The Only Constant is Transformation
Ada began as an artistic intervention-a reclamation of forgotten spaces in Vienna. First in an unrenovated former apprentice housing, then in a former butcher shop, we've transformed abandonment into artistic laboratory. Each location carries its history forward, layers of existence revealed through art.
We're not a gallery. We're not a studio. We're something in between-an art club that's public yet intimate, where the boundaries between artist, audience, and space dissolve into something new.
The entrance to Ada Brunnengasse, the Narnia of arts
The Practice
Every exhibition at Ada is site-specific, a conversation between artist and architecture. We invite creators to excavate the social and historical context embedded in our walls, to build upon the remnants of what came before. Nothing is permanent; everything transforms.
Our artists don't just display-they intervene. They question their role in society while the space questions them back. Each show leaves traces that become part of Ada's evolving identity, a palimpsest of artistic thought made visible.
The Ada bar-where ideas flow as freely as the drinks
The Philosophy
Ada operates on a simple principle: spaces have value beyond their market price. Through artistic input, we "bloom" these overlooked locations, revealing layers of human existence that conventional use obscures. We document not just the art, but the process of transformation itself.
This isn't about preservation or renovation-it's about evolution. Every nail hole, every paint streak, every installation becomes part of Ada's DNA. We're creating a living archive of artistic intervention, where ephemeral art leaves permanent marks on consciousness.
The Evolution
From Brunnengasse 62 to Wattgasse 16/6, our journey mirrors our philosophy. When noise complaints closed our first space, we didn't see an ending-we saw transformation. Each move deepens our understanding of how art and space co-create meaning.
Today, Ada continues as a beacon for artists who see beyond white cubes and opening nights. We're a community that believes art isn't something you hang on walls-it's something that changes the walls themselves, and everyone who passes through them.
"We don't exhibit art. We inhabit transformation."