PTS | On the Art of Disappearance and the Urge to Preserve

FWF-funded research project at the intersection of artistic research and psychotherapy science

Addressing questions of memory, access, and the preservation of contested histories, this interdisciplinary project brings together artistic research and psychotherapy science.

This FWF-funded project, led by Mag. Paul Julien Robert-Anxionnaz (Institute for Fine Arts) and Priv.-Doz. Mag. Dr. Elisabeth Schäfer, MAS (Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, SFU), launched in May 2026. At its core is the question of what remains when things disappear? – and who gets to decide what may be remembered?

The project focuses on Otto Mühl’s ash paintings, his destruction of the personal writings of former commune members at Friedrichshof, and ongoing efforts to make the remaining traces accessible for scientific research. Yet even this aspiration for openness remains contested.

In a research laboratory, memory capsules (Gedächtniskapseln) are being created. Former commune members share taboo experiences and silenced memories – stories that were suppressed or documented only to be destroyed.

• Discover the project on the Institute of Fine Arts website
• Project details on the FWF website

11 June 2026