Evalie Wagner's avantgarden: An Immersive Art Installation at the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna

Avantgarden is an art installation by artist Evalie Wagner, transforming the systematic order of plants from the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna into a sensory, walkable herbarium. The immersive work is located in the Kalthaus (cool greenhouse) and explores the complexity of understanding nature through intellect.

The installation 'avantgarden' by artist Evalie Wagner reimagines the purpose and perception of botanical gardens. Historically, these gardens aimed to catalogue and understand the plant world through systematic order and research. Wagner's intervention shifts this perspective by transforming the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna's plant collection into a sensory, immersive experience. Located within the large Kalthaus (cool greenhouse), 'avantgarden' functions as a walkable herbarium. It moves beyond mere botanical classification to create an expansive plant atlas that interweaves the visible with the imagined. This work probes the complexities of attempting to grasp nature solely through intellectual means, inviting visitors to engage with the cultivated natural environment in a new, sensual way. The artist's practice, 'Avantgardening,' oscillates between poetics and concept, creating visual metaphors that question societal issues and contemporary concerns.

The exhibition is located in the Kalthaus of the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna. Admission to the exhibition is free. A vernissage took place on July 1st, with advance registration requested via phone. Entry is via the main entrance at Mechelgasse 2.