In Person: Claudia Larcher

Two evenings, one cosmos: The Film Museum presents a retrospective of the work of Vienna-based artist, filmmaker, and AI researcher Claudia Larcher, spanning nearly two decades of her artistic practice. Taking photography as a socially and politically potent practice as her starting point, Larcher explores the transformation of the image in the digital age—ranging from algorithmic animation to immersive, “phygital” installations where the physical and digital worlds seamlessly merge.

In Program 1, *From Bay to Bark*, weather phenomena and non-human agents—fungi, roots, humus—become world-builders. Program 2, *From Self to Species*, views the self not as a given starting point, but as an effect of images, algorithms, and generations. A highlight is the world premiere of *Extinction Story*, in which Larcher uses her grandfather’s zoological collection as a springboard for an essay on collections, ecological and cultural practices, death, and (re-)animation.

In the lecture-performance *From MTV to Future Cinema*, the artist—in conversation with curator Eva Fischer—opens up the “echo chamber” of her imagery: references ranging from Pipilotti Rist and VALIE EXPORT to Björk and Chris Marker meet science fiction, body horror, and critical theory—creating an associative space of resonance between digital humanism and post-human visual culture.

At the heart of Larcher’s research lie the materiality of data, ecological future scenarios, and a bias-aware approach to artificial intelligence. The event concludes with a *carte blanche*—Larcher’s personal invitation into her cinematic universe. (Eva Fischer/Michael Loebenstein)

A joint event by the Film Museum and sixpackfilm, curated by Eva Fischer and Michael Loebenstein.

With Claudia Larcher in attendance.