The team
From 1998 to 2009, the Blumberg (formerly based on Blumberggasse, Vienna) served as a meeting place for people with an interest in culture. The scope of the exhibition space ranged from presentations by individual artists and groups, collective projects and long-term collaborations, to the development of collective and individual strategies, the intersection of resources, and art, design, architecture, performance and cuisine.
A new generation of artists is now stepping up to the plate, bringing fresh enthusiasm, concepts and ideas. Now based in the Waldviertel, the collective is working with optimism, empathy, creativity and a commitment to sustainability – whilst also maintaining a critical eye – to make the significance of art more widely recognised and visible.
Aya Schild
2003 | she | Artistic and Organisational Director | Artist | lives and studies in Vienna
It is important to me to provide a creative space where people can engage with one another through or with art. Through this festival, I hope to offer people – whether as guests or participants – a space for community, connection and food for thought.
Florian Harmer
1972 | he | Organisational Director | Artist, Designer | lives and works in Lower Austria
Following an apprenticeship and further training in design and architecture, I developed my own design language and founded the Blumberg Association. In numerous projects and exhibitions, the focus for me has always been on exchange and the collaborative creative process. Today, the unspoilt seclusion of the Thaya Valley shapes my work and sharpens my focus on community and creative engagement with it.
Luis Harmer
1997 | he | Artistic assistance & organisation | Photographer | lives and works in Vienna
Luis Harmer has been engaged with photography and art in various forms for over 11 years. In his photographic work, he adopts, amongst other things, a documentary approach. His perspective reveals aspects of an aesthetic, as well as an inherently personal, level of connection. Harmer also applies this approach to his photographic work in his role as a curator.
Edith Schild
1965 | she | Artistic assistance & organisation | Graphic designer | lives, works and studies in Vienna and the surrounding area
Collaborative work has shaped my life for many years. Whether in advertising (Fox: Agency for Environment, Social Affairs and Culture), in the field of performance art (Gangart, Ein Dorf tut nichts), in researching women in music (IMA, Institute for Media Archaeology), or in the arts (Blumberg Association, Starsky Association). I am delighted to contribute these experiences to the ‘Kunst die Welt retten’ festival.“
Lena Schmidt
1994 | she | Artistic assistant & organiser | Social worker | lives and works in Vienna
Organising and setting clear guidelines to create a joint project with creative people has always been a passion of mine. After many years of voluntary work on various cultural projects in Germany, collaborating with our team is a new way for me to express my creativity. As a very structured and pragmatic person, I am constantly seeking new ways to experience art for myself.
Joy Ogboy
2002 | she | Artistic assistant & organiser | Dancer | lives and works in Vienna
Joy is a dancer from Vienna who is interested in the interplay between different art forms, particularly where dance, visual design and collaborative processes intersect. She was inspired by the ‘Kunst die Welt retten’ project because it focuses not on a finished product, but on the shared experience.
Lasse Höhle
2004 | he/she | Booking & Organisation (live acts & DJs) | lives and studies in Vienna
Throughout my studies and beyond, I have been exploring the intersection of art, politics and science. In doing so, I repeatedly encounter art as an experience that reveals how what we call ‘reality’ is merely one of countless possible ways of perceiving ourselves and our surroundings, and of interacting with them. For the festival, too, I hope to break down rigid routines and to devise and experiment with different ways of engaging with one another.
Nikolaus Kantner
1998 | he | Finance Assistant | Film producer | lives and works in Vienna
Nikolaus is an Austrian film producer who is passionate about bold films that challenge audiences and encourage them to reflect. After completing a bachelor’s degree in Economic and Social Sciences, he is studying film production and cinematography at the Vienna Film Academy and works as an audit assistant at the accountancy firm KPMG. In this role, he audits public institutions such as universities, federal museums and theatres.
Fotos: Luis Harmer