecological and social challenges and invite visitors to actively participate in the solutions.