06.04.2026
The MuseumsQuartier presents the light installation “AWAKE” by Šelja Kamerić
On Saturday, April 25, artist Šejla Kamerić will present her new site-specific public light installation, “AWAKE.” The MQ main courtyard will be transformed into a space reminiscent of a vigil. The artist will install hundreds of red lanterns and rotating emergency lights. The audience can move freely among the light elements and become part of the evolving installation.
At irregular intervals, pulsating flashes of light break the silence. These subtle yet insistent signals momentarily shift the contemplative atmosphere, thereby calling for alertness.
AWAKE explores how memory, emotion, and political urgency are inextricably linked. For one evening, visitors are invited to come together as a mindful community to light a candle and reflect on shared vulnerability. This is a call to remember and to remain actively vigilant.
Kamerić’s politically engaged practice, which transcends disciplinary boundaries, explores collective vigilance and empathy in times of political crisis. With “AWAKE,” Kamerić deepens her exploration of issues of identity, trauma, and memory. The installation will subsequently be on view at the Dr. Éva Kahán Foundation in Budapest and Vienna.
Initiated by the MuseumsQuartier Wien and Nomad – The Croatian Office for Contemporary Art in Zagreb, with support from the UNIQA SEE Future Foundation and the Dr. Éva Kahán Foundation.
About Šelja Kamerić
Šejla Kamerić (born in 1976 in Sarajevo) is an internationally recognized visual artist whose work explores memory, identity, politics, and the legacy of conflict. Her major public projects include “EU/Others” (Manifesta Biennial, 2000), “Bosnian Girl” (2003), “Ab uno disce omnes” (Wellcome Collection, London, 2015), and “CEASE” (Venice, 2024).
She is known for her intimate, socio-political commentary, which permeates her multifaceted artistic practice. Grounded in empathy as a fundamental form of communication between the artist, the subject, and the viewer, her practice reveals and constructs spaces of power and political engagement.
Kamerić has exhibited her work at numerous institutions, including the Tate Modern (London), the Centre Pompidou (Paris), the MACBA (Barcelona), the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam), Istanbul Modern, and the MMCA (Seoul).
In 2026, her works will be on view at Manifesta 16 Ruhr and the Mardin Biennial. Kamerić is the recipient of the ECF Routes Princess Margriet Award for Cultural Diversity (2011).
Information about “AWAKE” by Šelja Kamerić
Date & Time: Sat., Apr. 25, 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM, MQ Main Courtyard; The artist and curator Astrid Peterle will be present from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Location: MuseumsQuartier Vienna, MQ Main Courtyard
For further information
Anna Lena Schmidt, MA
Press and Public Relations | Editorial
Department Tel. +43 1 523 58 81
-1712anna.schmidt@mqw.at | presse@mqw.at
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