In the exhibition “The Darkness Is Coming II” we were invited by the Austrian collective Gesindel der Nacht from Berlin to Vienna. The collective plays an active role in advancing Vienna’s cultural scene and works in close collaboration with the art and cultural venue flucc. The site functions as an interface between art and rave culture, located near Praterstern. Upon invitation, Gloomy activated the space in a distinctive manner. Following the opening, the exhibition transformed into an immersive rave and musical experience.

On the one hand, this format granted Gloomy complete artistic freedom; on the other, it confronted us with the challenge of demonstrating our artistic capabilities beyond conventional exhibition spaces and the familiar framework of the white cube. In collaboration with the architect of Gesindel der Nacht, the idea emerged to fundamentally redefine the interior of the venue. After many intense nights of discussion and reflection, we arrived at the conclusion that an installation based on painted textiles would be particularly well suited to this context.

The concept brought together a redefined architectural approach, a desire for a classical exhibition experience, and the possibility of hosting a subsequent rave, while simultaneously addressing the question of how our artistic practice could be reanimated through a new material and technique. A total of 120 square meters of painted, fire-retardant fabric formed the core of the installation.

To complement the project, we invited Stridule to present a screening of his animated films; he had previously contributed a concert to our first exhibition. With Mit Catherine Spet (Visuals) and Anna Weninger (Temporary Tattoos) additional local positions were incorporated. The authors of the fabric installation are Keanu Sapadi und Nina Plášková.