BLESS
Phileas, Opernring 17, Vienna
16 May – 13 September 2025
BLESS N°72 BLESSlet, 2022. Installation view at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin 2022. Photo: Frank Sperling
Opening in May 2025, Phileas will present a site-specific intervention by the duo BLESS. Ines Kaag and Desiree Heiss, who describe themselves as situational designers, have been working together on transdisciplinary projects since 1997, merging fashion, art, design, architecture, business and social practice. Their interventions typically respond to specific locations and situations, as they create products that not only furnish and comment on our daily lives but also offer alternative options to rethink our approach to life and work, both mentally and physically.
One topic that has long preoccupied BLESS is the declining motivation for respectful interpersonal interactions and mutual recognition. The situational design developed for Phileas involves the creation of a "Centre for Appreciation" with its own currency. This newly developed currency is intended not to encourage consumption or the acquisition of products, but rather to be understood as a form of recognition for individuals, offering a counterproposal to the current economic system. The space at Phileas, which serves as a platform for cultural services and support, will be transformed into a central bank, currency exchange, and production site for the new form of currency.
In 2022, Phileas supported the project A Year with… BLESS N° 72 BLESSlet at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin.
Opening hours at Opernring 17, Vienna
Tuesday - Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm
& by appointment