Since 2010, the artist collective Steinbrener/Dempf & Huber has been using the shop window front of its studio for its ‘Wandzeitung’ (wall newspaper) project. This public display of social discourse in Glockengasse/Rotensterngasse in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district is around 30 metres long and now has almost 60 editions.

In view of global political and social tensions, the wall newspaper increasingly sees itself as a platform for dialogue between artists, scientists, activists, NGOs and institutions. Every two months, topics such as social justice and migration will be discussed in public spaces, as will issues of freedom of expression and fake news, in order to reach as wide an audience as possible.

In Wall Newspaper #61 (30 January to 26 March 2026) historian Fritz Kallinger examines the emergence of social reportage in early 20th-century Vienna and its central role in the development of critical, independent journalism. ‘Look. From Max Winter's social reportage to the artistic dismantling of photographic objectivity’ takes a look at the early 20th century and links it to today's questions of media credibility. Kallinger shows how journalistic pioneers such as Max Winter established journalism as a social control mechanism through the systematic documentation of social injustices. Photographs by Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel from their influential photo book Evidence (1977) raise questions about the truthfulness of visual information and documentary evidence.

The art project Evidence is a milestone in conceptual art and appropriation art. Evidence questions the understanding of objectivity by removing seemingly neutral documentary photographs from institutional archives from their context, thus revealing their ambiguity. In the age of digital image processing, AI and disinformation, Evidence proves to be highly topical: it makes it clear that images are no longer clear-cut evidence, but must be read critically and questioned.

*** The wall newspapers at a glance ***

Wall Newspaper #59 looks at neoliberal economic policy and, until mid-November 2025, presents excerpts from the book 'Angst und Angstmacherei: Für eine Wirtschaftspolitik, die Hoffnung macht' ('Fear and Fearmongering: For an Economic Policy that Inspires Hope') with an artistic intervention by Michael Heindl.

Markus Marterbauer, Minister of Finance since 2025, and Martin Schürz, who has been researching wealth distribution for more than 20 years, make a case in the book published by Zsolnay in 2022 for high minimum standards in a better welfare state, wages that allow people to live well, and a limit on wealth. Michael Heindl's works from the series ‘God Helps Winners Only’ can be read as complementary visual commentaries on capitalist and neoliberal economics.

Wall Newspaper #60 (from 17 November 2025 until 27 January): ‘Migration Panic. How isolationist policies promote authoritarianism’ – Judith Kohlenberger/Lisl Ponger
Cultural scientist and migration researcher Judith Kohlenberger analyses the growing desire for a ‘strong hand’ in politics and tough measures in migration policy. Lisl Ponger offers an additional perspective with her work on stereotypes, racism and the construction of the gaze.

Wall Newspaper #61 (from 30 January until 26 March 2026): ‘Look. From Max Winter’s social reportage to the artistic dismantling of photographic objectivity’ – Fritz Kallinger / Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel
Historian Fritz Kallinger examines the emergence of social reportage in early 20th-century Vienna and its central role in the development of critical, independent journalism. Photographs by Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel from their influential photo book ‘Evidence’ (1977) raise questions about the veracity of visual information and documentary evidence.

Wall Newspaper #62 (March/April 2026): ‘A better world is not available at EDEKA’ – Goliath-Watch/ [artistic intervention to be announced]
The activist group wants to bring about change through a combination of lived alternatives, education, protest and politics. Only together can we achieve an economy that serves all people and nature. Supplemented by artistic works by Cordula Ditz.

Wandzeitung #63 (May/June 2026): ‘Against disposable architecture: building less, denser, more sustainably’ - Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani/GuerillaArchitects
Architect and urban scientist Lampugnani bases his reflections on sustainable building culture on the sketch of urban and architectural consumerism. The Berlin artist collective Guerilla Architects explores political, legal and spatial grey areas in interventions and socially critical projects.

Wall Newspaper #64 (July/August 2026): ‘Undisciplined Intelligence’ - Technopolitics
is a transdisciplinary platform consisting of artists, journalists, researchers, designers and developers. Against the backdrop of the increasing use of AI in our society, Technopolitics discusses the problematic, culturally influenced concept of ‘intelligence’.

Wall Newspaper #65 (September/October 2026): ‘The Cybernetic War Machine – Drone Warfare, Satellite Dependency and the New Vulnerability of the World Order’ – Günes Holler/Catrin Bolt
The sociologist, who works in Vienna and London, draws attention to the new reality of warfare with AI-controlled drone attacks and their dependence on commercial satellite services. With artistic interventions by Catrin Bolt.