About
Klima Biennale Wien

The Idea

With the vision and innovative power of art, the Klima Biennale Wien spurs the paradigm shift toward a livable and sustainable future on our planet. The key tools to achieve this objective are, without doubt, participation, collaboration, and awareness. The Biennale will stake out viable responses to the climate crisis together with the people of Vienna. 

The Klima Biennale Wien faces the challenge of making the highly complex and acute issues of global change, the climate crisis, species extinction, and the impacts on the human-nature fabric visible and tangible for everyone: because we urgently need to find new ways of sharing knowledge and discussing strategies together! 

How does the Klima Biennale Wien operate?

The profound and sweeping changes in the Earth’s system necessitate a duly holistic debate. Therefore, the concept and working method of the Biennale focus on multiperspectivity: we see the future as a shared design task and claim a space for reconciling different and sometimes contradictory positions. Precisely such frictions are fertile ground for transformations in society. 

In its exhibitions, in public spaces or as part of the festival programme, the Klima Biennale Wien brings together current positions from the fields of international contemporary art, design, architecture and science that point the way to socially and ecologically just world relations. Based on the principles of care and sustainability, the Biennale proposes concrete alternatives by questioning turbo-capitalist concepts and overcoming patriarchal and colonial paradigms in favour of collective, inclusive and common-good strategies.

Theoretical and Conceptual Departure Points

In a world where economic growth is often regarded as the ultimate goal, the climate crisis is currently challenging this paradigm: How can a livable, climate-fit future be achieved? How do we negotiate the related needs? How can abstract global relationships become easier to understand? 

The crisis-ridden present points to a post- growth era. Only systemic, holistic approaches will succeed in proposing a counter-model for a society where ecological balance is reconciled with economic development and prosperity. 

The Biennial understands multiperspectivity as an active approach to its concept and working methods. The role of the Biennial's permanent office is:

Networking the numerous Viennese art and science actors

The Vienna Climate Biennale aims to combine Vienna's strengths as a centre of art and science with creative strategies and the development of visionary scenarios. The vision is for the whole of Vienna to focus on climate modernity for three months. As many institutions, initiatives and actors as possible will participate with independent exhibitions, projects and events.

Organising a broad urban programme

We recognise that the world (and our society!) is a diverse place. We see embracing diversity as a fundamental principle, as well as recognising and celebrating differences. We will give a voice to people who are otherwise rarely heard. The Vienna Climate Biennale is a joint project of all the people of Vienna.

The Klima Biennale Wien is jointly organised by Sithara Pathirana (Programme Director) and Claudius Schulze (Artistic Director).