Thank you Bad Ischl! MENTAL LOAD
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Ina Loitzl & Daniela Auerbach infront of the venue in Bad Ischl, © Ruth Mateus-Berr
A Reflection on Mental Load & Invisible Labour: Looking Back at the Exhibition in Bad Ischl
at the Trinkhalle, Sudhaus der Salinen Austria, Galerie Am Fluss
When the Invisible Takes Shape
From 6 to 16 May 2026, Mental Load & Invisible Labour transformed Bad Ischl into a space of reflection, dialogue, and artistic exchange. Across the historic Trinkhalle, the Sudhaus der Salinen Austria, and Galerie Am Fluss, the exhibition invited visitors to engage with a subject that touches almost every aspect of our daily lives yet often remains unseen: the invisible work of caring, organizing, planning, remembering, and carrying responsibility. The project brought together an international group of artists who explored these themes through painting, sculpture, installation, performance, photography, and video.
Three Venues – One Shared Narrative
One of the defining characteristics of the exhibition was its presentation across multiple locations, each contributing its own history and atmosphere.
The monumental architecture of the Sudhaus der Salinen Austria evoked the region's industrial heritage and histories of labour and production. The Trinkhalle, a landmark of Bad Ischl's cultural identity, offered a contrasting setting where contemporary artistic positions entered into dialogue with a site deeply rooted in the city's history. Together with Galerie Am Fluss, the three venues created a journey through the city in which the exhibition unfolded as a layered and immersive experience rather than a single destination.
Curating a Collective Conversation
As curator, together with Daniela Auerbach and Anita Kern, my intention was not only to present artworks but to create a platform where personal experiences intersect with broader social structures.
The concept of mental load extends beyond domestic life. It raises questions about recognition, care, responsibility, and the invisible systems that sustain families, institutions, and societies. The participating artists approached these themes from diverse perspectives, revealing how invisible labour shapes identities, relationships, and public life.
What emerged was a polyphonic exhibition that resisted simple answers while opening space for empathy, discussion, and critical reflection.
A Strong Regional Resonance
The exhibition was warmly received by visitors and became part of the cultural discourse in Bad Ischl and the wider Salzkammergut region. Its interdisciplinary approach, educational programme, and public discussions highlighted the importance of making invisible labour visible and fostered dialogue across generations and audiences.
By connecting contemporary artistic practice with the legacy of Bad Ischl – Salzkammergut European Capital of Culture 2024, the project demonstrated how art can engage with pressing social questions while remaining deeply connected to place and community.
Beyond Bad Ischl
Although the exhibition in Bad Ischl has concluded, its journey continues.
Mental Load & Invisible Labour has evolved into an ongoing platform that continues to travel between institutions and audiences. Selected works are currently on view at Palazzo Mora as part of the European Cultural Centre's Venice Biennale 2026, while further presentations—including at VHS Donaustadt x kleine galerie and within the Angewandte Festival at the University of Applied Arts Vienna—extend the conversation into new cultural and educational contexts.
A Personal Thank You
Looking back, I am deeply grateful to all participating artists, collaborators, partner institutions, sponsors, and visitors who contributed to making this project possible.
Mental Load & Invisible Labour was never intended as a fixed exhibition but as an evolving conversation. Every venue, every encounter, and every discussion has added another layer to the project, proving that contemporary art can make visible not only what is hidden but also what connects us.
As the exhibition continues its international journey, the conversations that began in Bad Ischl remain at its heart.
The Artists
At the centre of Mental Load and Invisible Labour are the participating artists, whose works articulate, question, and transform the conditions of invisible labour.
Participating artists:
@die4grazien feat. @christianespatt
Amanda Bravo
Robert Cambrinus
David Carol Fedders
Edo Amelie Katavic
Sarah Kretschmer
Lena Mayringer
Susanne Meerwald-Stadler Veronika Merklein Wolfgang Miksits
Paula Peters
@schottenringding Lena Reutenauer Jonas Rottmann
Alexandra Rusz
karo_sams
Gabriele Schuller @kunstnomadin
Christiane Spatt
Astrid Starrermayr @artby_as
Gertraude Stüger
Golnaz Walamotamed
Their contributions form a polyphonic field—one that resists simplification and insists on multiplicity.
Thanks and Acknowledgements
This exhibition is the result of sustained collaboration across institutions, disciplines, and locations.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to:
the City of Bad Ischl, especially Mayor Ines Schiller, and all local partners (Salzkammergut Bad Ischl)
the European Cultural Centre (ECC), including Micaela Skerl, Lucia Pedrana, and their team
the University of Applied Arts Vienna, particularly Rector Ulrike Kuch and Vice-Rector Maria Zettler
the Angewandte Festival team, especially Lena Kohlmayr, Zentrum Didaktik für Kunst und interdisziplinären Unterricht
Salinen Austria
Special thanks to:
Daniela Auerbach (Galerie am Fluss)
Anita Kern (curatorial and graphic support)
Christina Carli (funding and organisation)
Michaela Schober (editing)
Orna Baumgartner, Ebba Fransén Waldhör, Isabel Kranz (support)
Tanja Prušnik (President, Künstlerhaus Wien) and Günther Oberhollenzer (Curator, Künstlerhaus Wien)
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the sponsors:
Hubert Achleitner (Hubert von Goisern)
Jakob Reitinger (Regensburg Tourism)
The Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs
Forum Austriaco di Cultura Milano
Kultur Oberösterreich
Regensburg Tourismus GmbH
And finally, our deepest thanks to all ARTISTS, contributors—named and unnamed—whose commitment has made it possible to bring this topic into visibility.
Toward Visibility
Mental Load and Invisible Labour understands artistic practice as a form of knowledge production. It demonstrates how complex social conditions can be translated into form, experience, and public discourse.
The exhibition does not resolve the tensions it reveals.Instead, it holds them open.
Between visibility and invisibility.Between individual and structure.Between care and exhaustion.
And in doing so, it invites us not only to see differently—but to reconsider how responsibility, labour, and attention are shared.
Curated by Ruth Mateus-Berr, Anita Kern, Daniela Auerbach
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