Posted on: 6th November 2023

“If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired
Rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold
Recycled or composted
Then it should be restricted, redesigned
Or removed from production”.

We love this quote from activist and singer Pete Seeger, it really talks about circularity, like it is. The song helps us and who quietly creates in a way that gives back to nature. We should stop walking in circles when it comes to waste consumption in the cultural sector. 

Wonderland and Wohlmut Art Space collaborated for a dynamic urban lab as part of the EU-funded Erasmus Plus Project YE-2C (Youth Empowerment for Circular Cities) which aims to promote pathways to circular economy. WonderLAB, Circular Steps for Circular Culture is a series of events dedicated to raising awareness about the circular economy in the culture and arts industry in Vienna. It emphasizes the importance of reducing waste, reusing materials, and recycling resources to create a regenerative and sustainable culture and art scene.

We will explore circular approaches in culture sectors such as arts and exhibition, heritage management, and event organizations. WonderLAB will serve as a creative hub for brainstorming and experimentation, fostering discussions on how the artists and cultural workers can play a pivotal role in advancing circular practices in our cities.

Event program

WonderLAB’s ‘Circular Steps for Circular Culture event comprising three distinct components – talk, observe, and create – will delve into transnational perspectives on waste management, explore creative circularity stories within art and culture scenes, and connect with local and international artists showcasing circular designs along with video screenings, a fanzine workshop with recycled materials.

Day 1: Exploring Circularity: Transnational Perspectives on Waste

This day of events provides a unique perspective for participants to contribute to the comprehension of waste-related issues that extend beyond the EU’s borders. We delve into various forms of waste impacting urban residents’ lives, exploring the electronic waste management in Rotterdam and the waste management challenges and circularity practices in Indonesia, Yogyakarta. Following this, we’ll explore Iwan Wijono’s artworks, an Indonesian performing artist and activist through his artistic journey in creating plastic-based artworks with the Indonesian Upcycle Forum. This will be followed by an engaging dialogue on circularity in cultural projects regarding waste.

Date: 10. November. 2023 / 18.00, Friday

Format: Presentations and roundtable discussions

• 18.30 – 19.00: Welcome
• 19.00 – 19.15 Rubble and Heritage Circularity After Hatay Disaster, Batuhan Akkaya
• 19.15 – 19.30: E-Waste Recycling in Rotterdam:Insights from Y2-CE training, Daniela Bace  
• 19.30 -20.30: Circularity and Waste Management in Indonesia, Aysel Aycan Aktaş
• 20.00 – 20.15: Iwan Wijono: A Journey Through Eco-Art in Indonesia
• 20:00- 20:30: Discussion on Circularity in Cultural projects

Event Space: Wohlmut Wohlmutstraße 4, A-1020 Vienna

Day 2: EcoArt Hub: Sustainable Artistry

During the second day of the WonderLab Circular Economy Events, Özoglu will present his art pieces created between 2019 and 2022, closely linked to the development of the Wohlmut art space in Vienna’s 2nd district amid pandemic challenges.

We’ll also have discussions with filmmaker Yilmaz Vurucu, offering insights on climate effects and the reuse of a historical cinema building in Newcastle. Yilmaz will bring the participants up to date on the projects he’s currently working on as X-arts, including the BioYOuToon project, which aims to promote biodiversity conservation awareness among youth through the creation of comics, and CHAC, the CUltural and Historical Awareness for Active Citizenship project, which aims to introduce public and oral history methodologies to youth.

Date: 11. November.2023 – 15.00, Saturday

Format: Exhibition, workshop, Film Screening

• 18:00 – 18:30 : Exhibition : “Baby Elephant and Untitled selected works 2019 – 2022”,  Dayan Ozan Özoglu
• 18:30 – 19:00: Lecture by Ozan Özoglu: Creating an Art Space – The Wohlmut Story
• 19:00 – 19:10: Video 1 Interview with the artist Michele Allen, Yilmaz Vurucu
• 19:15 – 19:30: Video 2 The story of Star and Shadow Cinema, Yilmaz Vurucu
• 19:30 – 20:00: Interactive discussion on the videos with Yilmaz Vurucu

Day 3:  Circular Creativity: Closing Celebration and Fanzine Workshop with Deniz Beşer

The third day of the WonderLab is dedicated to celebrating circular creativity with Deniz Beşer. A zine is an independently published analogue medium, a self-produced and distributed publication. In the workshop, there will be a short introduction about the past and present developments of fanzines and self-publishing. Under the guidance of Deniz Beşer, we will learn the basics of making a zine – for example, how to prepare a page layout – and dabble in a number of folding tricks.

Date: 12. November.2023 – 15.00, Saturday

Format: workshop, online events

15:00 – 17:30 : Workshop with Deniz Beşer: Creating fanzines through reuse and redesign

17:30 – 18:30: Closing party with music, connecting, and an exhibition showcasing the fanzines created during the self-made fanzine workshop.