Press Release

The Color of Energy is an exhibition presented in two distinct yet interconnected chapters, co-produced by viennacontemporary and Salzburger Kunstverein with kind support from the ERSTE Foundation. The first chapter takes place at viennacontemporary (Messe Wien, Halle D, September 12–15, 2024), featured as part of VTC STATEMENT: ENERGY, the fair’s special program that connects sociopolitical phenomena with the art world and fosters conversations through collaborations with external curators and thinkers. The narrative continues with the second chapter at Salzburger Kunstverein (September 20–November 24, 2024).

International ongoing exhibitions

The Colour or Energy

Viennacontemporary and Salzburger Kunstverein (Austria)

12.09 - 24.11.2024

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Anchored in a chromatic framework, the exhibition explores the aesthetic and affective dimensions of how energy is harnessed, consumed, and imagined. This showcase comes at a crucial juncture in human history, as the global energy crisis intensifies the call for a transition to sustainable energy sources. This particular crisis was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, which have led to a spike in oil and gas prices and rampant inflation.

The colors in the exhibition narrate stories of conflict, innovation, and adaptation, inviting a reflection not only on how energy shapes our world but also on how it colors our perceptions thereof: the amber of smog-filled skies, the toxic yellow of acid rains, the rusty orange of oil spills in the ocean, the searing red of wildfires, the blue hue of solar panels, the white of melting glaciers, the gleaming silver of technological advancements, the neon green of radioactive uranium, the blue glow of nuclear reactors, the stark gray of concrete fallout shelters, the lurid green of money, the pale white of an exhausted face.

Through this exploration, the exhibition reveals the subtle energy flows essential for comprehending the complex interplay of forces that shape our society today. It seeks to deepen our awareness of how intricately energy is embedded in the cultural and political fabric of Europe and beyond.

Exhibition Curator: Mirela Baciak

Curatorial Project Assistant: Erka Shalari

viennacontemporary (Messe Wien, Halle D): September 12–15, 2024

Chapter I artists: Sara Bezovšek, Liv Bugge, Judith Fegerl, Veronika Hapchenko, Katrin Hornek, Sophie Jung, Linda Lach, Ursula Mayer, Shubigi Rao, Guan Xiao

Salzburger Kunstverein: September 21–November 24, 2024

Chapter II artists: Bertille Bak, Sophie Jung, Edson Luli, Ursula Mayer, Oleksiy Radynski, Shubigi Rao, Emilija Škarnulytė, Guan Xiao

VCT STATEMENT: The Color of Energy is co-produced by viennacontemporary and Salzburger Kunstverein with the kind support from the ERSTE Foundation.

Exhibition 12 September - 24 November 2024. Salzburger Kunstverein, Hellbrunner Str. 3 - 5020 Salzburg (Austria).

[1] Shubigo Rao, Linear AyB, 2023. Film, 4:56 minutes. [2] Edson Luli, Footsteps Towards the Future, 2023. Protocol, desert sand from five continents, plastic bottles, LED lights, transformers. [3] Linda Lach, Endless memory dilation, 2024. Glass, human milk, steel, aluminium, levitator. [4] Emilija Škarnulytė, t 1/2, 2019. Film with sound, 18 minutes