Disruption and Progress

Supported by ARTist and Viennabase - Homes for Students. In the context of Foto Wien.

Two corresponding exhibition parts by artists Michael Bachhofer and Iulian Moise explore the theme of Disruption and Progress.

Shanghai saec. XXI
Iulian Moise’s work focuses on the cultural and aesthetic transformation of Shanghai. Amidst glass skyscrapers, massive infrastructures, and the accelerated pace of modernization, only fragments of the past remain: winding alleys, crowded squares, architectural details. Yet the pressure of development also fuels enormous technological progress—traditional living spaces are displaced to make way for new functions, optimized processes, and the demands of a globalized city. His photographs capture how memory and cultural heritage are not only endangered but also transformed within these processes.

Automated Photography
Michael Bachhofer approaches Disruption and Progress through technological innovation and disruptions in traditional photography, using automated and analytical processes. Hundreds of thousands, even millions of images, are condensed into compact distillates—refined through a process reminiscent of alchemy. He presents large-scale, ultra-high-resolution 2D scans, interactive 2.5D scans, and stereoscopic 3D visualizations—works created with his self-developed photographic robots. The most recent, a 3D insect scanner, even takes on the role of a performer during the exhibition.