Liquid Tools for River Fiction

‘Before — once you think about it, surely long before — the weapon, a late, luxurious, superfluous tool; long before the useful knife and ax; right along with the indispensable whacker, grinder, and digger — for what’s the use of digging up a lot of potatoes if you have nothing to lug the ones you can’t eat home in — with or before the tool that forces energy outward, we made the tool that brings energy home.’ Ursula K. Le Guin

Liquid tools for River Fiction was a workshop with Arts & Science department at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, 6th- 8th April 2022

Last year we  had the most amazing time with MA Art and Science students at the University of Applied Arts Vienna with three days of workshops. In Liquid Tools for River Fiction, we explored our relation with the Danube through creating tools. We discussed how tools can establish, shift or reshape the relationship between us and the Danube. With ArtScience students we tried to transform found objects into materialised, ephemeral and latent tools; tools to connect, to act, to enact, tools to carry stories.

We started our days with dry swimming exercises. Then we talked about the liquid tools and the sturgeons with @christinatgruber. We walked around and paddled along the Danube at the Danube National Park @np_donau_auen

Special thanks to Valerie Deifel from MA Art & Science for the organisation and support, Christina Gruber for the insightful introduction to sturgeons and National Park Dona Auen for the inspiring excursion.

Cover image: “Practicing Spring” by Yuqi Zhou from BA Trans Arts and Sabrina Rosina from MA Art & Science.