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Vienna, April 21, 2026 – On today’s UN World Day of Creativity and Innovation, the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is highlighting its new initiative, artloop. The program strengthens the connection between art, science, and societal transformation by specifically integrating artistic perspectives into research and innovation processes, thereby opening up new approaches to technological and societal issues.
After several years in which artistic perspectives have already been represented at AIT through the ARTTEC artist-in-residence program, artloop marks the next step in this development. The goal is to further deepen the dialogue between art and research and, through this, to develop new ways of thinking and new approaches to solving problems for industry and society. The program is developed by artloop curator Klaus Speidel in close collaboration with the management and the AIT communications team.
At the same time, artloop sees itself as a platform within AIT: The program makes the diversity of topics, methods, and perspectives within the organization more visible and fosters exchange across center and disciplinary boundaries. In this way, it creates new points of connection for collaboration and strengthens the dialogue between research, communication, and institutional development.
Art and Research in a Shared Process
At the heart of artloop for AIT lies the concept of an “artistic loop”: research projects are examined and further developed from new, sometimes unexpected perspectives. Art does not serve merely to illustrate research, but acts as an independent partner in the innovation process. This gives rise to new perspectives and approaches to solutions that neither science nor art could produce on their own.
At the same time, artloop aims to make a further contribution to strengthening the culture of innovation at AIT: through communication, workshops, exhibition formats, and the targeted use of artistic methods in everyday research.
“The arts and sciences both strive for insights and utilize creativity in different ways. When they collaborate, problems are viewed and described more comprehensively, ultimately leading to better innovations and solutions for people,” explains Klaus Speidel.
“In our scientific work at AIT, we must think beyond boundaries. With our artloop program, we use art as a catalyst to view research from new perspectives. Art and science are united by the fact that they not only analyze the future but also anticipate and help shape it – both are based on creativity and open up new ideas and solutions for society,” explains Andreas Kugi, Scientific Director of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology.
A Bridge Between Research and the Public
artloop plays a key role in AIT’s science, technology, and innovation communication. The program helps make complex topics such as artificial intelligence, decarbonization, and digital transformation understandable, vivid, and socially relevant. In this way, artloop fosters dialogue between research and the public and creates new approaches to future-oriented topics that affect both the economy and society.
“artloop represents a new form of corporate and communication culture within our organization. Through the lens of art, we can convey complex issues in a unique way – cohesively, accessibly, and in a form that suits AIT. I am delighted that art is thus becoming a relevant and integral part of our communication,” says Brigitte Bach, Managing Director and Spokesperson for the Management Board of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology.
Wall installation by Chiara de Eccher “AIT: Shaping tomorrow’s world”
In the spirit of a humanistic understanding of technology, artloop places people at the center of innovation processes. The program thus takes up the idea of “Human in the Loop” while simultaneously creating a space to reflect on technological developments in their social, ecological, and ethical dimensions.
This commitment is also evident within AIT itself: In April 2026, for example, Chiara de Eccher created “AIT: Shaping tomorrow’s world,” a large-scale wall installation that offers an artistic interpretation of AIT’s impact on industry and society. The current Impact Report also features an artistic perspective through Nikolaus Gansterer and his series “Objects Yet to Become.”
Furthermore, artloop builds on a series of successful collaborations, including those with Chris Noelle, Judith Fegerl, and Claudia Larcher. With its own program and a clear strategic focus, this approach is now being further developed and anchored at AIT for the long term.
Outlook
With artloop, the AIT is creating a new framework to strategically advance the connection between art, research, and societal impact. In the coming years, the program will be expanded through additional formats and will also be more strongly networked internationally.
About artloop
About the AIT