Parallel Vienna 2026: Nine Artists Present Solo Statements in Former Hospital Wards

Parallel Vienna, the alternative art fair, returns to the Otto Wagner Areal in Vienna from September 9 to 13, 2026, for its fourteenth edition. This year, Catapult Contemporary asked nine exhibiting artists to provide short statements about the rooms they are presenting entirely on their own. The fair, held in the former hospital's wards and corridors, features self-programmed spaces by Baurjan Aralov, Rui Cao, Hendrick Dialer, Lisa Breyer, Katharina Huemer, Florine Imo, Emma Peinhopf, Melanie Thöni, and Lukas Weithas. Each artist offers a unique perspective: Aralov explores memory and perception through painting; Cao presents 'Piggy Farm', covering the floor with dirt and placing paintings including 'I LOVE U' and 'Bon Appétit'; Dialer focuses on transitional spaces like airports and corridors; Breyer's paintings address self-discovery and hope; Huemer's 'Dämmerschlaf' combines oil paintings and life-size drawings on ordinary social situations; Imo's life-size sculpture 'Fuck This, I'm Leaving' depicts a woman on a pink motorcycle with police lights; Peinhopf shows 'Take Your Time' and 'Cart to Table'; Thöni blends Alpine imagery with questions of femininity; and Weithas engages rural aesthetics and festival culture. The fair runs from September 10 to 13, with the artists' statements providing a glimpse into the installations, encouraging visitors to explore the rest in person.