ipsum - interkultureller Kunstverein

National Network
Austria
Address

Thelemangasse 5/10
A-1170 Vienna
Vienna
Austria

Telephone
0043/650/6208242
E-Mail
erik@ipsum.at
E-Mail (2)
katrin@ipsum.at
Mobile Phone
0043/650/6208242
Website
http://www.ipsum.at
Organisation Type
Non-Governmental Organization
Year of Establishment
2005
Fields of Activity
  1. Arts
  2. Heritage
  3. International/Cultural relations
  4. Media
  5. Youth and education
General Information
ipsum is a registered Austrian association (Verein). The staff is project-oriented organized and paid (4-8). The association´s board works mainly voluntarily. Budgetary resources depend on specific projects (2008: 35.000€, 2009: expected to be 50.000€) and are funded by the City of Vienna, the governmental organization ADA (Austrian Development Agency) and other NGOs and local partners. ipsum accomplishes concrete projects in the form of workshops, exhibitions, seminars and activities in public space. The basis of all of these actions is intercultural dialogue through pictures. Main partners are Südwind Agency (Vienna), Sanjan Nagar Institute of Philosophy and Arts (Lahore), Südwind Salzburg and local partners depending on specific projects.
Mission and Objectives

The association of ipsum acts in both cultural and educational domains. All activities implemented are characterized by two aspects: self-expression and interpersonal exchange – beyond cultural, political, linguistic, religious and geographical borders.
All projects implemented since 2003 share one common basis:
A fair and conscious approach towards photography enables the fair trade of photos, while generating an intercultural dialogue around the images.
3 pillars of ipsum:
1. Conscious approach towards images/photography
2. Dialogue in pictures
3. Fair trade/handling with photography
5 targets of ipsum:
1. ipsum encourages people in countries of the South and North to tell their own stories through pictures.
2. ipsum elicits insights into different realities and ways of life
3. ipsum broadens perspectives within global photography reporting
4. ipsum discusses and promotes the fair and conscious handling of pictures
5. ipsum aims at a fair trade with pictures

Main Projects / Activities

To implement the 5 targets ipsum organizes workshops, seminars and exhibitions.
In the workshops the participants are encouraged to express themselves and tell their stories through photography. The different stories are discussed in a heterogeneous group which enables the participants to get an insight into other realities.
At the end of every workshop an exhibition is planned where each participant can choose whether he/she wants to present his/her pictures.
Subsequent exhibitions in Austria provide the public with an insight into a broad and diverse world of images that has been created by workshop-participants. An active and conscious reflection on pictures is made possible in seminars, through activities in public space (based on posters and interviews) and via the internet.
Following ipsum-workshop and exhibition have been implemented:
Angola 2003
Austria 2004
Pakistan 2004
Austria 2005
Pakistan 2005
Afghanistan 2006
Austria 2008

Contact (1) Full Name
DI Erik Hörtnagl
Head of the organisation
Vera Brandner
Contact (2) Full Name
Katrin Meßner