BLOCKFREI

Within the framework of the Creative Europe project „(In)Visible Traces. Artistic memories of the Cold War“, realized by BLOCKFREI in cooperation with , this series of upcoming posts seeks to draw attention to the less visible Cold War legacies inscribed in Vienna’s urban landscape— with a particular focus on Palais Epstein and its layered Cold War history.

Remembering the Cold War in Austria is inseparable from the country’s postwar self-understanding as neutral and victimized. Memory scholar Hildegard Uhl has emphasized that Austria long relied on narratives that framed the period after 1945 as one of external occupation rather than internal responsibility. This perspective shaped how everyday experiences of control, adaptation, and compromise were absorbed into collective memory. The presence of Soviet headquarters in central Vienna was normalized through routine, even as it structured daily life. As Uhl notes, memory in Austria has often been marked by “selective remembering and strategic forgetting,” particularly when political continuity was at stake. Remembering this period today therefore means confronting not only geopolitical pressure, but also how neutrality became a stabilizing—and silencing—framework for historical interpretation.

📷Credits: BLOCKFREI

#(In)visibleTraces

Within the framework of the Creative Europe project „(In)Visible Traces. Artistic memories of the Cold War“, realized by BLOCKFREI in cooperation with , this series of upcoming posts seeks to draw attention to the less visible Cold War legacies inscribed in Vienna’s urban landscape.

Palais Epstein, located in the very centre of Vienna - next to the Austrian parliament - is not only an architectural landmark but a site deeply embedded in Austria’s political history. Built in the late 19th century, the palace has served key institutional functions connected to parliamentary life and state administration. After 1945, during the Allied occupation of Austria, Palais Epstein was used as the headquarters of the Soviet occupying forces in Vienna, until 1955. During this period, the building became part of the everyday machinery of occupation, control, and negotiation in a divided Europe. Its walls bear witness to a moment when Vienna stood at the intersection of competing geopolitical systems.

📷 Credits:
Lessing / Bildarchiv der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek.

𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 in the framework of Curators´Agenda: VIENNA 2025 - Installation view images (by Lea-Maraike Sambale)

De are followers,

We are delighted to invite you to an artist talk with Ukranian multimedia artist Anna Manankina, moderated by Vienna based artist Sanja Lasic at
Apoteka on August 30, at 18.00h.

Artist Talk: Anna Manankina — Art in Response to War and the Loss of Cultural Heritage

Anna Manankina uses multimedia art as a medium for incorporating personal sensibilities and emotional
experiences into the often impersonal digital realm. Her artistic inquiry focuses on mapping elements
encountered within virtual reality and understanding the profound impact these digital phenomena
have on tangible social realities. You can view more of her work here
https://cargocollective.com/manankina
Anna Manankina arrives to Vodnjan after a 3-month artistic residency in Vienna, organized by
BLOCKFREI in collaboration with STUDIO DAS WEISSE HAUS. During her residency, she expanded her
exploration of multimedia forms that convey personal experiences of trauma and held workshops for
youth interested in the topic. Moderated by artist Sanja Lasić, the artist talk invites the audience to
reflect on how art can serve as a response — and resistance — to violence, erasure, and the destruction
of heritage.
Sanja Lasić explores cultural identity, memory, and trauma from a female perspective. Through painting,
collage, video, performance, and music, she channels personal and family histories, migration, and
multicultural experiences into visually and sensorially impactful works. You can view more of her work
here https://www.sanjalasic.com/
The event will be held in English at Apoteka (put address) on August 30, at 18.00h.
The artist talk is part of the Creative Europe project “Responding to Trauma and to Cultural Heritage
Destruction”. In the scope of the project Apoteka cooperates with the organizations Documenta –
Center for dealing with the past (Croatia), BLOCKFREI (Austria), the Historical Museum of Bosnia and
Herzegovina (BiH), and STAN (Ukraine).
The project is co-financed by the European Union.
Visuals
1. Anna Manankina, "Kumanets", 2025 , ©️ Courtesy of the Artist
2. Anna Manankina, "Gardening State", 2025 , ©️ Courtesy of the Artist
1. Sanja Lasić,"Bosanski vez" - Variacija IV", 2023, ©️ Courtesy of the Artist
2. Sanja Lasić, "Sevdah of Lost Identity", 2019, ©️ Courtesy of the Artist