Friday, November 7, 7 pm: Lecture by Georg Schöllhammer on the exhibition Stefan Bertalan: I have lived with a sunflower for 130 days
The artistic practice of Stefan Bertalan (1930-2014) developed at an unconventional intersection of technical rationality, natural philosophical thinking and the political present. As co-founder of the experimental artist group Sigma in Timișoara and as head of an interdisciplinary laboratory at the university there, he explored new forms of structural work in the 1960s and 1970s that intertwined art, architecture, science and cybernetic models. In his later notebooks, the focus shifted: the mathematically precise studies and growth models gave rise to poetically condensed ecological cosmologies dedicated to the movements of plants, leaves, light and wind. This way of thinking in and with nature is surprisingly topical today, given the ecological crises and the search for alternative knowledge systems.
Georg Schöllhammer is a curator, author and editor in Vienna. He is the founder and publisher of springerin and director of tranzit.at. He has worked internationally on cultural projects including documenta, Manifesta and several biennials.
The roundtable is part of the event series Plant Talks from 6-15.11.2025 with a roundtable, role play, guided tour and workshop on the two exhibitions Stefan Bertalan I have lived with a sunflower for 130 days and Plants_Intelligence.
Further dates of the Plant Talks event series:
Thursday, 6.11.2025, 7 p.m.
Discussion on communication with plants with Prof. Dr. Peter Nick, KIT and Dr. Yvonne Volkart, FHNW
Saturday, 8.11.2025, 2-6 p.m.
The language of plants, experimental role play (LARP) with Roman Schramm
Wednesday, 12.11.2025, 6 p.m.
Guided tour through the exhibitions Stefan Bertalan: I have lived with a sunflower for 130 days and Plants_Intelligence
Saturday, 15.11.2025, 10.30-16 h
Encounter with plants and images for a day, workshop with Tobias Kraft
Both exhibitions can be seen until 23.11.2025.
Admission to all events is free, we look forward to seeing you!
The artistic practice of Stefan Bertalan (1930-2014) developed at an unconventional intersection of technical rationality, natural philosophical thinking and the political present. As co-founder of the experimental artist group Sigma in Timișoara and as head of an interdisciplinary laboratory at the university there, he explored new forms of structural work in the 1960s and 1970s that intertwined art, architecture, science and cybernetic models. In his later notebooks, the focus shifted: the mathematically precise studies and growth models gave rise to poetically condensed ecological cosmologies dedicated to the movements of plants, leaves, light and wind. This way of thinking in and with nature is surprisingly topical today, given the ecological crises and the search for alternative knowledge systems.
Georg Schöllhammer is a curator, author and editor in Vienna. He is the founder and publisher of springerin and director of tranzit.at. He has worked internationally on cultural projects including documenta, Manifesta and several biennials.
The roundtable is part of the event series Plant Talks from 6-15.11.2025 with a roundtable, role play, guided tour and workshop on the two exhibitions Stefan Bertalan I have lived with a sunflower for 130 days and Plants_Intelligence.
Further dates of the Plant Talks event series:
Thursday, 6.11.2025, 7 p.m.
Discussion on communication with plants with Prof. Dr. Peter Nick, KIT and Dr. Yvonne Volkart, FHNW
Saturday, 8.11.2025, 2-6 p.m.
The language of plants, experimental role play (LARP) with Roman Schramm
Wednesday, 12.11.2025, 6 p.m.
Guided tour through the exhibitions Stefan Bertalan: I have lived with a sunflower for 130 days and Plants_Intelligence
Saturday, 15.11.2025, 10.30-16 h
Encounter with plants and images for a day, workshop with Tobias Kraft
Both exhibitions can be seen until 23.11.2025.
Admission to all events is free, we look forward to seeing you!
This text was translated by an AI.
