Mental Load and Invisible Labour brings together international artists to explore the unseen structures of care, responsibility, and everyday organization. Spanning Bad Ischl, Venice, and Vienna, the exhibition transforms invisible work into visible, experiential forms—inviting reflection on how labour, attention, and social roles are distributed.

In this reflective piece, I explore how my work with plant painting goes beyond representation and becomes a way to question our relationship with nature. By connecting art, ecology, and social awareness, I invite a shift from a human-centered perspective toward a more interconnected understanding of life.

In STEELPLANTS, Ruth Mateus-Berr transforms industrial steel shavings into plant-like forms, revealing the hidden connections between material production, ecological vulnerability, and cycles of value.

This blog post summarizes key insights from a Stadt Wien webinar on the role of art in dementia care. It highlights how creative approaches—grounded in scientific research—can enhance communication, emotional connection, and quality of life for people living with dementia. The session emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration between art, science, and healthcare, offering practical inspiration for professionals and researchers in dementia care.

SAVE THE DATE: “LAPIANTA. LA MEMORIA E NOI. Tattiche di negoziazione per la pace nel mondo” 📍 Forum Austriaco di Cultura Roma Viale Bruno Buozzi 113, Rome 🗓 24 March — 17 April 2026 The exhibition explores the relationships between plants, memory, and human coexistence. At its center is the ongoing Floral Archive, a body of work inspired by historical florilegia—Renaissance plant books that combined science, observation, and imagination.

In April 2026, Bad Ischl will become the setting for a compelling multimedia exhibition in 2 venues curated and organized by Ina Loitzl and Daniela Auerbach. I am delighted to be part of this project as a participating artist and to contribute to an exhibition that invites visitors to engage with contemporary artistic perspectives in a dynamic and accessible way.

At KIWI-Kindergarten Steinergasse I in Vienna, a Science Ambassadors workshop invited children to imagine time travel through discussion and painting. The activity was part of the OeAD Young Science initiative connecting researchers with schools, in collaboration with TU Wien and the Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien.

Still inspired by our DESIGN TALKS in Cairo ✨ Thank you to the German University Cairo for hosting such an engaging session. @guc_egypt Sharing @demedarts work on dementia, multisensory art, and critical design at the workshop felt like opening a space for empathy, dialogue, and new ways of seeing. I’m grateful for the thoughtful questions and the energy in the room — it’s always inspiring to witness how design can connect sustainability, health, and human experience across c

From May 6–16, 2026, the exhibition MENTAL LOAD – Invisible Work in Bad Ischl brings together 34 international artists exploring the often unseen labor of organizing, caring, and planning daily life. Presented across Trinkhalle Bad Ischl, Sudhaus Bad Ischl, and Galerie Am Fluss Bad Ischl, the show invites reflection on invisible work in society.

Reflections from ICERI 2025 in Seville, where I chaired the Design Thinking session and presented on applied design thinking and ESD in STEAM subject didactics. Together with Julia Fromm and Paul Iby from the Zentrum Kunst Didaktik, we shared our research and gained new insights. Looking forward to continuing this dialogue at next week’s workshop at NABA in Milan.

The seminar on Sustainability through Storytelling in Film and Media brings together students from the University of Applied Arts Vienna (die Angewandte) with Valdibella cooperative in Sicily. Guided by John Dutton and me, participants explore how creative storytelling can inspire more sustainable ways of thinking and living. Set amidst Valdibella’s vineyards and community projects, the seminar connects art, ecology, and social engagement — showing how stories can cultivate a

Discover Precarious Archives of Memory, opening October 2, 2025 at Quinta da Cruz Contemporary Art Center, Viseu. Featuring works by Ruth Mateus-Berr and Pia Scharler, this exhibition explores memory and forgetting through paintings, drawings, installations, and photomontages

Ruth Mateus-Berr presents her keynote STEAAAAM – Art on par with STEM at the International Workshop on Bionic Engineering 2025 in Vienna, alongside her exhibition Florilegium, exploring endangered plants, ecological fragility, and the intersection of art, science, and technology in a living visual archive.

This participatory art performance invites the public to explore the emotional world of people living with dementia through creative expression. By engaging in simple artistic and performative actions, participants create a shared space for empathy, reflection, and dialogue. The workshop encourages observation, connection, and contribution, offering an open invitation to artists, students, caregivers, and anyone curious. No prior experience is required — only openness and int

My colleague Michael Schneider and his students from Tokyo Geidai University as well as students from Die Angewandte Vienna, after the...

Artists from all disciplines are invited to submit their work for the upcoming exhibition Mental Load and Invisible Work, which will be held from March 3–17, 2026, at the Trinkhalle Bad Ischl and the Sudhaus of Salinen Austria. This exhibition seeks to explore and raise awareness around the often-overlooked themes of mental load, invisible labor, and care work—topics that continue to affect individuals, particularly women and marginalized communities, in unseen but powerful w

Cordial invite to "RARE PLANTS" exhibition in Bad Ischl Exhibition duration: 25.04. until 05.05.2025 Opening: Friday 25.04.2025 6pm...

An extraordinary exhibition that combines artistic research & historical science centering around historic medical files from 1945 to 1947.