vi(e)-São
A Cultural Fusion of Two Cities
VI(E)-SÃO marks the first Brazilian edition of an artistic initiative dedicated to fostering an exchange of contemporary urban art between Vienna and São Paulo. In collaboration with Choque Cultural Gallery, the project brought together European and South American artists, showcasing their work in open and accessible events in both cities. With a strong emphasis on occupying public outdoor spaces, the initiative featured Argentine Artist Tec Fase in 2022, who created a large-scale asphalt mural, followed by Brazilian Artist Daniel Melim in 2023, who painted a mural in Vienna. Both artists were represented by Choque Cultural. Designed as a continuous exchange, the program seeked to strengthen the artistic dialogue between Vienna and São Paulo, making urban art accessible to the wider community.
VI(E)-SÃO – The convergence of two cities, Vienna meets São Paulo. Together with the Brazilian gallery "Choque Cultural", we presented a multi-layered cross-section of the international street art scene, initiated by pursuit of a common vision, in Portuguese "visão".
This year’s exhibition was curated by Jakob Kattner & Baixo Ribeiro and was supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA).
This exchange program is designed to be ongoing, with the aim of fostering an urban cultural dialogue between Vienna and São Paulo. Its aim is to facilitate attention and appreciation to talented artists by making it accessible to a wider audience, thereby also promoting the vibrant urban arts scene.
In early 2025, we continued these activities together with Choque Cultural and opened an exhibition by Austrian Artist Sebastian “Sebi” Schager, featuring prints from LEAP Art Prints, available for purchase at the gallery.
Schager appropriated iconic images from historical paintings and sculptures—recognized for their immediate and widespread appeal—using layered stencils that reflect the aesthetics of pop art and urban art. In some cases, he repurposes these historical works to convey messages of political and environmental awareness.
LEAP Art Prints was founded in 2013 by Andreas Nader and Sebastian Schager and has produced over 200 editions of prints made from sustainable materials. The project aims to bring together emerging and established artists worldwide to foster an exchange of experiences, styles, techniques, and narratives.
Triptych (each 160×220 cm), acrylic paint and stencil on loose canvas — Love: Burning Venus with Palm Branch, Protect: Raging Prince of the Boreal Forest, Truth: Christ Summoning Rockets
Love, Protect, Truth
Sebi Schager, 2025
“A Venus engulfed in flames, truth through violence and expansion, kindness turning into counter-aggression. In times of geopolitical turmoil, the prominent themes in the works—Love, Protect, Truth—seem trite, romanticized, and worn out. Yet, the meanings associated with them have long become icons, emblems of a noble, chivalrous spirit. They represent values that are being reconfigured amidst the recent geopolitical spiral of violence.
Humanity seeks protection, trust, and truth once more, a counterpoint to the pervasive insincerity. Aggressors label victims as perpetrators; a time of confusion and lies has swept over the world. Lingering in the remnants of the hippie generations' legacy, we now gaze from a seemingly safe place through a window, and what we see is violence, weapons, and flames. Are we truly on the right side?, a European might ask regarding Russian troops moving west.
The figures—a Christ with an invocative gesture, the goddess of love inspired by Botticelli, and Hal Foster's Prince Valiant in a rarely seen aggressive stance—are each combined with visual elements that subversively deny their own purity. The figures exist in an internal tension and within the context of the series. Love is ablaze, religious fervor summons violence, and the ever-friendly prince stands menacingly with a drawn blade before us.
When the core of humanity is threatened, everything burns, and love is once again invoked from the flames. A cycle of violence and counter-violence, leading to hope and reflection.”
By Sebi Schager, 2025
