(No) Funny Games oder Wie wir lernten fürsorglich zu sein und die Dystopie zu lieben

This book is published on the occasion of the exhibition (No) Funny Games, curated by Dorothea Trappel and Hektor Peljak as part of the Klima Biennale Wien 2026. Audiences are captivated by an appearance of lightness and beauty, yet at the same time an uncomfortable reality simmers beneath the surface. Works in public spaces may appear idyllic, but they offer a critical reflection on the state of our world. References such as the films Funny Games or Dr. Strangelove inspire not only the title but also the exhibition’s underlying attitude: playing with conventions, irony, and staging – while at the same time conveying an inevitable seriousness. The art works engage with joy as a form of resistance, embracing a zest for life despite dystopian conditions. In doing so, they not only question the role of art in public space, but also the tendency to instrumentalise art within climate discourse while lacking actual consequences. 

Artists:
River Claure, Dominik Eulberg & Marcin Nowicki, FutureLeaks, Romuald Hazoumè, Folke Köbberling, Zheng Mahler, NEVERCREW, Margot Pilz, Eva Seiler, Pia Sirén