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Workshops

In three workshops, the Prater Galerie and Prater Digital teams – in collaboration with various experts – will explore the relationship between AI and water, both in theory and practice. The workshops are designed for different target and age groups. The knowledge shared and developed in these sessions forms part of a collective learning process within ORBIS PIXELORUM.
Details of the programme and further information will be published here and on the Prater Galerie website.

Workshop I, 10 May 2025 Sustanability in a Digital World – Water, Smartphones and Us

Workshop with Sarah Maske
for young people aged 11 to 15

Keen to explore digital sustainability and make a real difference?

Did you know your smartphone and social media use have far more to do with water than you might think? A single Google search or TikTok video doesn’t just consume electricity – it also uses a surprising amount of water.

In this workshop for young people, we’ll dive into how AI and streaming services contribute to the depletion of natural resources such as water and minerals. Guided by Sarah Maske, project manager for impact organisations and sustainability specialist, we’ll journey into the digital world – and not just with dry facts! Together, we’ll take part in exciting hands-on activities using both analogue and digital tools (like a water usage calculator) and take on fun challenges to explore how we can reduce our digital water footprint while still enjoying social media.

You’ll be encouraged to come up with creative solutions for making your digital habits more sustainable. Teamwork and enjoyment are guaranteed! Let’s think together about how smart apps, useful tips and sustainable choices can help us make a real impact. Join in and help us turn the digital world upside down!

Workshop II, 11 – 12 June 2025 Data’s Hidden Drain: Revealing Underwater Supply Networks through Mixed Reality

Workshop with Dagmar Schürrer,
for adults aged 18 and over

This hands-on two-day workshop led by artist Dagmar Schürrer will introduce participants to the development of spatial Mixed Reality (MR) applications using the Unity game engine. With the latest generation of Extended Reality headsets, we can create hybrid spaces where digital and physical realms blend almost seamlessly. Participants will gain a foundational understanding of how this technology works and get practical insights into MR development – no programming experience required. We’ll take as our conceptual starting point the search for accessible metaphors to help communicate the growing water consumption driven by AI technologies. Through the MR experience, participants will make water supply systems visible and interactive, using modular systems of digital objects to build and explore hybrid environments. The workshop opens up new perspectives on this urgent topic through immersive visualisation.

Workshop III – 7 September 2025, during the Summer Festival at Kulturinsel

Reflexions – Artistic Dialogues on AI and Water

Workshop with NADINE KOLODZIEY, open to all age groups

Participants will step into an Augmented Reality (AR) oasis created by artist Nadine Kolodziey, where AI systems and water resources coexist in a fragile balance. Every creative action shifts this equilibrium – a meeting of innovation and responsibility. The aim is to raise awareness of how technological developments, especially AI, influence our use of natural resources.

At the heart of this interactive experience are two analogue cubes, each with six uniquely designed faces. These produce 36 possible combinations, each acting as a visual AR ‘image anchor’ to trigger collectible 3D objects. But every action comes at a cost – each combination consumes water. If too much is used, the oasis transforms into a mirage and disappears from the digital landscape.

This workshop merges art, technology and environmental awareness in a participatory experience. Participants are invited to reflect playfully on the idea of sustainable innovation: Could AI actually help conserve resources? The workshop offers a space to explore the tensions between consumption, utility, curiosity and the preservation of our ecosystems.  

Biographies: Workshop Leaders

Sarah Maske

is a sustainability enthusiast, strategic thinker and creative spirit.
As an independent curator, publisher and sustainability manager, she is committed to resource-conscious working and production methods. Her projects, which span a variety of media, imagine a world where humans are not at the centre of everything. She is particularly passionate about giving a platform to quieter voices. Most recently, she successfully built a sustainable publishing house with responsible supply chains.

Photo credits: Fabio Noio

Dagmar Schürrer

works in the field of Expanded Animation and XR (Extended Reality) technologies. Her artistic practice is often inspired by scientific concepts from biology and neuroscience. In her hybrid works, she connects these themes with technologies like XR and AI, digital worldbuilding and poetic interpretations of human consciousness and its connection to the environment. By combining layered animations with spatial multimedia installations, she creates contemplative spaces for reflecting on the evolving relationship between technology and perception.

Photo credits: Dagmar Schürrer

Nadine Kolodziey

works primarily with Augmented Reality. She has taught for several years at the University of Art and Design in Offenbach and brings extensive workshop experience from both cultural institutions and the corporate world. Her artistic practice explores how depictions of nature can reoccupy physical space through AR in immersive ways. Her work frequently draws on motifs like plants, seeds and water.

Photo credits: Ole Witt