upcoming

SAVAGE ROSES الورود البرية

Souad Mani & Emily Sarsam

curated by Christine Bruckbauer and Aline Lenzhofer


residency | happening | exhibition

30/08 – 23/09/2026

venues: philomena+, Heinestraße 40, 1020 Vienna  and Parallel Vienna, OWA, 1140 Vienna

 

For Savage Roses الورود البرية, Emily Sarsam and Souad Mani examine the impact of large-scale extraction projects in the region of Tataouine in southern Tunisia on vernacular agricultural practices.

In this exhibition project, the artists contrast the exploitation of fossil fuels in the supposedly ‘barren lunar landscape’ with local land-use practices and communal rituals, such as food preparation or wool processing.

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upcoming

SOUAD MANI

residency

30/08 – 13/09/2026

As part of our ongoing collaboration with the Tunisian art space La Boîte, the artist Souad Mani will come to Vienna for residency. During her stay in Vienna, she will present a new body of work. In collaboration with Vienna-based Emily Sarsam, they reflect on practices of commoning in the south of Tunisia, in connection with industrial extraction projects in the region and present the philomena+ project statement for this year’s Parallel Vienna. 

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upcoming

KHOLLITA

collective ritual

Wednesday, 02/09/2026, 4 pm

As part of their project Savage Roses الورود البرية, artists Souad Mani and Emily Sarsam invite to a unique gathering at philomena+, inspired by the Tunisian ritual of Khollita—a communal rain summoning ritual practiced by women and children, involving cooking, songs, and prayers. While sharing stories about community rituals, participants create together a woolen textile piece using the technique of needle felting.
Register by writing an e-mail to info@philomena.plus  

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preview

KEEP IN TOUCH !

exhibition

09/10 – 21/11/2026

The exhibition Keep in Touch!  featuring Julius W. Chromecek, Mark Gilbert, Alireza Taghaboni and Mahnaz Yazdani explores architectures and spaces of encounter and asks how we stay connected with people from different generations, cultures and ways of life.

The project is part of the Vienna Art Week. 

philomena+

art & architecture platform

about us

philomena+ promotes the intersocietal and intercultural exchange between WANA (West Asia and North Africa) and Vienna, Austria. philomena+ curates exhibitions, public art projects, artist residencies, exchange programmes between art institutions in Austria and WANA, panel discussions, round tables and publication projects on pressing global issues. Rather than focusing on a type of art which centres around objects, philomena+ promotes art which focuses on individuals and life.

our mission

philomena+ aims to connect artists and architects from WANA with the local art community in Vienna, Austria.
It is a platform for artists, researchers and civil society for dialoguing, questioning, creating and building future collaborations.
In addition philomena+ seeks to work with artists and architects, who originate from WANA and have recently settled in Austria, offering a first point of contact and support to find their feet in the new environment.

our history

In 2016, motivated by an understanding that sees art as an outlet for different social groups and as a starting point for dialoging, art historians Christine Bruckbauer and Negar Hakim founded the philomena+ platform. “We see ourselves as cultural ambassadors who engage in an exchange of ideas, information, art and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding.”

programme

exhibitions

artist residencies

events

public art

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exhibition

Ex Voto / Mothering Memories: Ana de Almeida & Valeria Pechena, Deniz Sözen & Tahereh Nourani

image video

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