HEISCHE RITUALS —Fabio Hofer, Ali Kerem Atalay, Catherine Hu, Catalina Gomez Alvarez
In a post-abundant Austria, a majority of citizens are suffering from social inequalities created by or amplified by climate change. In their fight for communal sustainability, people from various backgrounds work together to revive an old Alpine ritual – the „Heische“. Costumed people travel from door to door, performing the ritual, bringing blessings and demanding their well-deserved payment – donations, that are later distributed among victims of extreme weather events from across Austria.

The installation consists of 3 exhibited costumes, on structures suggesting persons wearing them. They stand in front of a wall, onto which a video of a performance is projected. Virtual reality glasses are incorporated into the masks, so, if visitors look inside, video and sound gives the impression of being in the middle of the ritual. For the opening event, we also imagine the live performance of a full Heische ritual (approx. 10 performers), and more scattered daily sessions over the course of the Biennale.

MICROGRID —Mia Meusburger, Maximilian Scheidl, Silvio Skarwan, Simon Platzgummer, Lisi Sharp
In search of energy autonomy, a group of small villages decide to form a microgrid, giving them the ability to both produce and control their own renewable energy. With their energy sources vulnerable to weather conditions, and resulting variations in supply, these previously scattered communities form a so-called “Stadfreundschaft”: each individual contributes to the collective, neighbours support each other, and grids work together in order to tackle the challenges of energy volatility.

UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED ARTS —Studio Design Investigations & Anab Jain
Design Investigations has been directed since 2016 by Anab Jain (Superflux, UK) as professor, who is from India and lives in London. Thus the invitation to this cosmopolitan staffed studio, Design Investigations, will build a bridge to the Biennale location and open up a culturally diverse approach to the selected topics and design practice. The Vienna University of Applied Arts in the 150th year of its existence is being placed in the spotlight as one of the leading and most famous design training institution. Anab Jain and the design studio Superflux she co-founded are regarded as the spearhead of critical and investigative approach to contemporary design that casts light on the trends of a world that technology is changing rapidly – but without ever questioning new technology in general. More recent works like Uninvited Guests or The Future Energy Lab show not only the wide range of projects but also their patrons, such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London or the British Government Office. Her works are already represented in the leading collections and are continually honoured with awards. Together with her students from Design Investigations, she took part in the 2017 Vienna Biennale with the contribution Design for Agency.

WERKRAUM BREGENZERWALD —Thomas Geisler, Curator
As a further geo-reference and “research workshop” outside the urban setting of Vienna, Werkraum Bregenzerwald is a collective of around ninety craft workshops and studios in Vorarlberg combining traditional knowledge of crafts with modern design and the interest in innovation. In dealing with the issues about future-potential “tools” and “workshops” in a world of limited raw materials, the Werkraum acts as a rural-alpine learning ground for the in-depth development of the project After Abundance. Thomas Geisler is a curator, author and critic on the themes of contemporary design and everyday culture. He has been directing the Werkraum Bregenzer- wald in Vorarlberg since 2016. Prior to this he was in charge among other things of the Design Collection at the MAK Vienna and was co-founder of the Vienna Design Week.

TEAM STUDIO DESIGN INVESTIGATIONS
Catalina Gomez Alvarez, Ali Kerem Atalay, Julia Brandl, Sophie Falkeis, Carmen Farr, Lang Fei, Sarah Franzl, Laura Hoek, Fabio Hofer, Catherine Hu, Ege Kökel, Felix Lenz, Lucy Li, Mia Meusburger, Anna Neumerkel, Simon Platzgummer, Bernhard Poppe, Isabel Prade, Ula Reutina, Maximilian Scheidl, Florian Semlitsch, Lisi Sharp, Silvio Skarwan, Agnieszka Zagraba

LED BY PROFESSOR ANAB JAIN AND TEAM Stefan Zinell, Nikolas Heep, Matthias Pfeffer, Peter Knobloch, Bernhard Ranner, Justin Pickard

Curator: Thomas Geisler Commissioner: The Austrian Federal Chancellery / Section II – Art and Culture Project Management: section.a Public Relation: a b c works Graphic Design: Bueronardin

Project Partner: Werkraum Bregenzerwald, University of Applied Arts Vienna, Land Vorarlberg, Vorarlberg Tourismus, Vienna Business Agency, Austrian Cultural Forum London, Geyer & Geyer

Follow us with the hashtag #afterabundance on the creation and research process of the Austrian contribution at the London Design Biennale 2018.