Lena Violetta Leitner
invents, intervenes and cooperates.
She studied Digital Arts at the University of Applied Arts Vienna (AT), where she founded the Integration Center for Migrated Plants (2017). Since then, she has been exploring the connections between nature, politics and society. Her research-based works move between fact and fiction, seriousness and speculation – often featuring plants, electronics, and text. Fascinated by the socio-political lives of plants, she explores intersections of science (especially biology), language and society with irony and humor.
Leitner is the co-founder of the ecofeminist collective Danube Transformation Agency for Agency (DTAFA) as well as Kollektiv OutSight and has realized projects and residencies internationally, including in Cairo, Sarajevo and Helsinki.
Her works are represented in the collections of Neue Galerie Graz and the Werner Fenz Collection (with DTAFA) and have been shown at institutions such as Venice Biennale Sessions, steirischer herbst and Ars Electronica. She received the Start Scholarship for Media Art by the Federal Chancellery of Austria (2022), the Acquisition Award of the Province of Styria (2023), a working grant from the Province of Styria (2019) and the international residency grant for Helsinki by the Federal Ministry of Austria (2024).
What if an Integration Center for Migrated Plants would decide on the right to stay of “alien species”?
A buried river joins forces with a creature of myth to deliver a weather forecast?
Or humans train their bodies as breeding grounds for an endangered species?
TEXTS
Julia Katharina Thiemann: curator, 2023
In her artistic practice, Lena Violetta Leitner addresses socio-political relationships of our human coexistence by means of how we deal with and think about plants, animals and the nature that surrounds us. Varying levels of individual, personal behavior, feedback, for example, with individual, concrete plants, as well as overall societal developments are interconnected in her artistic works in an enigmatic way, thus critically and humorously reflecting the interdependent conditions of our complex reality of life in the postanthropocene.
With her mostly participation-oriented and collectively created art, Lena Violetta Leitner aesthetically explores cross-species border crossings and thereby questions our human social coexistence and our self-image in the structure of our surrounding world.
Lena Violetta Leitner‘s ironic exaggerations always harbor an explosive core of future-oriented fiction that could make us rethink and reshape our world.
Christiane Kada / Petra Sieder-Grabner: Landes Kunst und Kultur Preise, Steiermark 2019
In one of her most recent projects, Lena Violetta Leitner asks what is “natural” and what is “foreign”. She often sets up her projects as long-term studies that are reminiscent of scientific research structures.
A fictional research center – IZMP – is the focus. The transfer of general problem contexts to plants, the scientific language, the ironic joke and the multimedia context make this art a critique of social clichés and political stereotypes.
EXHIBITIONS
UPCOMING 2026
FOUNDATION NAIRS, SCUOL (CH)
SOLO SHOW
2025
GALERIA 17, PRISHTINA (XK)
In the Making IV – Queer Ecology
Duo Show with Luiza Thaqi
10.10.-27.11.
KÜNSTLERHAUS, VIENNA (AT)
IMAGINING PIECE
curated by Laura Maria Birschitzky & Andreas Hoffer
SHOWING STYRIA, VIENNA (AT)
History Repeating?
curated by Günther Holler-Schuster
SHOWING STYRIA, LJUBLJANA (SL)
Alpine Adriatic region Pavilion
curated by Günther Holler-Schuster
2024
FORUM STADTPARK, GRAZ (AT)
How to Become an Island? THE BOOTCAMP
Solo Show, curated by Markus Waitschacher
FORUM STADTPARK, GRAZ (AT)
Kunst Heimat Kunst Revisited
curated by steirischer herbst
NATIONALMUSEUM OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, SARAJEVO (BA)
EX SITU
curated by Margarethe Makovec & Anton Lederer
NEUE GALERIE GRAZ (AT)
Promotional Prize 2023
curated by Magda Radu
PÖLLAU ART MACHINE, PÖLLAU (AT)
Pöllau Art Machine
HIAP – HELSINKI INTERNATIONAL ARTIST PROGRAMME (FI)
Open Studio Days
AUSTRIAN CULTURAL FORUM CAIRO (EG)
WÜST MI PFLANZ’N? goes Egypt
Solo Show & performance
2023
Q21 SCHAURAUM MUSEUMSQUARTIER, VIENNA (AT)
How to Become an Island? The Showroom
Solo Show, curated by Ruth Schnell & Tommy Schneider
MUR RIVER, GRAZ (AT)
Calibrating…
performance ritual on River Mur with Lily Hassioti
KUNSTHALLE EXNERGASSE, WUK, VIENNA (AT)
Open Floor
curated by Natalia Gurova, Rafael Lippuner & adO/Aptive
VIENNA ART WEEK (AT)
Open Studio Days
NEUE GALERIE GRAZ (AT)
Kunstraum Steiermark 2022
2022
MZ* BALTAZAR’S LAB, VIENNA (AT)
DELPHI 2.0 (phyto-pythia)
Solo Show
LEHARTHEATER, BAD ISCHL (AT)
WÜST MI PFLANZ’N? -Experimentier-Werkstätte
Solo Show & Performances
STATE OF CONCEPT ATHENS (GR)
Where is the river?
Solo Presentation (Artist Residency)
EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE, NOVI SAD (RS)
The Danube Sea
ATHENS DIGITAL ARTS FESTIVAL (GR)
online
VBKÖ, VIENNA (AT)
Lost Element. Re-construction of the Witch.
curated by Anka Lesniak (TFR-Archive)
AA COLLECTIONS, VIENNA (AT)
BILLAA++
curated by David Hassbach & Georgij Melnikov
2021
GALLERY SULUV, NOVI SAD (RS)
May I introduce: Alien!
Solo Show
FABRIKRAUM, VIENNA (AT)
May I introduce: Alienexpress
Solo Show
IMPROPER WALLS, VIENNA (AT)
Hospitable Utopia vienna ed.
curated by Ale Zapata, Urtė Špeirokaitė, Justina Špeirokaitė
MUSEUM FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, BELGRADE, (RS)
art+science2021
ARS ELECTRONICA, LINZ (AT)
Ars Electronica Gardens – A New Digital Deal
MUSEUM ULM (DE)
Kunstreichgewächse – Bitte gießen!
curated by nextmuseum.io
GALLERY REFLEKTOR, UŽICE (RS)
Hospitable Utopia
DAS MÖBEL, VIENNA (AT)
Real Stories
curated by Question me & answer
2020
AIL – ANGEWANDTE INNOVATION LAB, VIENNA (AT)
May I introduce: Alien!
AUFTAKT – FESTIVAL FÜR SZENISCHE TEXTE, COLOGNE (DE)
Die Chor
DIE SCHÖNE (AT)
Die Geburt des Museums der Migration
curated by Elena Messner
AA COLLECTIONS, VIENNA (AT)
Light at the end of the tunnel
curated by Georgij Melnikov
2019
BOTANICAL GARDENS, GRAZ (AT)
Integrationszentrum für Migrierte Pflanzen – The Showroom
Solo Show
NEUE GALERIE GRAZ (AT)
Promotional Prize 2019
curated by Rada Iva Jankovic
2018
THE ESSENCE,
University of Applied Arts Vienna (AT)
2017
AA COLLECTIONS, VIENNA (AT)
CORPOREAL
with Andrea Palašti & Paloma Tendero
U10, BELGRADE (RS)
Hacking the Network
with Maria Hera & Sejma Ferré,
WITTGENSTEINHAUS, VIENNA (AT)
Vergessene Frauen
Wittgensteinhaus, Vienna (AT)
curated by Marion Elias
2016
GALLERY TREBINJE (RS)
TV16
ZELLERHOF, LUNZ AM SEE (AT)
Lunz am See
curated by Julia Tazreiter & Kerstin Nowotny
AMONHAUS, LUNZ AM SEE (AT)
Viertelfestival
Performance as Kollektiv OutSight,
curated by Julia Tazreiter & Kerstin Nowotny
2015
MZ* BLATAZR’S LAB, VIENNA (AT)
Daily Diet
Duo Show with Sejma Ferré
FRIDAY EXIT, VIENNA (AT)
I can’t connect at all
Solo Show (Kollektiv OutSight & Mz* Blatazar’s Lab)
REDCARPET SHOWROOM, VIENNA (AT)
Tatorte
Solo Show with Nora Staggl as Living Skirts
2014
KUNSTVEREIN BADEN (AT)
pigeons, manifests and more
DAS WEISSE HAUS, VIENNA (AT)
Contemporaries of the near future
NATIONALGALLERY MALA STANICA, SKOPJE (MK)
Obsession
2013
BIENNALE SESSIONS, VENICE (IT)
Vertikal
DAS WEISSE HAUS, VIENNA (AT)
digital frictions
2012
NEW ZERO ART GALLERY, YANGON (MM)
Myanmar Multimedia Festival
2010
CITY MUSEUM, SKOPJE (MK)
White Night
STADTMUSEUM GRAZ (AT)
photo biennale
AWARDS & GRANTS
International Residency Grant, Foundation 17- Prishtina (XK), Province of Styria (2025)
Studio Grant, Bundesatelier Wattgasse, Federal Chancellery of Austria (2024-30)
International Residency Grant, HIAP Helsinki (FI), Federal Chancellery of Austria (2024)
Acquisition Award, Province of Styria (2023)
Start Grant Media Art, Federal Chancellery of Austria (2022)
Mentoringprogram Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (2022)
International Residency Grant, State of Concept Athens (GR), Province of Styria (2022)
Award Ö1 “Reparatur der Zukunft” with DTAFA (2022)
INTRA – artistic research project with DTAFA, University of Applied Arts Vienna (2021/22)
Working Grant, City Vienna (2020)
Working Grant, Province of Styria (2019)
Mediaprize WIG with Maria Hera & FEM (2018)
COLLECTIONS
Neue Galerie Graz
Collection Werner Fenz (with DTAFA)
Pöllau Art Machine
RESIDENCIES
Foundation 17, Prishtina (XK), Province of Styria (2025)
HIAP Helsinki (FI), Federal Chancellery of Austria (2024)
fundaziun nairs, Scuol (CH) (2024)
State of Concept Athens (GR), Province of Styria (2022)
auf! auf!, Lehartheater, Bad Ischl (AT) (2022)
Novi Sad (RS, European Capital of Culture) (2022)
Gallery Reflektor, Užice (RS) (2021)
Viertelfestival, Lunz am See (AT) (2015)
In Parallel – Graz & Sarajevo (AT/BA) (2014)
TALKS & WORKSHOPS & PERFORMANCE LECTURES
BRUNNENPASSAGE, VIENNA (AT), 2025
The Story of the Unwanted Plant
Workshop Kollektiv OutSight & Zosia Hołubowska
ARS ELECTRONICA, ONLINE, 2021
Follow the Current
EHESS Paris (FR), 2019
Study Days
Green Aliens Under The Microscope. Lecture Performance.
ICOM CECA, SALZBURG (AT), 2019
Heraus mit der Sprache
IZMP: Lecture Performance
HELDINNENZENTRALE, VIENNA (AT), 2018
Schlage Wurzeln, Verwurzle dich nicht (A Lovesong) with Maria Hera
PRESS
Kleine Zeitung (Steiermark Schau, 2025)
Der Standard (Steiermark Schau, 2025)
ORF (Steiermark Schau, 2025)
Kronen Zeitung (Solo Show DTAFA Graz)
Kleine Zeitung (Portrait Residencies)
Kleine Zeitung (Awards Province of Styria)
Kurier (TFR-Archive)
Ö1 (Award)
BLOK Magazine (Solo Show DTAFA)
ARTfaces Styria (Portrait)
Art & Documentation Nr. 26 (VBKÖ Show)
Interstitzi (Interview)
Ö1 Radiokolleg (Interview)
Oblakoder (Interview)
Beforeafter (Portrait)
JMU Radio-Television of Vojvodina (7:29-9:02)
AIL (Interview)
Postcoronal Lab (Podcast)
FH Wien (video)
Der Standard (Raw Matters)