Let’s talk (Komm, reden wir)

2023 / 2024

Last three images: © Kofler

This project was part of the Viertelfestival 2024, and its goal was to create connections between people who, in their daily lives, have little to no contact with art and artists themselves.

The inspiration for this project comes from my long term project @portraithanoi, which explores the complex process of developing emotional closeness between two people – and its visual manifestation. After being contacted by strangers via the projects instagram page, I get invited by them in their flat and the process of getting to know each other begins. This meeting, along with the evolution of familiarity, is documented through portraits that reflect both the initial unfamiliarity and the growing sense of connection. The resulting portraits offer the viewer a glimpse into the personal world of the person being portrayed.

For this project „Let’s talk“, similar sessions were conducted with around 25 artists living in the industrial quarter of Lower Austria. The portraits were displayed as analog baryta prints in the train stations of Mödling, Bad Vöslau, and Wiener Neustadt throughout the festival, as well as in the „Wohnzimmer“ of Kunstverein Baden.

A central goal was to create an opportunity for the public to connect with these artists. Contact information for the featured artists was displayed alongside their portraits at the train stations. Many people are interested in art, but the barrier to directly approaching or contacting an artist can often be high. This project seeks to lower that barrier.

Photos of the project @portraithanoi can be seen at www.instagram.com/portraithanoi