Skip to content
Sign in
Artwork for aLOTtotalkabout
Arts

aLOTtotalkabout

Jana Mack

Welcome to the podcast of Das LOT, a transdisciplinary space for artistic research, experiments and events in Vienna. Rooted in Das LOT’s practice as an open studio, venue and cultural initiative, the podcast extends moments of production into spaces of reflection, discours and exchange.

LOTinContext is the reflective companion to Das LOT’s key formats. Through conversations, live recordings and situated discussions, it creates pauses within artistic processes, moments to listen, question and deepen what is already unfolding. Each episode brings together artists, researchers and practitioners from different disciplines, bridging artistic and scientific research through cultural mediation in front of a participating audience. 

Rather than presenting finished answers, aLOTtotalkabout invites us to think and reflect together about the context in which we produce and perceive art and culture. 

Recorded at Das LOT and often embedded in exhibitions, festivals or live events, the podcast treats place, sound and spontaneous participation as active elements of thinking. It is an open process, growing through connection, feedback and shared curiosity.

Follow us on Instagram @das.lot or subscribe to our newsletter to stay connected with upcoming LOTinContext editions and events at Das LOT.

Play
Open in
  • 4 episodes
  • Avg 1 hr 27 min
  • German

Episodes 4

NewestOldestLongest
All4Unplayed4In progress0Played0
  • February 18 · 1 hr 7 min

    04 PROGRAM 2026

    Edition #04 – PROGRAM 2026 How to hold a press conference in Das LOT way ? In this live edition of LOTinContext – aLOTtoTalkAbout, the release of the 2026 programme becomes a playful, time-based experiment. Instead of a classical presentation, each member of the ECHOLOT leading team had three minutes to introduce one or two formats – joined on stage by collaborators who will shape the coming season. Recorded inside the already transformed space of OPENLOT, the audience was seated within the active environment itself. There was no strict separation between panel and public: questions, comments and reflections flowed directly into the conversation, turning the programme release into a shared thinking process. Moderated by Das LOT Leading Team, the presentation moved through the interconnected formats of 2026 together with collaborators including Artificial Museum, NODE Media Lab, Kollektiv Klaus, TAKT Festival, Processin Magazin, CEU University, and Florin Koller, who introduced the upcoming concert season. Across short, focused inputs, the conversation revealed how open workspaces, residencies, exhibitions, concerts, club culture, discourse, publication and public interventions will function as a connected artistic ecosystem in 2026. Our 10 formats introduced: Sowing in OPENLOT & LOTLab. Growing through MOSAÏQUE & LOTResidency. Testing in TECHNOLOT & LOTinConcert. Blooming in [FUTURE] TERRITORIES & [AR]TWALKs. Harvesting in LOTinContext & LOTinPublication — where reflection becomes the seed of the next cycle. Also mentioned our partner Festivals FAVORITE FALL 26 & TAKT Festival This episode’s special: A fast-paced 3-minute format round, live audience interaction and an informal brunch accompanied by a DJ set from Laura Illoldi. The atmosphere was dynamic, open and slightly sportive – mirroring the ethos of OPENLOT itself: accessible, participatory and process-oriented. The 2026 programme also marks the beginning of the two-year research cycle “Remembering the Future”, connecting all formats through shared questions of memory, technology and collective imagination. If you would like to connect to the 2026 ecosystem, as artist, partner, researcher or engaged visitor, this episode offers a glimpse into how collaboration is not an add-on, but a structural principle. The process remains open to join. Credits LOTinContext is a format by ECHOLOT. All rights reserved. Talk Guests: The Audience & Partners Artificial Museum NODE Media Lab Kollektiv Klaus TAKT Festival Processin Magazin CEU University Moderation: Sarah Zelt Production & Editing: Sarah Zelt Jingle: Tobias Schützenberger Photo: Jana Mack Recorded: 16.01.2026 – at Das LOT, Vienna

  • January 23 · 2 hr 1 min

    03 HOW TO BUILD AN ARTISTIC ECOSYSTEM?

    Edition #03 – HOW TO BUILD AN ARTISTIC ECOSYSTEM What if art production worked like a forest — with roots, underground networks, cycles, dependencies and shared resources? In this episode of LOTinContext – aLOTtotalkabout, we explore how artistic research can grow, interconnect and regenerate when inspired by living systems and community-driven art practices. Rather than treating ecosystems as a metaphor, the conversation asks what it means to practice ecosystemic thinking within artistic production. Together with Laura Coulson (biochemist & researcher), Patrícia Reis (artist & founder of Mz Baltazar’s Lab) and Hans-Christian Hasselmann (founder of Das LOT), we open a dialogue between hard science and artistic research. Moderated by Sarah Zelt, the discussion moves across disciplines to question how artistic practices can sustain themselves over time. Research questions explored in this episode include: Which principles of ecological systems can be transferred into artistic production — and which require caution? How can resilience, regeneration and interdependence replace linear output models and burnout? How can self-organised art spaces sustain themselves economically, socially and structurally? This episode’s special: Sonic interventions by Daphne Schrader and Oneka Schrader (Schrader & Schrader) weave a layer of microbial life into the conversation. Their Songs of Bacteria allow ideas to resonate, circulate and transform, creating an ecosystem you don’t just think about, but listen to and feel. The episode also offers first insights into the emerging ECHOLOT Ecosystem, which will be further explored in upcoming editions of LOTinContext. Through discussion and exchange, the conversation leads to an unexpected realisation: becoming aware of what already exists may be the first step toward building sustainable artistic ecosystems. If these questions resonate with you and you’d like to connect your ideas, practices or research to our ecosystem: get in touch. It’s an open process and it grows through connection. Credits LOTinContext is a format by ECHOLOT. All rights reserved. Talk Guests: Laura Coulson Patrícia Reis Hans-Christian Hasselmann Daphne Schrader Oneka Schrader Moderation: Sarah Zelt Production & Editing: Will Lopes Photo: Jana Mack Recorded: 11.12.2025 at Das LOT, Vienna

  • Jun 25, 2025 · 1 hr 21 min

    02 WHO AM I PLAYING WITH?

    Edition #02 – WHO AM I PLAYING WITH? When artificial intelligence enters artistic practice, who is really acting — and who is being acted upon? In this live episode of LOTinContext – aLOTtotalkabout, recorded inside the exhibition [ARTIFICIAL] TERRITORIES at Das LOT, we explore how AI reshapes artistic production, authorship and collaboration. Moving beyond hype and fear, the conversation situates AI as a contested partner within creative, ethical and political processes. Together with artists and researchers Margarete Jahrmann, Joana Zabielska and Cagdas Cecen, we reflect on how artistic research can critically engage with algorithmic systems — not only by using them, but by questioning their structures, biases and imaginaries. Research questions explored in this episode include: What does collaboration mean when machines become creative agents? How does AI influence artistic decision-making and responsibility? Where do power, authorship and control shift within human–machine relations? This episode’s special: Recorded in the midst of the exhibition itself, this live podcast brings together artists, audience members and curators as active participants. The exhibition space becomes a thinking environment — shaping the discussion and grounding abstract questions in material, spatial and social realities. This episode is for artists, researchers, technologists and anyone curious about the intersections of artistic research, AI, ethics and contemporary culture. If you’re working with AI, thinking critically about technology, or want to connect your practice to future LOTinContext editions: reach out. The conversation is ongoing. Credits LOTinContext is a format by ECHOLOT. All rights reserved. Talk Guests: Margarete Jahrmann Joanna Zabielska Çağdaş Çeçen Moderation: Will Lopes, Sarah Zelt Production & Editing: Will Lopes Recorded: 16.05.2025 at Das LOT, Vienna

  • Nov 30, 2024 · 1 hr 19 min

    01 WHAT IS BUTOH?

    Edition #01 – WHAT IS BUTOH? What is Butoh and why does this dance of darkness continue to resonate in times of crisis, transformation and uncertainty? In this episode of LOTinContext – aLOTtotalkabout, we explore Butoh as an embodied artistic practice that moves beyond representation, virtuosity and spectacle. Originating in post-war Japan, Butoh confronts themes of vulnerability, decay, resistance and transformation, offering a radical way of sensing, moving and being in the world. Together with Yumi Umiumare and Akihito Ichihara (Butoh dancer and member of the world-renowned Butoh company Sankai Juku) and art philosopher Elisabeth von Samsonow, we open an interdisciplinary dialogue between dance, philosophy and lived experience. Moderated by Will Lopes and Hans-Christian Hasselmann, the conversation invites listeners to approach Butoh not as a fixed style, but as an ongoing research practice. Research questions explored in this episode include: What defines Butoh beyond aesthetics and technique? How can embodied practices help us navigate collective and individual darkness? What does Butoh offer to contemporary artistic research and transdisciplinary thinking? This episode’s special: Recorded during the Butoh Festival at Das LOT, this conversation brings together two exceptional guests from Japan, offering rare insights into Butoh’s historical roots and contemporary evolution, directly connected to its living practice. This episode is for anyone curious about embodied knowledge, contemporary dance in dark times, philosophy or artistic research, whether you are new to Butoh or already moving within its orbit. If this conversation resonates with you and you’re interested in embodied practices, dance research or future LOTinContext editions: connect with us and stay curious. Credits: LOTinContext is a format by ECHOLOT. All rights reserved. Talk Guests: Yumi Umiumare Akihito Ichihara Elisabeth von Samsonow Moderation: Will Lopes, Hans-Christian Hasselmann Production & Editing: Jana Mack Jingle: Tobias Schützenberger Music: Mapinguari – Amaro Freitas Recorded: 26. Nov. 2024 at Das LOT, Vienna

Showing 1–4 of 4 episodes