Our debut exhibition offers unique insights into the research at ISTA and tells stories about the processes, ideas, and people behind it.

Guided tour of the exhibition from 5:00 pm to 5:45 pm will be offered with Austrian Sign Language interpretation.

 Language: German and English

Location: VISTA Science Experience Center

DJ set with Noushin Redjaian

Noushin Redjaian touches on everything from ambient to dub to reggaeton and new dancehall, mixed with her love of RnB and hip hop.

Location: VISTA Stage

Light show with Klimentina Li & Mehrdad Derafshi

Location: VISTA Stage

Welcome words from ISTA Vice President for Science Education Gaia Novarino.

Keynote by Michael John Gorman

Michael John Gorman is the director of the MIT Museum and professor of science, technology, and society at MIT in Cambridge. Gorman has conducted research at Harvard and Stanford and published numerous books and articles on the role and acceptance of science. We look forward to his keynote "In defense of wonder - science communication in an age of misinformation" where he will address current challenges in science communication.

Following the keynote, there will be a panel on “How to Enhance Public Trust in Science.”

Panel participants:

• Michael John Gorman (Director, MIT Museum, Cambridge)

• Katharina Brandl (Head of Visual Arts, Pro Helvetia Foundation, Basel)

• Gaia Novarino (Vice President, ISTA, Klosterneuburg)

• Stephanie Kneissl (Curator, ISTA, Klosterneuburg)

Moderator: Christian Bertsch

Language: English, Sign language interpreting in German (Lecture) and Austrian Sign Language interpreting (Panel Discussion).

Location: Raiffeisen Lecture Hall

The keynote is fully booked online. Remaining places are available on site!

LUKAS OSCAR is a rising singer, songwriter, and producer based in Vienna, known for his melancholic yet powerful voice and raw, emotionally honest songwriting. With Filipino roots and a natural affinity for music, he began playing piano at age six, inspired by his mother’s love of karaoke and the soulful stylings of Alicia Keys. By 14, he was experimenting with production, and by 17, writing and producing for other artists between his hometown and Vienna.

Location: Outdoor Stage

DJ set with Noushin Redjaian

Noushin Redjaian touches on everything from ambient to dub to reggaeton and new dancehall, mixed with her love of RnB and hip hop.

Location: VISTA Stage

Light show with Klimentina Li & Mehrdad Derafshi

Location: VISTA Stage

Our debut exhibition offers unique insights into the research at ISTA and tells stories about the processes, ideas, and people behind it.

 Language: German and English

Location: VISTA Science Experience Center

Guided tours of the exhibition with scientists and artists from the exhibition “Science in the Making"

• 12:30 – 1:00 pm: Thomas Shaw (EN) is a glacier researcher providing insights into his research journeys to the Pamir mountains.

• 1:00 – 1:30 pm: Fiona Connor (EN) exchanged ideas as an artist-in-residence with ISTA researchers on subjectivity and objectivity.

• 1:30 – 2:00 pm: Maria Ibañez (EN) researches thermoelectric materials that can convert heat into electrical energy.

• 2:00 – 2:30 pm: Fragmentin (EN) is a Swiss art collective that explores the traces of digital technologies in nature through their works.

• 2:30 – 3:00 pm: Caroline Muller (EN) researches clouds and aims to better understand their influence on the climate.

• 3:00 – 3:30 pm: Judith Fegerl (DE) is an artist dealing with phenomena such as electrostatics.

• 3:30 – 4:00 pm: Nicolò Zava (EN) is a mathematician conducting research in topological data analysis.

Language: German and English

Location: VISTA Auditorium

Saki the Artist - Upcycling Lab Equipment

Scientific research relies on disposable items such as pipettes. See how artists are finding creative ways to give these plastic products a second life before they become waste. Artist Saki displays sculptures she has created from laboratory materials and holds a workshop where participants can make their own wearable artworks from upcycled laboratory items. Learn how we can reduce global plastic consumption at work and at home, and be inspired to find your own creative solutions for turning trash into treasure.

No registration required.

Maximum number of participants: 10 people

Language: German and English

Location: Workshop room VISTA Lab

Jeroen Dobbelaere & Isa Klee - Biodiversity Beyond the Microscope: Exploring Life at the ISTA Campus

One of the greatest threats to our planet is the loss of biodiversity. At the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) campus, we aim to create a "Living Lab" where we can explore and strengthen nature right at our doorstep. In the ISTA Biodiversity Project, we connect our researchers' work with the experiential knowledge of the visitors.

We demonstrate how our research on plants, butterflies, and ants converges with observations on the campus. Together with our partners from ÖkoCampus Vienna, we make visible which measures genuinely help promote biodiversity. If you want to see the projects in action, after the presentation there will be a tour of the campus to highlight the biodiversity approach of the ISTA campus

No registration required.

Maximum number of participants for tour: 30 people

Language: German

Location: Raiffeisen Lecture Hall

New Zealand-born, Los Angeles-based artist Fiona Connor will present her installation “Broken Sleeps” developed during their participation at the ISTA Artist in Residence Program 2025. The artist will be present during opening times.  

Language: Englisch

Location: Central Building, Raum: Mondi 3

Francesca Pellicciotti is a glaciologist taking you on a journey to the glaciers of our Earth. She highlights the fascinating "Pamir-Karakoram Anomaly" in Asia, where glaciers are surprisingly stable or even growing. Francesca vividly explains the fundamental processes influencing glacier behavior in climate change and shows how glaciers achieve their own cooling effect.

She will present current research findings demonstrating how glaciers can buffer droughts and how this ability is affected by climate change.

Following the presentation, there will be a panel on Water, droughts, and glacier research.”

Panel participants:

• Francesca Pellicciotti (Glaciologist at ISTA, Klosterneuburg)

• Sophie Falkeis (Designer at the intersection of art and science, Zurich and Vienna)

• Katharina Kropshofer (climate journalist, Vienna)

Moderator: Florian Schlederer

Language: German, English, and written interpretation in German

Location: Raiffeisen Lecture Hall

The keynote is fully booked online. Remaining places are available on site!

DJ Set: makcimilian

makcimilian (he/him) is a Vienna-based DJ from Ukraine. Growing up in the vibrant nightlife of Kyiv, his music is influenced by house, techno, and minimalist sounds from the 90s. He combines vinyl and digital formats to deliver a captivating sound.

Location: VISTA Stage

Up-and-coming artist FILLY is causing a stir in the music industry with her bold approach to hyperpop. By blending elements of pop, drum and bass, and electronic music, she creates a captivating sound that is both dynamic and irresistible. Known for her powerful performances and charismatic stage presence, FILLY is proving to be a force to be reckoned with.

Her debut single “Motorola” has attracted a lot of attention and quickly established her as one of the most talked-about new artists.

Location: Outdoor Stage

A Science Slam is, just like its model the “Poetry Slam,” a competition in presenting one’s own work. But instead of writers performing their own texts, young scientists take the stage and try to excite the audience about their research topic in just a few minutes. Rather than in a lecture hall or seminar room, they share their research in an entertaining way on the VISTA Outdoor Stage.

Language: German

Location: Outdoor Stage

Veronika J. König, better known as FARCE, is an innovative musician whose path led her from black metal and punk to the electronic music scene. Discovered by FM4, she gained Europe-wide recognition in 2018 with her album ‘Heavy Listening’ and regularly performs at renowned festivals. With releases such as ‘Trauma Bounce’ and the No. 1 single ‘Déjà Vu’, FARCE has cemented her status as a creative force in the international avant-garde. In addition to her work as a producer for various acts, she is passionately committed to the queer music scene. In May 2022, her album ‘Not To Regress’ will impress even the stone walls of St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Location: Outdoor Stage

DJ Set: makcimilian

makcimilian (he/him) is a Vienna-based DJ from Ukraine. Growing up in the vibrant nightlife of Kyiv, his music is influenced by house, techno, and minimalist sounds from the 90s. He combines vinyl and digital formats to deliver a captivating sound.

Location: VISTA Stage

Light show with Klimentina Li & Mehrdad Derafshi

Location: VISTA Stage

Our debut exhibition offers unique insights into the research at ISTA and tells stories about the processes, ideas, and people behind it.

Guided tour of the exhibition from 12:00 pm to 12:45 pm will be offered with Austrian Sign Language interpretation.

 Language: German and English

Location: VISTA Science Experience Center

Two voices that have been collaborating across genres for over a decade invite you to a special midday concert: Voodoo Jürgens and Katarina Maria Trenk meet on stage in a free, improvisational interplay. Their musical bond goes way back. Trenk, known for her projects spanning pop, experimental music, and performance art, has often appeared as a guest singer alongside Voodoo Jürgens. Joint pieces like Alimente or Taunzn—recently featured in the Sargnagel film—testify to an artistic chemistry oscillating between Viennese humor and melancholy.

For the VISTA Science Experience Center, they create a unique improvised concert: a moment of sonic encounter that connects research, art, and music in unconventional ways.

Location: Outdoor Stage

Guided exhibition tours with scientists and artists from the exhibition “SCIENCE IN THE MAKING – How is the knowledge of tomorrow created?”

• 12:00 – 12:30 pm: Marlene Mautner (DE) makes mathematics visually accessible in collaboration with two ISTA researchers.

• 12:30 – 1:00 pm: Ilaria Caiazzo & Santiago Torres (EN) take us into the astrophysical world of black holes and white dwarfs.

• 1:00 – 1:30 pm: mischer’traxler (DE) balances as a design studio between technology, science, and craftsmanship.

• 1:30 – 2:00 pm: Nick Barton (EN) investigates genetic variations in plant populations to unravel evolutionary adaptation mechanisms.

• 2:00 – 2:30 pm: Sara Ghalandari (EN), during her artist residency at ISTA, developed installations to make dynamic spaces experienceable.

• 2:30 – 3:00 pm: Samara Ren (EN) is a computer scientist developing algorithms that enable efficient digital fabrication of complex geometric shapes.

• 3:00 – 3:30 pm: Luke Evans (EN) is a photographer who prints electrostatics onto paper using a Van de Graaff generator and 500,000 volts.

Language: German and English

Location: VISTA Auditorium

Martin Moder (Molecular Biologist) and Florian Aigner (Physicist) on great truths and even greater nonsense.

After almost 14 billion years, it’s time to take stock: Was the Big Bang worth it? The universe has expanded, produced atoms, stars, and planets, biological evolution, conscious intelligence, and technology. And now we use all of that to claim on the internet that the Earth is flat, created six thousand years ago, and ruled by reptilian aliens?

Language: German and Austrian Sign Language interpretation

Location: Raiffeisen Lecture Hall

The lecture is fully booked online. Remaining places are available on site!

Leo Mühlfeld & Stefan Schönauer – AI in Science Futures

To shape our future, we must make it tangible. This workshop collectively explores the positive and negative influences AI can have in the context of scientific research.

What is AI when it’s thought beyond the chatbot? How can we concretely use it, and what could be the consequences? Together, as the "AI Supervisory Board," we create an open discussion space to raise new questions about speculative scenarios and use-cases of AI in science.

Through a creative, hands-on approach, we promote new ideas that go beyond known forecasts and can generate alternative perspectives.

No registration required.

Maximum number of participants: 25 people

Age: 14+
Language: German

Location: Workshop Room VISTA Lab

Come experiment with our Science Grandmas!

No registration required.

Age: 5 - 12
Language: German

Location: Central Building, Foyer

Building for Quantum: Film Screening and Discussion

In collaboration with the Civa Festival Vienna, VISTA presents an exciting discussion about the world of quantum computing. After decades of theory and experiments, this technology is approaching realization and promises applications in fields like healthcare, electronics, and finance. The panel begins with the screening of Building for Quantum (2025), a film by Marina Otero and Manuel Correa documenting the construction of Spain’s first quantum computing facility. The documentary explores both the physical and philosophical aspects of quantum architecture and reflects on the visions and challenges of this technology.

Following the screening, a discussion will take place, moderated by curator Ana Prendes, with contributions from Georgios Katsaros, Florian Aigner, Marina Otero, and Manuel Correa. The conversation will address the far-reaching implications of quantum computing, the challenges involved, and the role of artistic as well as critical practices in engaging with this new technological dimension.

Language: English interpreted into Austrian Sign Language

Location: Raiffeisen Lecture Hall

The Panel is fully booked online. Remaining places are available on site!

Miriam Adefris (she/her) is a harpist, sound artist, and composer living in London. She utilizes the analog harp sound and electronic processing, interested in textures and the interaction between sound and environment. Her solo performances are based on improvisation and composed structures, aiming to immerse the audience in an auditory experience. She combines various musical influences, including her studies of classical harp in Vienna and her immersion in London’s rich experimental and jazz music scene.

Recently, Miriam Adefris has gained attention beyond the UK through her creative collaborations with the electronic musician Floating Points, singer Ganayva, multi-instrumentalist Shabaka Hutchings, and others, with whom she has toured internationally and performed at various festivals and venues such as the Sydney Opera House, Knockdown Center New York, Primavera Barcelona, London Jazz Festival, Xjazz! Festival Berlin, Popfest Vienna, Transmissions Ravenna (IT), C2C Festival Torino (IT), and many others.

Location: Outdoor Stage