VIENNA CONVERSATIONS
Phileas – The Austrian Office for Contemporary Art launches new platform for global dialogue and collaboration
From 11 – 13 June 2025, Vienna became the meeting point for a diverse group of international art institutions from 18 countries around the world, as Phileas – The Austrian Office for Contemporary Art hosted the VIENNA CONVERSATIONS. The three-day gathering brought together leaders from public and private funding bodies and international art organisations to explore shared challenges, spark new ideas, and build long-term relationships.
Designed as a forum for open dialogue rather than a formal conference, the event invited institutions to learn from one another’s approaches, compare models, and reflect on their roles in an increasingly complex global cultural landscape. By convening organisations with diverse structures and contexts, VIENNA CONVERSATIONS reflects central objectives of Phileas: to foster mutual understanding, cross-border collaboration, as well as long-term thinking and sustainability.
Participating organisations included Acción Cultural Española (Spain), Adam Mickiewicz Institute (Poland), Arts Council Korea (South Korea), Catapulta. A Launchpad for Contemporary Spanish Art (Spain), Contemporary HUM (New Zealand), Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art (Estonia), Flanders Arts Institute (Belgium), FRAME Contemporary Art (Finland), IASPIS/The Swedish Arts Grants Committee (Sweden), Kultur | lx Arts Council (Luxembourg), Ministry of Culture of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (Visual Arts) (Belgium), Mondriaan Fonds (Netherlands), National Center for Art Research (Japan), Office for Contemporary Art (Norway), Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia (Switzerland), SAHA (Turkey), and Trampoline, Association in support of the French art scene (France), as well as contributions by Camden Art Centre (UK) and International Studio & Curatorial Program ISCP (USA).
VIENNA CONVERSATIONS was made possible through funding support by the Federal Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media, and Sports and the City of Vienna | Kultur. With additional support by Altmann & Kühne, Vienna Tourism, Zwettler, mumok - Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Vöslauer, and Anker.
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“The VIENNA CONVERSATIONS proved to be an ideal starting point for deepening connections between sister organisations working to foster international exchanges and friendships. The way forward should be guided by more collaboration, and building on the conversations in Vienna, we can continue to shape a future where we strengthen art’s role in societies and communities worldwide.” - Ruben Steinum, Director of OCA – Office for Contemporary Art Norway
“The art world has expanded globally, with a plethora of museum exhibitions, traveling exhibitions, biennials, commissions, and catalogue publications—all of which involve the movement of large numbers of people and artworks. With rising costs of transportation, construction materials, and energy, only a very limited number of institutions have sufficient budgets. In this context, expectations for organizations which support the arts have increased, while public funding is often being reduced. Under these circumstances, I am extremely grateful to Phileas for initiating this valuable opportunity for arts-supporting organisations from around the world to gather. Through face-to-face networking, we learned from each other's best practices, and many seeds were planted for future collaborations.” - Mami Kataoka, Director of National Center for Art Research, Japan
“Continuous exchange, regular networking, and personal encounters are essential for internationally active funding institutions such as Pro Helvetia. Our collaboration with Phileas on the realisation of our respective national pavilions at the Gwangju Biennale 2026 is a direct result of such dialogues. The VIENNA CONVERSATIONS create a space where doors are opened, new ideas emerge, and sustainable collaborations begin.” – Philippe Bischof, former Director of Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia
“VIENNA CONVERSATIONS laid the groundwork for a lasting platform of cooperation among peers in the field of contemporary art. This is a space to listen, to ask questions, and to imagine new ways of working together. The fact that so many colleagues travelled from across the world to attend is a strong signal that there is a need for this kind of exchange. It was a great honour to host everyone in Vienna and I’m looking forward to building on the connections we’ve all made.” - Margherita Belcredi, Director of Phileas – The Austrian Office for Contemporary Art