Tomorrow's mobility! Artistic intervention in public space

In the workshop led by Stephanie Müller and Klaus Erika Dietl, an XXL zebra crossing – a mobile ‘keyboard of the city’ – served as the central symbol. Participants explored the city with all their senses and with the help of their imagination: What lies beneath the tarmac and what feelings do certain places evoke? The XXL zebra crossing was designed as a public stage, with each stripe individually and artistically designed. This resulted in ‘pavement stripes’ that reveal the wounds of the city, heal them and point to new possibilities for the future.

For Theresa Schütz's workshop WALDWERDEN! (Becoming Forest!), the quote ‘The word for world is forest’ (Ursula K. Le Guin) served as a starting point for thinking about streets not only as traffic areas, but also as social spaces that promote a good atmosphere, sensory experiences and communal togetherness. The participants embarked on a performative search for imaginary ‘forest cities’ and, inspired by the piece of music Sketch for Summer and artistic examples, developed their own forest sensors: sensory instruments that use our different senses to evoke surroundings such as canopy, forest floor and bird calls.

The highlight of the workshops unfolded in the city centre: a “piano zebra crossing” was rolled out onto the tarmac, demonstrating new forms of shared use of public space. At the same time, a second group moved through the streets beneath a large cloth as a “forest body” with extended feelers, inviting passers-by to experience the city in unfamiliar ways. The streets became shared spaces of encounter, rich in sensory impressions and creative visions of the future, as onlookers followed the artistic interventions with curiosity.

The results of the workshops will be incorporated into the exhibition ‘Social Streets! Streets and Squares for Everyone,’ which will open on 20th April 2026 in the foyer of the Mozarteum University (Mirabellplatz 1).