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by Tanja Boukal with Tina Teufel(Curator of Museum der Moderne Salzburg) & Jakob Brossmann (documentary filmmaker)Drawing from the ancient Greco-Roman concept of hospitality (Hospitium), which emphasizes the sacred connection between host and guest, the project explores the transformation of the island over the past decade. For centuries identified primarily as a gateway to Europe, Lampedusa has also emerged as a growing tourist destination since the late 1970s, leading to profound social and cultural changes. Boukal works closely with contemporary art curator Tina Teufel, who serves as a specialized advisor, to create site-specific artworks based on local narratives and experiences. Jakob Brossmann, director of the documentary Lampedusa in Winter, has joined the project to examine how the island has evolved since his film captured a pivotal moment in its history twelve years ago, in 2013. His expertise provides both a visual and historical lens for exploring Lampedusa’s shifting identity. Through a series of scheduled residencies between 2024 and 2025, the artist immerses herself in Lampedusa’s daily life, gathering stories, experiences, and perspectives from local residents. The first residency, held between November and December 2024, will be followed by a second one in February. These on-site stays offer a valuable opportunity to foster genuine dialogue with the community, providing an intimate perspective on the island’s everyday life and dynamics. The insights gathered during these experiences fuel the creation of artworks and artistic activities inspired by the project’s core themes: Hospitium and Xenia, concepts that embody the value of hospitality and the reciprocal obligations between host and guest. As a key element of the research process, the artist documents her journey in a blog, recording personal reflections, collected materials, and ideas that will be fundamental for the next phases of the project. To further expand the scope of the work, Boukal collaborates with various experts, including researchers and specialists in migration, European policy, and social change. Their insights offer critical perspectives on how Lampedusa reflects broader social dynamics and evolving attitudes towards migration and tourism. The outcomes of the project will be presented through a series of open workshops (scheduled for April), a site-specific installation at the Belvedere of Lampedusa in August, and a final exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of the Pelagie Islands in October 2025. These events are designed to foster meaningful and sustainable collaboration between the local community and broader social forces, linking art and lived experience in the face of urgent global issues. In this way, Hospitium by Tanja Boukal explores Lampedusa’s transformation as both a gateway for migration and a tourist destination, using art and closely connected local narratives to examine social dynamics and the ancient concept of hospitality. |
Do you know the artist, the curator and the documentary filmmakerTanja Boukal (born in 1976 in Vienna) merges textile craftsmanship with socio-political critique. Trained in embroidery (HBLA Herbststraße) and stage design (Wiener Kunstschule), she immerses herself in communities to reveal realities on the ground. Her Melilla project (2014) addressed border tensions, the Mulhouse project (2018–2019) focused on unemployment, and the Rheinau project (2023–2024) examines the lives of adults with mental disabilities. Personal narratives highlight the intersections of politics, prejudice and empathy. Tina Teufel (born in 1976 in Wels) is an art historian and curator based in Salzburg, Austria. She currently serves as curator for contemporary art and head of the Artothek Land Salzburg collection at the Museum der Moderne Salzburg, where she has curated and co-curated solo exhibitions by artists such as Nancy Spero, Rebecca Horn, Rudy Burckhardt, Tanja Boukal, Etel Adnan, Andrea Fraser, William Kentridge, Ellen Harvey, Cameron Jamie and Ilit Azoulay, as well as large thematic exhibitions including Role Models – Role Plays, John Cage and…, Flowers & Mushrooms, Fly Me to the Moon, and Body Space. She has also curated smaller shows in art institutions, galleries and off spaces, and serves as a jury member for local and national art prizes such as the Austrian State’s Outstanding Artist Award and the Birgit Jürgenssen Prize of the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Her main interests include socio-political and feminist approaches to art. Jakob Brossmann (born in 1986 in Vienna) studied stage and film design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. He works as a director, producer, stage designer and visual artist, moving between cinema, documentary and theatre. In 2012, he received the SPEC_SCRIPT award for his unfilmed screenplay GEHEN – Ein Heimatfilm, and his graduation project SCHWANZERTRAKT was awarded the Förderpreis of Lower Austria and the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Starting with the production Das Missverständnis, nominated for the Nestroy Prize, he began working regularly with Nikolaus Habjan on theatre productions in which puppets and actors share the stage equally. His set designs have appeared in productions at Schauspielhaus Graz, Volkstheater Wien, and Residenztheater München, among others. His acclaimed documentary Lampedusa im Winter (2015) premiered at the Locarno Festival and won several awards. His latest film, Gehört, Gesehen – ein Radiofilm (2019, D), continues his documentary explorations. Through “Finali Film & Wortschatz Produktion,” he also develops interdisciplinary projects focusing on diversity and multilingualism. Since 2017, he has been teaching at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. |
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