(No) Funny Games

In a world increasingly shaped by climate disasters, political upheaval, and social fragmentation, our most basic human needs — safety, care, connection — seem to be slipping away. What remains often feels cold, hostile, even cruel beyond comprehension. 

(No) Funny Games, part of the Klima Biennale Wien, confronts this uncomfortable reality head-on. The exhibition plays with surface beauty and apparent lightness—only to unravel darker undercurrents that lie beneath. These sitespecific works in public space create seductive, idyllic impressions that turn out to be deceptive. What first appears charming or joyful gradually reveals itself as a mirror to the discomfort of our time.

Drawing on references like Funny Games and Dr. Strangelove, the exhibition engages in a double game of irony and sincerity. It uses aesthetic allure to draw us in, only to challenge our emotional defenses and confront us with our shared complicity. Joy becomes an act of resistance; wonder a way to stay alive in dystopia. But the question remains: What kinds of worlds are we creating to make the real one bearable—and at what cost? 

(No) Funny Games not only questions the role of public art in times of crisis but also critiques how art is often instrumentalized in the context of climate discourse—without offering real solutions. These works break the fourth wall, inviting not passive consumption but emotional involvement and ethical reflection.

Artistic Positions
River Claure
Fotoserie
Nordbahnstraße 51, 1020
Hellwagstraße, 1200
Radetzkyplatz, 1030
Unter Weißgerberstraße, 1030
Kleine Pfarrgase / Taborstrauße U2 Station, 1020
Praterstern –Ausgang U2, 1020
Yppenplatz, 1160
Adele Perlmutter Platz / Praterstraße, 1020
Margaretenplatz, 1050

Dominik Eulberg & Marcin Nowicki
Sound Installation
Wiener Riesenrad

FutureLeaks
Performance
Karlsplatz
WIEN MITTE - Die Mall, 1030

Romuald Hazoumè
with museum in progress
Installation
Aspernbrücke, 1030 / Schwedenbrücke, 1020

Folke Köbberling, Maaaaash!
a contribution by KÖR Wien (Public Art Vienna)
Kunstplatz Karlsplatz, Rosa-Mayreder-Park

NEVERCREW
with Calle Libre
Mural
Baumgasse 77 (Building Wall), 1030

Margot Pilz
Installation
Karlsplatz, 1040

Eva Seiler
with Museumsquartier Wien
Installation
MQ Art Box, 1070

Pia Sirén
Installation
Karlsplatz, 1040

Zheng Mahler
Installation
Karlskirche am Karlsplatz, 1040

Partners Public Space
BWS Gemeinnützige allgemeine Bau-, Wohn- und Siedlungsgenossenschaft, reg. Gen.m.b.H.
Hengl Mineral GmbH
Karlskirche
Karlsplatz.org
Österreichische Bundesforste
SSO Garten & Planung GmbH
UniCredit Bank Austria
Wiener Festwochen
Wien Mitte The Mall
Wiener Stadtwerke

Activations Kaorle am Karlsplatz 2026
Art, cultural and educational institutions such as the Vienna State Opera, Karlskirche, the Vienna University of Technology, Wien Museum, the Secession, the Künstlerhaus Wien and other venues around Karlsplatz are participating in the activation of Margot Pilz's Kaorle am Karlsplatz 2026 with a diverse programme of events. Special tours, discussion formats and an educational programme will shed light on current issues relating to climate, cities and sustainability from artistic, spiritual and scientific perspectives. Musical performances and performative contributions put a spot on social aspects of the climate crisis and possible visions for the future. This creates a lively dialogue between art, the public and institutions, positioning Karlsplatz as a platform for climate awareness and transformation.

Programme Partners
HOPE Raumlabor @TU Wien I Kunst und Gestaltung
Karlskirche
Kunsthalle Wien
Künstlerhaus Vereinigung
NEST – Neue Staatsoper
Secession Vereinigung Bildender Künstler*innen Wien
Wien Museum
Wiener Staatsoper