Lebt und arbeitet in Wien Talks (DE)
The Working City
Johannes Kopf in conversation with Lena Marie Glaser

The Lebt und arbeitet in Wien Talks are conceived as a polyphonic portrait of the city of Vienna. Starting from socially relevant questions, the series of talks approaches the city not through a uniform narrative, but through contradictions, ruptures and parallel perspectives. Vienna is considered as a space for reflection where social, political, cultural and historical dynamics overlap.

The talks form a discursive extension of the exhibition Lebt und arbeitet in Wien: Contemporary Art from Vienna. While the exhibition brings together artistic positions, the series of talks opens up a public space for thought and discussion in which the city is not described but negotiated. The talk series does not explain Vienna, but rather makes it tangible – as a complex, contradictory and vibrant city that can only be described through many voices.

Under the title The Working City, Johannes Kopf and Lena Marie Glaser discuss the transitions and challenges facing the growing metropolis and its inhabitants. The conversation bridges the gap between automation through artificial intelligence and pressing societal issues: demographic change, new working time models, burnout prevention and increasing precarisation – especially in the arts and culture sector. Starting from specific locations in Vienna, the panel ventures an outlook that ranges from the macroeconomic reality of the labour market to a literary-philosophical future, mapping out a utopian image of the city of tomorrow.

The talk is free with a valid exhibition ticket.

Lena Marie Glaser

Lena Marie Glaser is the founder of the future lab basically innovative, an author and a sought-after expert on New Work. She guides companies and organisations through the transformation of the working world and advocates for a human-centred, fair and sustainable future of work. In her writing and lectures, she addresses topics such as the 4-day work week, burnout prevention and the needs of younger generations in the labour market. As a moderator, she leads complex socio-political discussions at the intersection of practice and vision.

Johannes Kopf

Dr. Johannes Kopf, LL.M., is the Chairman of the Board of the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS). In this role, he helps shape Austrian labour market and employment policy. In July 2023, Johannes Kopf was appointed Chairman of the Board. Prior to this, he had been a member of the Board of the Austrian Public Employment Service since July 2006. As Chair of the European Network of Public Employment Services (PES) from July 2019 to June 2023, Johannes Kopf additionally shaped European labour market strategies. Born and raised in Vienna, the lawyer holds a doctorate in law and an LL.M. in European law. Johannes Kopf developed his labour market expertise working in the cabinet of the former Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Labour, Dr. Martin Bartenstein, and serving as a member of the Administrative Board of the Austrian AMS from 2003 to mid-2006. He gained further valuable professional experience as an advisor for the Federation of Austrian Industries, also focusing on labour market and employment policy. In addition to his ongoing work at the Austrian AMS, Johannes Kopf was awarded the Heinrich Treichl Foundation’s Humanity Prize by the Austrian Red Cross in 2017. He is also an award-winning photographer and a renowned DJ under the moniker LabourMC.