Schwerpunkt 2025

ALLIANCES – ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ART AND SOCIETY

The challenges of the present are diverse and demanding: climate change, migration, democracy in transition, discrimination, AI and international conflicts, which are also shaping debates at home. These social challenges must be addressed in many different ways. Science, politics, civil society and the media are in demand. How does art deal with these issues?
Depot aims to investigate this: On the one hand, through a discourse on different ways of approaching art’s engagement with society. On the other hand, through a series of events in which alliances are discussed, presented and explored at different levels of meaning.

Monday, January 13 (19.00): Rettet Kunst das Klima?
Friday, January 24 (19.00): Pipeline Colonialism
Wednesday, March 5 (19.00): Gläserne Decke?
Wednesday, March 12 (19.00): Barrieren sprengen!
Wednesday, April 23 (19.00): Erinnern in Zukunft
Wednesday, April 30 (19.00): Demokratisierung von Kulturinstitutionen
Monday, May 12 (19.00): Raumvielfalt

As a space for current debates at the interface of art and society, Depot organizes over 100 discussions, lectures, conferences and workshops every year. The events are aimed at a broad, culturally interested audience and are dedicated to art theory and art criticism, society, migration, politics, gender and queer studies, philosophy and sociology.

Depot regularly hosts event series, including feminismen diskutieren, Geh Denken!, Crit Cross, and the artist talk Bewährungsprobe.

In addition to the discussions we organize ourselves, cooperation with other associations and initiatives is an important part of Depot. In 2025, Depot is cooperating with Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien, Armutskonferenz, D/Arts, DÖW, GEDENKDIENST, IG Bildende Kunst, IG Kultur, Kulturrat Österreich, Ö1, ÖGFA, ÖGPB, Queer Museum Vienna, Radio ORANGE 94.0, Tricky Women Tricky Realities, Universität der Künste Berlin, Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien, Universität Wien, Verband feministischer Wissenschafteri*nnen, Verein K, WIENWOCHE and many more.

Depot opens 30 minutes before the event begins.
The café and the event space of Depot are barrier-free, unfortunately the toilets are not. Find more information on accessibility here.