A conference in celebration of the life and work of Marina Vishmidt
October 29–31, 2025, 11am
Marina Vishmidt (1976-2024) was one of the most incisive, inventive critical theorists of art of her generation. This conference will create a space to reflect on her contribution, particularly by investigating her concept of “infrastructural critique”, a materialist approach to the infrastructures of contemporary art oriented towards aesthetics and political struggle in all of its interconnected modes and scales. Bringing together artists, critical theorists and collaborators with Marina, the event will clarify her ideas while connecting them to other current developments in political and cultural theory, establishing the vitality of her radical, strategic approach in times of ecological crisis, infrastructural decline, political reaction and war.
Themes of discussion will include: infrastructural critique and ecology, infrastructural critique vs. institutional critique, art and political economy, infrastructure and social reproduction, the politics of abolition in contemporary art, and the relationship of infrastructure to race.
Marina was Professor of Art Theory at Angewandte between October 2023 and April 2024. This conference precedes the publication of her book Infrastructural Critique: Contemporary Art between Reproduction and Abolition (Verso, 2026), and will feature contributions by:
Marwa Arsanios, Hannah Black, Maria Bussmann, Helmut Draxler, Rose-Anne Gush, Danny Hayward, Taylor LeMelle, Mattin, Andreas Petrossiants, Natascha Sadr Haghighian, Romana Schmalisch + Robert Schlicht, Kerstin Schroedinger + Angela Melitopoulos, Kerstin Stakemeier, Alberto Toscano
Wednesday–Friday, October 29–31, 2025. See the event website for a more detailed schedule. Auditorium, University of Applied Arts, EG / Ground Floor, Vorderer Zollamststrasse 7, Vienna 1030. No fee to join, Register by October 20: infrastructural_critique@uni-ak.ac.at.
The auditorium is barrier-free and has an inductive hearing system. Further information: here. Lectures and presentations will be available online after the event.
Hosted by the department Art and Communication Practices, Institute of Studies in Art and Art Education, University of Applied Arts Vienna.
