What Is Infrastructural Critique?

The conference What is Infrastructural Critique? – in memory of Marina Vishmidt will feature artists, critical theorists and collaborators with Marina, who will come together to think through her concepts and relate them to their own work and artistic practices. Themes of discussion will include: infrastructural critique and ecology, infrastructural critique vs. institutional critique, art and political economy, art and logistics, the politics of abolition in contemporary art, infrastructural critique and music and the relationship of infrastructure to race.

With talks and presentations by
Marwa Arsanios, Hannah Black, Maria Bussmann, Helmut Draxler, Rose-Anne Gush, Danny Hayward, Angela Melitopoulos + Kerstin Schroedinger, Taylor Le Melle Mattin, Andreas Petrossiants, Natascha Sadr Haghighian, Robert Schlicht + Romana Schmalisch, Kerstin Stakemeier, Alberto Toscano

The discussion will take place over three days from the evening of 29 to 31 October 2025. The event will begin with a talk on the forthcoming book Infrastructural Critique: Contemporary Art Between Reproduction and Abolition, forthcoming with Verso in 2026.

Overview times of the conference
29.10, 18-20.00
30.10, 10.30-18.30
31.10, 10.30-18.30

Detailed schedule
Wednesday 29th
19-20.00
Danny Hayward

Thursday 30th
10.30.-13.30
Natascha Sadr Haghighian
Rose-Anne Gush
Helmut Draxler

14.30-16.00
Taylor Le Melle
Marwa Arsanios

16.30-18.00
Maria Bussmann
Angela Melitopoulos und Kerstin Schroedinger

Friday 31st
10.30-13.30
Robert Schlicht und Romana Schmalisch
Hannah Black
Andreas Petrossiants

14.30-16.00
Kerstin Stakemeier
Mattin

16.30-17.15
Alberto Toscano (online)

17.15- 19.00
Summary discussion
The conference is curated by Danny Hayward and Rose-Anne Gush, and organized by Sofia Bempeza, Rose-Anne Gush, Danny Hayward, Annette Krauss.

Hosted by the department Art and Communication Practices, Institute of Studies in Art and Art Education, University of Applied Arts Vienna.

Registration
Register by 20 October: infrastructural_critique@uni-ak.ac.at