2025
April
ARTIST TALK:
From Speculative Agencies to Para(rt)sitic PR Services
Ever tried integrating a “foreign” plant into society?
Wondered whether hosting bird eggs on your body might be the next step in interspecies relationships?
Or what kind of drama would blossom in a reality show starring plants?
Then join Lena Violetta Leitner—artist, CEO of the Para(rt)sitic Protection Society (PPS), head of the Integration Center for Migrated Plants and co-founder of the Danube Transformation Agency for Agency! In this talk, she will present her artistic practice, which lives somewhere between speculative science, bureaucratic performance, and botanical absurdity.
22.04., 18:00
Rezidenca 17
Artist Talk as part of the Artist Residency at Foundation 17, funded by the Province of Styria
April
WORKSHOP:
As part of my Land Steiermark Artist Residency in Pristina at Foundation 17, I invite you to a speculative workshop:
WANTED: Ghost River Writer!
Liquid Fictions: Speculative Storytelling Beneath the Surface
Wanted! Are you a river lover or a talented ghost(river)writer?
Join us for a two-hour workshop where we’ll speculate about Vellusha and Pristevka, the buried rivers of Pristina. Together, we’ll share stories, explore liquid tools for speculative thinking, and imagine a future where these hidden waterways are recognized as living entities.
April
ARTIST RESIDENCY
I am delighted to have been invited to the exciting research seminar at Cinema Lumbhardi.
I will talk about our collective DTAFA and my current research on buried rivers.
March, April
ARTIST RESIDENCY
Many thanks to Foundation17 and the province of Styria – in March and April I am an artist in residence in Pristina (Kosovo), exploring the buried rivers.
March
STEIERMARK SCHAU
You can still visit STEIERMARK SCHAU until 30.3.:
daily, 10-6pm
free entrance
at Heldenplatz, Vienna
March
STEIERMARK SCHAU: PRESS
On March 12, the STEIERMARK SCHAU opened – and with it my new showroom of the IZMP (Integration Center for Migrant Plants).
I am very pleased about the many press reports and was also able to discover my showroom on television!
The exhibition can be seen free of charge until March 30th at Heldenplatz Vienna between 10am and 6pm.
Articles in German and TV report:
Article Kleinen Zeitung
Article STANDARD
TV: ORF Steiermark heute
March
STEIERMARK SCHAU: “Ambition & Illusion: History Repeating?”
The STEIERMARK SCHAU opens on 13.03. at Heldenplatz in Vienna (AT).
“Three pavilions will be part of SHOWING STYRIA in 2025. (…) The temporary architecture sets the scene for narrative elements – it picks up on baroque theatricality, for example, as well as the country’s topographical features and the connection between politically divided regions. The pavilions are not only open to the positions of contemporary art presented in them, their architecture is an integral component.
In this way, they enable a homogeneous, installative and cohesive arrangement of the artistic positions, which can be experienced both in the interplay of all three pavilions in Vienna and in their division – with the locations Schloss Eggenberg, Mariazell, Leoben and abroad.” (Museum Joanneum)
Duration:
13.03.-30.03.2025 Vienna, Heldenplatz (AT)
Curated by Günther Holler-Schuster
2024
November 2024
Vienna Art Week
Guided Tour BUNDESATELIERS WATTGASSE
on the Open Studio Day
Sun, 10.11.2023 17 – 19 h
Guides: Maria Christine Holter and Klaus Speidel
3rd floor:
Marko Zink, Anca Benera, Julia Haugeneder, Edin Zenun Fakovic, Doris Theres Hofer, Lena Violetta Leitner
4th floor:
Stefan Klampfer, Katrin Hornek, Robert Gruber, Jörg Piringer, Andy Boot, Luiza Margan, Angelika Loderer, Birke Gorm
September 2024
steirischer herbst
Our collective DTAFA is exhibiting at steirischer herbst this year!
Our work, which is part of the Werner Fenz Collection, can be seen at the Forum Stadtpark until October 13.
August 2024
Ö1 PRIZE: VOTING
The latest work by me and my collective DTAFA, How to Become an Island – THE BOOTCAMP (exhibited at Forum Stadtpark, Graz), is up for the Ö1 Talentstipendium special prize “Solidarity”!
Voting ends on September 6th. We are very happy about your support!
Thank you for your support!
August 2024
DTAFA: Artist Talk
I am super happy to be presenting our collective DTAFA together with Alexandra Fruhstorfer at fundaziun nairs.
Thanks to the Austrian Cultural Forum Bern for the support.
July 2024
RADIO FEATURE
On 18 July, 6:15, Radio Klassik Stephansdom will report on my upcoming artist residency at the Fundaziun Nairs and the artist talk with Alexandra Fruhstorfer. Thank you Christiane Zaunmair and Austrian Cultural Forum Bern for the support and the interview!
HERE you can listen to the programme afterwards.
May 2024
PERFORMANCE in CAIRO
On 30 May, I performed together with Steffi Baron-Neuhuber as Kollektiv OutSight at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Cairo. Thank you very much for the invitation!
Photos: Khaled Kamel
May 2024
ARTICLE about DTAFA
Our collective DTAFA is very pleased about Michaela Reichart’s article on our exhibition in the Forum Stadtpark. Thank you!
May 2024
Newspaper Article
Thank you Susanne Rakowitz for the article about my experience as an artist in residence in Kleine Zeitung.
May 2024
University: DTAFA Workshop
Together with my DTAFA colleague Solmaz Farhang I will be part of the course THE STRUGGLE IS REAL! on May 3rd.
April 2024
ART MACHINE
I am looking forward to being part of this year’s Art Machine with my “Suomenlinna Souvenirs”.
March 2024
OPEN STUDIO DAY
Welcome to the Open Studio Day at HIAP Suomenlinna!
We artists in residence open our studio doors and share our current works in progress with you.
23.3., 2-8pm
HIAP Suomenlinna
Here more Information
January – April 2024
Artist Residency at HIAP Suomenlinna
From January on I will spend three months at the wonderful, magical island Suomenlinna (which is part of Helsinki) at the artist residency HIAP. The residency is supported by BMKÖS.
Thank you for selecting me and the incredible support!
February 2024
Exhibition with DTAFA
Our collective DTAFA shows the new version
HOW TO BECOME AN ISLAND?
Care~aoke
EX-SITU
Artistic positions on endangered biodiversity and the coexistence of species
01.02. – 03.03.2024
National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Participating artists:
Darko Aleksovski – Lamija Čehajić – Danube Transformation Agency for Agency – Anita Fuchs – Teuta Gatolin – Ernst Koslitsch – Polonca Lovšin – Ralo Mayer – Edith Payer – Irena Lagator Pejović – Nada Prlja – Lala Raščić – Oliver Ressler – Ivan Šuković -Adrienn Újházi / Nemanja Milenković – Anna Vasof – Driant Zeneli – Dardan Zhegrova
curated by Margarethe Makovec & Anton Lederer
2023
December 2023
PRESS
The magazine Kurier reported on the handling of Teresa Feodorowna Ries’ works and the TFR archive.
https://kurier.at/kultur/skandaloeser-umgang-verschachert-geschaendet-und-einverleibt/402716050
December 2023
AWARD CEREMONY
The Province of Styria’s cultural awards were presented on Monday.
I am incredibly pleased about the Art Acquisition Prize and congratulate all the winners!
December 2023
EXHIBITION IN GRAZ
Celebrate with me the Aquisition Award of the Province of Styria – on December 14th at the Neue Galerie Graz!
I am incredibly happy and will show the new season of IN THE GLASSHOUSE- only one can be planted!
Exhibition: Award of the Province of Styria
Neue Galerie Graz
Opening: 14.12., 19:00
Duration: 15.12.-21.04.2024
Curation: Magda Radu
with: Maruša Sagadin, studio ASYNCHROME, Julius Pristauz, Patrick Winkler, Juliana Lindenhofer, Julia Gaisbacher, Lena Violetta Leitner
November 2023
PUBLICATION
After an inspiring year in the mentoring program of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, I finally hold the publication in my hands!
I would like to thank Julia Katharina Thiemann for the wonderful text, Nanna Heidenreich for the great mentoring and Barbara Pflanzner for the mentoring program!
Excerpt:
In her artistic practice, Lena Violetta Leitner addresses the socio-political conditions of our human coexistence based on 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 developments in society as a whole are linked together in her artistic works in a subtle way, thus reflecting the interdependencies of our complex reality of life in the post-Antropocene in a critical and humorous way.
With her mostly participation-oriented and collectively created art, Lena Violetta Leitner explores cross-species border crossings in an aesthetic way and questions our human social coexistence and our self-image in the structure of our environment.
structure of our environment. Lena Violetta Leitner’s ironic exaggerations always harbor an explosive core of future-oriented fiction that could rethink and reshape our world.
Julia Katharina Thiemann
November 2023
PERFORMANCE IN GRAZ
I am super happy that Lily Hassioti invited me during her artist residency in Graz (St.A.i.R) to join her for another collaboration!
We are inviting you now to Calibrating…, by Lily Hassioti and Lena Violetta Leitner.
Embark on a 45 minute long journey along the river Mur with The Calibrator, for a ritual of speculative mapping and collective calibration. A work from the series: Exercises for thinking with the river.
When: 25.11., 3:30-5 pm
Where: Die Flösserei – Stadtstrand Graz, beim Puchsteig
In case of rain, the performance will hapen on the 26th.
Please register under: l.hassioti@gmail.com
Kindly supported by: Die Flösserei, Land Steiermark, Atelier Schillerstraße
November 2023
VIENNA ART WEEK: OPEN STUDIO DAYS
On November 11th and 12th between 1 and 6 pm the doors to my studio will open! Visit me to get an insight into my creative process.
I am so happy that together with Alexandra Tatar, we will present our brandnew work.
The project “Becoming…” is supported by:
BMKÖS, Stadt Wien Kultur (MA7)
October 2023
ACQUISITION PRIZE
I am still super excited an honoured to have been selected for an acquisition prize by the Province of Styria this year!
Huge thanks to the Province of Styria and the jury, curator Magda Radu!
October 2023
ARTIST TALK
Together with my DTAFA colleague Ege Kökel we will present DTAFA at the Austrian Kulturforum in Warsaw. The talk is part of the festival “Warsaw Under Construction”.
SAT, 14.10.2023
18:00–19:30
WARSAW UNDER CONSTRUCTION 15
Austriackie Forum Kultury
October 2023
EXHIBITION- WUK
I am very happy about the invitation to “open floor” at WUK! I’ll be showing a new work with my collective DTAFA.
opening: 5.10., 18-22h
duration: 6.-25.10.2023
Kunsthalle Exnergasse, WUK
Projektraum, Währinger Straße 59, 1090 Vienna (AT)
curation: Natalia Gurova, Rafael Lippuner, and adO/Aptive (Janina Weißengruber, Daniel Hüttler)
with works by:
AUSLÄNDER
Danube Transformation Agency for Agency
MŰTŐ
Office Ukraine
TECHNOPOLITICS
Tratado Material
October 2023
PRESENTATION DTAFA
Please join Alexandra Fruhstorfer and me to Lobau Listening Comprehensions – where we will present the work of our collective DTAFA next to other amazing people.
organisation: Julia Grillmayr, Christina Gruber, Sophia Rut Lobau Listening Comprehensions
other artists:
Wiltrud Hackl, Fabian Holzinger, Aaron Kimmig, Marie-Andrée Pellerin, Carmina Tarilonte Rodriguez
3pm, Kleine Stadtfarm
Naufahrtweg 14a, 1220 Vienna (AT)
June 2023
EXHIBITION – Angewandte Festival
Super excited to be showing our collective’s (DTAFA) work “woodiana.today” at the Angewandte Festival!
27.6.- 30.6.
11:00-21:00h
June 2023
ARTIST TALK
The IZMP introduces itself!
In the framework of subnetTALK 2023 I present the Integration Center for Migrated Plants.
Thank you for the invitation!
April 2023
SOLO SHOW – MQ WIEN
Q21 Schauraum, MuseumsQuartier Vienna
Opening: 13.4., 19h
Duration: 13.4.-18.5.
Join our collective DTAFA for the opening of our new solo exhibition. Our work is based on “How to become an Island?” at Novi Sad, European Capital of Culture 2022.
What would it mean to provide our bodies to the survival and needs of another species?
Hovering between distant curiosity and radical affection the Danube Transformation Agency for Agency (DTAFA) opened their bodies and hearts to a small Danubian bird species: the Little Ringed Plover.
For decades the Danubian river banks were shaped for the needs of humans alone. The loss of habitats made the birds’ population decline. By proposing to provide your body parts as breeding ground to the bird, DTAFA asks which role the individual could take in an age of man-made ecological change.
“We become with each other or not at all”
(Donna Haraway)
Can you spot the eggs on the stereogram picture?
April 2023
EXHIBITION TALK
Let’s meet for a talk and a “Pfiff” (very small amount) of Beer!
Together with Julia Gaisbacher and Katl Wratschko I will talk about the ongoing exhibition at Neue Galerie Graz.
February 2023
PUBLICATION
Anka Leśniak not only curated the great exhibition “Lost Element. Re-construction of the Witch” last year at VBKÖ, but now also wrote this great article about the exhibition. I am very happy to be part of the exhibition and the TFR archive with the work “TREMATE”!
“The Exhibition Lost Element / Re-Construction Of The Witch. Curatorial Reflections”, Anka Leśniak, in: Art and Documentation no.26
Read online HERE.
The work by Lena Violetta Leitner refers to ecological issues, but it’s also somehow “uncanny.” In her way of connecting the natural elements (plant, soil, water) and technology (steam, clay), one can also see a subtle sense of humour. The second part of the work – the plant – “spoke” to us in Morse code. The plant was shaking from time to time unnaturally and in its subsequent movements (longer or shorter) the message “I will survive” was encoded. These two messages – projected on the steam and encrypted in Morse code, could be interpreted in the context of the need to return to so-called female values, such as care, and respect for the environment and other entities, but also with the belief that witches (wise women) can overturn the harmful patriarchal order. Additionally, the plant chosen by the artist was a fern, which is one of the oldest plants on Earth.
Anka Leśniak
Februrary 2023
Interview
During the last months I had an inspiring time, chatting with Fabiola Fiocco and Giulia Pistone from the onlinemagazine Interstizi about art, collectives, plants and our perceptions of nature.
If you understand Italian, do not hesitate and check out our chat HERE.
2022
November 2022
EXHIBITION IN GRAZ
Cordial invitation to the “Art space Styria 2022” exhibition!
Neue Galerie Graz
Opening: 01.12., 7pm
October 2022
Publication
Sonja Harter wrote a wonderful portrait on Artfaces Steiermark about my work- thank you very much!
Die mit den Pflanzen spricht
Trifft man Lena Violetta Leitner ausnahmsweise alleine an, verweisen sogleich die Kunstwerke und Installationen um sie herum auf das, was sie als Künstlerin ausmacht. „Zusammenarbeit zieht sich als roter Faden durch meine Arbeit“, lacht die 1986 in Graz geborene und mittlerweile in Wien lebende Künstlerin.
Sonja Harter
October 2022
START Grant Media Art
I am so grateful that I will be able to research and experiment about and with invasive plants for the next months!
A huge thanks to the jury of Federal Chancellery of Austria for awarding me with “Startstipendium” Media Art!
October 2022
TEA TALK
In the context of my solo exhibition “DELPHI 2.0 (phyto-pythia)” I invite you to a TEA TALK with Valerie Habsburg and Ege Kökel !
Together we will discuss strategies of sharing and exchanging as well as how we deal with fears. Taste “Curious Cookies” while looking into the past with Valerie Habsburg, and practice speculative future exploration with Ege Kökel. Get ready to choose a specially prepared tea for your future and read from the tea leaves together with us!
Especially the here and now is potentially characterized by great uncertainties as well as life-changing crises, so it is essential for the artist not to let ourselves be guided by associated fears and uncertainties, but to work against them with the power of the collective. With a feminist attitude and in the spirit of solidarity, Leitner wants to create space for exchange, interactivity and discourse. Thus, she invites her colleagues Valerie Habsburg and Ege Kökel to a conversation within the framework of the exhibition, followed by a “Tea Talk” and venturing a look into the future.
Paula Marschalek, curator, art historian
September 2022
AWARD Ö1
Wow! Our collective DTAFA (Solmaz Farhang, Alexandra Fruhstorfer, Ege Kökel, Andrea Palašti and me) are double award winners!
Cannot wait for our new adventures next year!
September 2022
Artist Talk
I am honored that I will be talking about my work next to two amazing artists – Mary Maggic and Katrin Hornek!
Sympoietic Symphony, Klangmanifeste
Curated by Christine Schörkhuber
04.09. 3 – 4 pm
July 2022
INTERVIEW
If you understand Serbian, please check out our interview with Oblakoder Magazine! Our collective DTAFA talked about the project in Novi Sad in the frame of the European Capital of Culture 22.
June 2022
EXHIBITION AND PERFORMANCE
WÜST MI PFLANZ’N?
Experimentier-Werkstätte
The experimental workshop – WÜST MI PFLANZ’N? opens its doors on 25. and 26.6. and encourages to discover, exchange hearing, feeling and seeing!
The main protagonists are negatively connoted invasive alien plants that grow around Bad Ischl. Invasive alien plants are plants that have been introduced in/directly by humans into other areas since 1492 and have become established in nature. Because they can displace “native” species, they have negative connotations.
The workshop invites the entire month of June to enter, opening its doors to visitors* and engaging their experiences immediately or in a longer process of experimentation. A place for collective creation, discovery and observation emerges.
On June 25 and 26, the workshop will become a place of exchange and the works and impressions collected and processed in June can be viewed, felt, heard and seen. New impressions will be incorporated in the moment and in the course of the performances on the 25th at 2, 4 and 6 pm.
Danke für die Unterstützung: Land Steiermark, Otto Mauer Fonds, auf! auf!
June 2022
PUBLICATION
You can now find my work TREMATE which was shown this year with the TFR_Archive at VBKÖ in the new publication COAPPARATION I, II, II.
June 2022
Artist Residency
YAY! Bad Ischl we are coming!
I am super excited to be able to install our experimental plant lab at the amazing building of Lehartheatre in the frame of the artist residency auf! auf!
A huge thanks to auf! auf!, Otto Mauer Fonds and Land Steiermark für the subvention!
April 2022
Where is the river? – RESIDENCY PRESENTATION
Presentation of my Artist Residency – part of the outreach studio program of Land Steiermark, Culture Department – at State of Concept Athens – 28.04., 18h30 – 20h30.
March 2022
LECTURE AND WORKSHOP
My DTAFA colleagues Solmaz Farhang, Alexandra Fruhstorfer, Ege Kökel and Andrea Palašti will present our ongoing artistic research at Art & Science, University of Applied Arts Vienna, 24.03.
March 2022
ARTIST RESIDENCY Land Steiermark
I am over the moon and back! This March and April I will be spending in Athens as an artist in residence at the gallery State of Concept. A big thank you to Land Steiermark for awarding me with this amazing grant!
March 2022
Ö1 Reparatur der Zukunft
Hier findet ihr ein kurzes Portrait der Danube Transformation Agency for Agency auf der “Reparatur der Zukunft”-Seite von Ö1.
December 2021
EXHIBITION OPENING
14.01-13.02.2022
opening: 13.01.2022, 17.00-21.00
Anna Bochkova, Valerie Habsburg, Lena Violetta Leitner, Anka Leśniak
Curation: Anka Leśniak
December 2021
EXHIBITION AA Collections
opening: 13.12. 17h
exhibition: 13.12. – 29.01.2022
Curation: David Hassbach & Georgij Melnikov
October 2021
SOLO SHOW in Novi Sad
Our aliens land in the gallery SULUV in Novi Sad. Until 05.11. the different projects can be viewed and the interactive stations can be tested. Galerie SULUV in Novi Sad.
A project in cooperation with the Angewandte Innovation Lab with works by Solmaz Farhang, Alexandra Fruhstorfer, Ege Kökel, Lena Violetta Leitner and Andrea Palašti.
www.mayiintroduce-alien.com
With the kind support of: AIL, Galerie SULUV, Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien, Land Steiermark, BMKOES, Bildrecht
October 2021
ON TV!
The TV channel RTV reported about our exhibition “May I introduce: Alien” in the gallery SULUV in Novi Sad.
Here you can see the contribution from 27.10. – from min.07:28, an interview with Andrea Palašti.
September 2021
RESIDENCY & EXHIBITIN
The work “words & weeds” is based on the intervention created during the residency at Reflektor Gallery, Uzice (RS) in summer.
Chat: Lindsey Nicholson, Milica Dukić, Lena Violetta Leitner
Exhibition in the gallery Improper Walls, 08.09.-24.09.
…dies ist nicht die dokumentation einer performance, die in serbien entstand. dies ist ein gespräch, das wie unkraut wuchert, zwischen österreich und serbien.
what does it mean to be a ‘weed’?
vielleicht sind unsere gesprächsfäden unkräuter, lacht milica.
does it mean unwanted, taking resources from the wanted? or does it mean being resilient, a pioneer, a survivor?
ovo je razgovor koji ne vodi nikuda i ne mora biti od koristi.
weeds do work as well.
ko odlučuje da li sam korov ili ne?
September 2021
SOLO SHOW DTAFA in Wien
Welcome to our Alienexpress Pop-Up Store! Here you will find blue dodo eggs, alien plant streaming subscriptions and generally – Karpfe Diem!
A project in cooperation with Angewandte Innovation Lab and contributions by Solmaz Farhang, Alexandra Fruhstorfer, Ege Kökel, Lena Violetta Leitner and Andrea Palašti.
September 2021
ARS ELECTRONICA
Our speculative webpoprtal Woodiana.today is represented at Garden Belgrade as part of Ars Electronica – on 12.09. DTAFA will give a workshop.
11.09.: Panel Follow the Current (Ars Electronica)
23.09. – 23.10. art+science 2021, Museum for Science & Technology Belgrade
Organization, production: Center for Promotion of Science, Belgrad. Collbaroration with Stefana Janićijević, Sanja Andjelković, Jovana Pesić, Luka Lopičić, Vanja Novaković and Danube Transformation Agency for Agency (DTAFA): Andrea Palašti, Alexandra Fruhstorfer, Ege Kökel, Solmaz Farhang and me.
July 2021
EXHIBITION IN ULM
YAY! The Language Lab of Integrationszentrum für Migrierte Pflanzen is moving into Museum Ulm!
24.07. – 17.10.
2021
INTRA Project
DTAFA opens their doors in Vienna and Novi Sad!
Danube Transformation Agency for Agency (DTAFA) is a socio-artistic organization that provides services for all kinds of Danube residents!
DTAFA are: Alexandra Fruhstorfer, Lena Violetta Leitner, Ege Kökel, Solmaz Farhang and Andrea Palašti. Advisor: Bernd Kräftner
Part of Angewandte Programm für inter- und transdisziplinäre Projekte in Kunst und Forschung (INTRA).
