(Un)conference “Creating the culture we want / Building the infrastructures we need”
Creative Days Vienna 2026. Part of Vienna UP.
An (un)conference for creatives, cultural workers and critical thinkers to re-imagine the media, communities and platforms shaping our lives.
In 2026 we are navigating radical change. It’s widely understood that social media, AI and other digital tool, platform or medium is not neutral. This infrastructure defines how culture is created, distributed and monetized. Building the culture we want requires a shift in mindset, and in action.
To find solutions and build alternatives, we’re inviting Vienna’s creative community to a half‑day gathering. In an (un)conference format with a limit of 120 participants, the afternoon begins with lightning talks followed by workshops.
Inputs come from activists, researchers and social innovators: Nadia Piet (AIxDesign, Amsterdam), Calum Bowden (Trust, Berlin) and Christie Morgan (SOFTER, London). Their perspectives provide a set of references to explore the role of emerging institutions, communities, media, platforms and tools alongside rapid technological and societal transformation.
Participants choose topics, join discussion groups and share outcomes. Our goal is to empower them with inspiration, knowledge and agency to build alternatives that meet the needs of their communities and the creative industries.
Apply here.
See the full program of the Creative Days Vienna 2026 here.
PROGRAM
1.30 pm
Doors open at Funkhaus Vienna
1.45 pm
Welcome to the (Un)Conference at Creative Days Vienna 2026
Introduction by Elisabeth Noever Ginthör, Director of Creative Industries and Heinz Wolf of Creative Days Vienna.
2.00 pm
Navigating the Post-Naive Internet
Introduction by Severin Matusek (co-curator Creative Days 2026, founder at co—matter).
2.15 pm
Lightning talk 1: Nadia Piet (Founder AI X Design)
Nadia researches alternative approaches to living and working with AI beyond mainstream tech-driven views. She questions how the future of media is shaped through AI and collectively researches & practices new perspectives such as Small AI, Ancestral AI, and Esoteric AI as ways to “imagine and craft the worlds we cannot live without, just as we dismantle the ones we cannot live within.” (Ruha Benjamin)
2.30 pm
Lightning talk 2: Calum Bowden (Researcher, writer, designer and co-founder of Trust)
Trust is a community and space for utopian conspirators in Berlin. Calum researches and is actively involved in the development of collaborative networks driving systems change through culture and technology. Trust is a 1,500+ member community with 8 years of incubating experimental work at the intersection of art and technology. It builds new aesthetics, governance models, tools, and digital commons to prototype alternative futures.
2.45 pm
Lightning talk 3: Christie Morgan 3D artist and Creative Director of SOFTER
SOFTER is a movement for shaping softer digital futures. Her work aims to re-imagine how digital and physical platforms make us feel and how values such as care, empathy, community, collaboration and multiplicity are the path towards equal opportunities to learn and practice digital tools for the future.
3.00 pm
Workshops
Participants choose from various topics and join discussion groups to explore ideas collectively.
5.00 pm
Final reflection
A brief presentation of the workshop outcomes followed by closing words, offering participants a moment to share insights and wrap up the afternoon together.
5.30 pm
Networking / Food / Experiences @ Funkhaus Vienna
Participants are invited to network and connect over food and drinks. This informal space is meant for exchanging insights from the Unconference and beyond, meeting fellow creatives, and experiencing installations before the evening program begins.
6.00 pm
Content Vienna Talk & Screenings: Merve Sahin and Total View
Two Content Vienna-awarded projects present how digital tools uncover hidden layers of cities, architecture and society. “Merging Visions” and “Sensing Sinicization” are introduced through short talks and videos, offering insights into artistic and investigative digital practices. Find more information about the event here.
Expert
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Contact
Questions about the event? Please contact us.
