The second Vienna Local Urban Lab (LUL 2) within the European cooperation project Turning the Tide, implemented by the Wiener Bildungsakademie, explored how we perceive, understand, and interact with water in an urban context shaped by climate change.
Bringing together the artistic practices of Daniel Böswirth and Daniil Sukhov, LUL 2 focused on water not only as a physical resource but as a medium of perception, transformation, and reflection.
Rethinking Water Through Artistic Practice
The work of Daniel Böswirth approached water as a sensory and conceptual phenomenon. His artistic process focused on observation, subtle transformation, and the relationship between material and perception.
Rather than presenting water as a static element, Daniel Böswirth explored its dynamic qualities, how it changes, reflects, and interacts with its environment. His work invited viewers to slow down and reconsider how they perceive natural processes that are often taken for granted.
Through installations and process-based approaches, he created situations in which water becomes visible not through spectacle, but through attention.
Water as Movement, Image, and Narrative
In contrast, Daniil Sukhov approached water through film and visual storytelling.
His work combines documentary observation with artistic interpretation, focusing on the relationship between urban environments and natural systems. Moving images become a tool to capture the presence of water in everyday life; its rhythms, its transformations, and its role within the city.
Through his filmic work, Daniil Sukhov highlights how water shapes both space and perception, creating a narrative that connects ecological awareness with visual experience.
The resulting works were presented in formats that allowed audiences to engage with water not only intellectually, but also emotionally and visually.
From Observation to Experience
A key strength of LUL 2 lies in the way both artists translate observation into experience.
While Daniel Böswirth works with material presence and subtle interventions, Daniil Sukhov creates visual narratives that unfold over time. Together, their approaches expand the understanding of water beyond utility, towards a deeper awareness of its complexity.
Through workshops, presentations, and public formats facilitated by the Wiener Bildungsakademie, audiences were invited to engage with these perspectives and reflect on their own relationship to water.
Participation and Exchange
Participation played an important role in LUL 2.
Both Daniel Böswirth and Daniil Sukhov engaged with participants through:
- discussions and presentations
- process-based interactions
- shared reflections on water and environment
These formats created spaces in which artistic research and public experience intersected, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of environmental issues.
Connecting Local Water Systems with European Perspectives
The results of LUL 2 were presented within the framework of Turning the Tide, connecting the local context of Vienna with broader European discussions on water, climate, and urban transformation.
Through the work of the Wiener Bildungsakademie, the artistic approaches of Daniel Böswirth and Daniil Sukhov became part of a wider exchange of knowledge and practices across Europe.
Why LUL 2 Matters
LUL 2 demonstrates that water is not only a resource to be managed, but also a phenomenon to be understood and experienced.
Through the works of Daniel Böswirth and Daniil Sukhov, water becomes:
- visible in its transformations
- tangible through artistic processes
- meaningful within urban life
By expanding how we perceive water, Turning the Tide, together with the Wiener Bildungsakademie, creates new ways of thinking about sustainability and environmental responsibility.
