Testimonials Visiting Critics Vienna 2024
Ten days may seem like a short time. However, looking back on the ten days we spent with Verein K, I find it difficult to summarise all the enriching experiences of the residency. The programme was very dense. It was designed to give us the unique opportunity to immerse ourselves in Vienna’s diverse, overarching art scene, and it did that and much more. We visited virtually every public art institution the city has to offer, as well as many commercial art galleries. It was so much fun! However, what I consider to be a particularly inspiring part of the programme were the studio visits and tours of artist-run spaces. Through the former, we were able to see how striking the perspective of artists with migrant or diasporic backgrounds on Austria’s history tends to be. Thanks to the latter, we gained counter-arguments against equating non-commercial art spaces with the vague ‘black matter’ of art, in which the market sets up a hierarchy of cultural values secondarily. In an art world as diverse as Vienna’s, each of the many scenes and institutional layers has its own autonomy, sense of purpose and values. Coming to terms with this was a valuable lesson. The residency has certainly made me want to return to Vienna more often. A big thank you to Jelena, Dejan Klaus and Sava!
– Arkadiusz Półtorak (Poland)
The Verein K Visiting Critics Vienna 2024 was an enlightening experience, offering deep insights into the history and evolution of Vienna’s contemporary art scene. The thoughtfully curated program provided a comprehensive exploration of how artists, museums, galleries, and the independent sector all contribute to this vibrant landscape. For someone unfamiliar with Vienna’s contemporary art, the layout was rich with discoveries.
I greatly appreciated the dedication and care shown by Dejan, Jelena, and Klaus throughout the entire program. Their commitment ensured a seamless experience from start to finish. It was also a pleasure to connect with fellow visiting critics, whose diverse perspectives enriched our discussions.
Comparing the art ecosystems of Senegal and Vienna revealed both similarities and differences, particularly regarding the role of critics and their approaches to sustainability. This 10-day intensive program truly reshaped my understanding of what it means to be a critic, highlighting how background, paradigms, audience and engagement/commitment within the contemporary art field all play a significant role in defining that identity.
– Filly Gueye (Senegal)
Getting to know better the art scene of Vienna, through Verein K’s Visiting Critics program over the course of ten immersive days with the team and fellow critics allowed to me to learn about layers of the city’s art scene as a social opportunity. Dejan, Jelena, and Klaus organized with care a program which balances structured visits with moments of exchange of insights that encouraged critical engagement as a group and personal reflections.
I was particularly grateful that we managed to navigate various agents of the art ecosystem there including Vienna’s public institutions, commercial galleries, the artist-run spaces and conduct studio visits with several artists. Each encounter with the generous artistic community in Vienna presented a moment to expand on lively discussion as we understood to how histories intersect, and how alternative voices in the Viennes cultural scene are challenging the established narrativesand structures .
Spending these days with the fellow critics Filly, Arkadiusz and Tristan made the program all the more enjoyable as we shared diverse perspectives on the evolving role of criticism in our respective contexts, and brought forward the ways in which cultural specificities shape the field and our own practices. besides having a great time with each other overall! I look forward to coming back to Vienna!
– Hana Halilaj (Kosovo)
Regarding his chronicles, author Gary Indiana said in substance that the primary task of a critic is to cover exhibitions but much of the art deals with the world beyond four walls of a gallery and it seems mandatory to blend art criticism with commentary on the state of things. I would add with conversations, exchanges and encounters as the ones thoroughly organized by Verein-K, and with fellow practitioners as the ones happily brought together by them. “Them” is Dejan and Jelena Kaludjerovic who both have been good at building a little world, not to say a family affair, a generous, heartwarming and welcoming circle I’ve been honored and glad to enter. It was not only a stimulating opportunity to be invited to participate as a guest critic in an intense ten-day program of gallery, museum and studio visits, mapping and historicizing the multilayered complexity of the Viennese milieu and meeting some of its actors, but also a very nurturing experience of which I am certain to feel and to process the benefits for a long time to come.
– Tristan Bera (France)
Verein K is an independent arts and cultural organization from Vienna, founded in January 2018. Verein K focuses on projects in the field of contemporary art and culture connecting diverse cultural and social interests: critical approaches to contemporary art, creating curatorial platforms as well as enabling innovative cultural practices including diverse social groups.