Art as sociopolitical intervention? Projects by the artist group ‘WochenKlausur’

At the invitation of art institutions, WochenKlausur has been realizing socio-political projects since 1993. As the name suggests, it bundles all energies and artistic strategies in a limited time (six weeks) in order to achieve concrete improvements in our coexistence. WochenKlausur sees a great opportunity for art in taking up socio-political fields of action.

Thirteen interventions have been successfully carried out by the group so far. For example, since the first intervention in the Vienna Secession, seven years ago, a mobile ambulance has been traveling through Vienna to provide medical care for the homeless. The bus sees 700 patients each month. Project teaching was set up in Japan’s schools in Fukuoka, an agency for recycling was founded in Linz, and language schools were set up in Kosovo for the 1999 Venice Biennale.