Taking the extensive research behind their installation »The Cleanroom Paradox« as a starting point, Lenz, Neubauer & Zwickl will analytically explore the systemic suppression of information on occupational and toxic hazards at high-tech production sites. Giving a glimpse into the historic dimensions of the high-tech industry’s latent practices the artists will discuss Silicon Valley’s colonialist beginnings, the disproportional effect of these practices on people of colour and women and the gradual externalisation of risks to lower-income and threshold countries. The lecture will attempt to deconstruct the strategies, tools and tactics the industry employs to exploit their workers, attenuate their sovereignty and impede union formation. The talk will close by jointly discussing counter-strategies to redistribute power hierarchies and finally put the people, not profit, at the centre of this highly competitive industry.
Felix Lenz is a research-led artist, designer and filmmaker based in Vienna. His analytic investigations in geopolitical, ecological, and technological matters translate in meticulous visual outcomes, installations and strategies. His video works and installations have been exhibited at various international museums, festivals and biennials including the Beijing Art and Technology Biennale, Ars Electronica Festival, Digital Art Festival Zurich, European Forum Alpbach, the London Design Biennale, the Istanbul Design Biennale and the Vienna Biennale, and are part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Applied Arts Vienna. His works were awarded an honorable mention from the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, were nominated for the STARTS prize, and received an honorary mention at Prix Ars Electronica. Lenz’s works have been profiled in the New York Times and various other journals. Besides his independent practice, he worked at the renown design studios Formafantasma in Amsterdam and Studio Folder in Milan. He also worked as guest-researcher and -lecturer at the Humboldt University, Berlin. Lenz was invited as residing artist at the Viennese artist space »Never at Home« and the Iranian contemporary art platform »Paadmaan«. He currently finishes his Masters at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. More can be found on his solar-powered website under www.felixlenz.at.
Angela Neubauer is a young Austrian-Chinese artist based in Vienna. Driven by curiosity, she is creating artistic work that investigates present day issues and speculative futures, weaving in research fueled by her interests in social and natural sciences. Her latest projects mainly render the emerging concepts and ideas into video works and animated films, which are aimed to engage, inform, and raise questions through design and storytelling. She is currently studying Design Investigations at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Her works were exhibited at the Ars Electronica Festival, Angewandte Festival and Digital Art Festival Zurich, received an honorary mention at Prix Ars Electronica and a nomination for the STARTS Prize.
Eszter Noémi Zwickl is a Vienna-based Hungarian creative. She is mostly focusing on social, cultural, and political issues through the tools of art and design. Her works were exhibited at Labor Gallery in Budapest, Digital Art Festival in Zurich, Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, Paadmaan Video Event in Teheran, and were showcased in the Dutch Design Week 2021 in Eindhoven. She published a video essay of her work called “Is this a Compliment?” in The Lazy Women magazine. Other works of hers received a honorary mention at Prix Ars Electronica and were nominated for the STARTS Prize. She gained work experience at the studio “Tervhivatal” in Budapest, Hungary. Currently, she is studying industrial design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.