The Octopus Programme concludes with “the Octopus” exhibition as the most comprehensive iteration of the experimental curatorial and educational path the Octopus Programme has pursued. The Octopus Programme is a guided research-based educational programme that encourages artistic research and production-based collaborations in different geographical regions. The exhibition presents an accumulation of research and process-based works by its participants, associated actors, and its curated archive. the Octopus also features prominent examples from certain guest lecturers who have influenced the programme.
The programme developed new critical perspectives to process artistic research and practices while bridging and acknowledging the diversity of socio-political realities; academic and non-academic intellectual models; accessed and distributed resources and facilities; and diverse knowledge production models. By merging the viewpoints of academic entities and contemporary art institutions, the programme has developed a generative research methodology by creating an autonomous network.
the Octopus presents Alina Rentsch (DE/SE), Bengü Karaduman (TR), Bochra Taboubi (TU), Conny Zenk (AT), Els Van Houtert (NL/AT), Eser Epözdemir (TR), Férielle Doulain (FR/TU), Julia Stern (AT), Kim M. Reynolds (US/SA), Maarit Mustonen (FI), Nondumiso Lwazi Msimanga (SA), Noor Abed (PS), Sofia Priftis (SE), Sophia Bellouhassi (DE/AT), Verena Miedl-Faißt (DE/AT), Younes Ben Slimane (TU/FR) with special guests: Bronwyn Lace (SA/AT), Ebru Kurbak (TR/AT), Egle Oddo (IT/FI), Johan Thom (SA), Jyoti Mystry (SA/SE), Hristina Ivanoska (MK/DE), Larissa Sansour (PS/UK), Lisl Ponger (AT), Marcus Neustetter (SA/AT), Publics (FI), William Kentridge (SA), Yane Calovski (MK/DE), The Zone, andassociated actors: Cristiana De Marchi (IT/LB/AE), Cazlynne Peffer (SA), Dylan Graham (SA), Indalo Bennet (SA), Nirual Kenabru (AT), Nisrine Boukhari (SY/AT), Teboho Lebakeng (SA), Zhou Yuqi (CN), opening performance by Gischt & Conny Zenk (AT) and Misonica (DE/AT) also guided tours by Barbara Putz-Plecko (AT); by Anderwald+Grond (AT) and by Johannes Jäger (CH/AT).
Its sister project, A Research of Doing, initiated by the University of Pretoria and University of Applied Arts Vienna in collaboration with the Centre for the Less Good Idea, funded by OeAD Africa-UniNet and BMBWF has provided further input to the Octopus Programme.
the Octopus is accompanied by a 3-day Public Programme at Tonkino Saalbau by the exhibition’s artists and other contributors including Isa Rosenberger (AT), Larissa Sansour (PS), Lisl Ponger (AT), Mohamad Bazzi (LB/SE), Nikolaus Gansterer (AT), Paul Krimmer (AT), Ramesh Daha (AT), Renad Shqeirat (PS), Renger Van Den Heuvel (NL/AT), Yasser Jridi (TU), and Zeyneb Raissi (TU).
