Finally, summer! Windows closed, curtains closed, hiding in the darkest corner of my room to preserve the last bits of sanity. Trying to cool down in this heat seems to be as efficient as explaining to people that being skinny is not always a choice. As being not skinny is not always a choice either. A conversation that comes up more regularly during the summer break – aka body-shamers paradise, or anytime during the doctor's appointment.
Read MoreFinally, reopening!
Yes, at the beginning of this month, we too were allowed to open our doors again, just in time to have at least a soft opening of our collaborative group show Shame Shouldn't Be A Symptom.
And while we embrace the joy of getting back to normal, we are also trying to keep in mind how privileged that "normal" is. At least, for some of us. Last month we said no shame, and indeed, there is no shame in being white or male or straight, cis-gender, or just an EU citizen living in a developed western European country. But an important note is there is also no pride in it.
Read MoreFinally, no shame!
But first, TRIGGER WARNING!
Despite having already touched on some sensitive topics in the past, this month’s edition goes a bit over our usual amount of “everything that’s wrong (and right and somewhere in between) with the world”.
Participating in Mental Health Awareness Month again, this issue speaks about (but not solely on) suicidal thoughts and suicide – an act that carries even heavier stigma than other symptoms.
As mental health is deeply interconnected with other social phenomena, one of our external contributors sheds more light on Femicide, the murder of women for the reason of being women.
Finally, daylight saving time! (Just kidding)
Yes, once again, we messed up our natural biorhythms to preserve the over 100-year-old attempt to make war cheaper; by losing an hour of sleep. Brilliant.
So, first, we excluded ourselves from the symbiotic wholeness of Earth’s ecosystem. Then, we created the monetary system; another tool for excluding each other from the new system. Then, we tried to make killing each other over that system cost less by saying it’s 7AM instead of 6AM.
I mean…truly, human kind deserves its place at the top of the food chain.
Read MoreWhether you call it winter blues or seasonal affective disorder, the end of February brings a promise that it’s finally over. Unless you have the opposite pattern of SAD and spring brings you into a downward spiral after months of calm. In that case, just know that you’re going to pull through and the world turns grey again soon. But if your well-being is more “being” than “well” no matter what the weather looks like, know that you’re doing great too! And when your brain gets confused about creating serotonin again, let alone how to keep it running long enough for you to notice, reach out!
Read MoreSo much excitement for this new year as if the virus promised to disappear with the stroke of midnight. It’s the end of the first month and what we have instead is its new mutation, neverending lockdown, rich people cutting the line for a vaccination and Austria celebrating Holocaust Memorial Day by deporting fully integrated families with children who were born in the country and can’t even speak their parents’ mother tongue.
Read MoreThe cycle of the calendar year is almost over. Coincidentally, we started and will finish the year 2020 with an altar in our gallery space.
Read MoreIn this edition we do not only want to show you our real obsessions, but also our obsessions‘ obsessions. What do those who we admire admire? What makes them burn? We want to explore the passion that sparks a fire.
Read MoreImproper Walls stands against racism, police brutality and social inequality. We demand justice for all victims of systemic oppression. We are committed to using our platform to support anti-racism.
Read MoreSharing with you list of links and resources from some of our own favourite platforms, places we went to gain more knowledge, understand, discuss, donate and support.
Read MoreIn this special edition dedicated to our 6th anniversary, we decided to focus on identities. Taking our own identities into account as being a measure of our personal and collective growth, we spoke with artists, musicians, a fashion designer and a philosopher about their takes on it.
Read MoreImproper Walls just celebrated our 6th birthday. Therefore we asked our whole team: Ale, Elisabeth, Elizabeth, Kata and Barbora, Urtė and Justina (read our "script" in the previous post), to contribute to this edition. Our question is how Improper Walls (being placed in this environment) shaped and shapes who we are. The answers made us cry and our hearts melt. We love you!
Read MoreThis week we reached out to some of our favourite Viennese collectives (and individuals) to ask them, how are they doing/coping/adapting to these strange times we are all still experiencing.
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