Virgil Widrich
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Works:
All Exhibition Stage Film Research Lecture Jury Member Publication Bibliography checkpointmedia University of Applied Arts
Chronological

Timeline.

2026

June 11, 2026
Ceremony marking the opening of the exhibition “Violence – Society. Austria in the Age of the World Wars, 1918–1955” in the Ruhmeshalle of the Museum of Military History, Arsenal, 1030 Vienna. Speakers: Wolfgang Müller (Chairman of the Scientific HGM Advisory Board of the Federal Ministry of Defence), Georg Hoffmann (Director of the Museum of Military History), and the curators Niko Wahl and Thomas Edelmann.
→ Violence – Society. Austria in the Age of the World Wars, 1918–1955

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

November 19, 2020
Digital realism and analog reality
Analog film technologies, which for more than a century offered the possibility of creating previously unseen images in motion, have almost completely disappeared in recent years. They have been replaced by digitally produced worlds of images which, despite their sheer endless possibilities, produce a very limited form of “beauty”. However, the combination of analog and digital technologies offers a treasure trove of methods for creating images that are credible precisely because of their abstraction.
→ University of Applied Arts Vienna

2019

December 17, 2019
Panel Discussion: “Efficient Deceleration” as part of “future ethics. Discourse space of the open society” of the Wiener Zeitung.
Virgil Widrich, University of Applied Arts Vienna, director, filmmaker
Nassima Sahraoui, philosopher, author
Walter Krahl, Verkehrsbüro-Ruefa Managing Director
Moderation: Walter Hämmerle, Editor-in-Chief Wiener Zeitung
17 December 2019, 7:00 pm, Albert-Schweitzer-Haus, Schwarzspanierstrasse 13, 1090 Vienna
→ University of Applied Arts Vienna
May 11, 2019
Panel Discussion: “Digital Transformations – Society and Arts at the Turning Point” at the 58th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia with:
Gerald Bast, President University of Applied Arts Vienna
Martina Mara, Professor for Robopsychology, Johannes Kepler University Linz
Ute Meta Bauer, Professor of Art, Nanyang Technological University Singapore
Ruth Schnell, Head of Digital Arts, University of Applied Arts Vienna
Virgil Widrich, Head of Art & Science, University of Applied Arts Vienna
→ University of Applied Arts Vienna
April 6, 2019
Presentation at the symposium “ We are all exiled” by ZADIG-Wien (Zero Abjection Democratic International Group) with Miquel Angel Bassols, Gil Caroz, Barbara Coudenhove-Kalergi, Muna Duzdar, Antonio Fian, Gunkl & Walter, Anja Herden, Mavie Hörbiger, Elke Kahr, Othmar Karas, Stephanie Krisper, Heinz Mayer, Willi Mernyi, Reinhold Mitterlehner, Wolfgang Petritsch, Doron Rabinovici, Hans Rauscher, Susanne Scholl, Virgil Widrich, Laura Wiesböck, Ferdinand Schmatz anda.University of Applied Arts Vienna, Vordere Zollamtsstraße 7, 1020 Vienna, 6.4.2019, 18:00.
→ University of Applied Arts Vienna

2018

November 29, 2018
“Digitale Transformationen - Gesellschaft, Bildung und Arbeit im Umbruch”: Organized and hosted by the University of Applied Arts Vienna in cooperation with Forum Morgen Privatstiftung.
With a keynote address by Peter Weibel and lectures by Gerald Bast, Anab Jain, Harald Katzmair, Martina Mara, Peter Parycek, Robert Trappl and Virgil Widrich.
University of Applied Arts, Vordere Zollamtsstraße 7, 1030 Vienna, 29 November 2018, 11:00 a.m.
→ University of Applied Arts Vienna
January 10, 2018
Lecture: “Angewandte Praxis – Radical Matter in Art, Philosophy and the Wild Sciences”.
Johnny Golding is a philosopher focusing on Radical Matter in art, philosophy and what she names ‘the wild sciences‘. Together with Martin Reinhart she is the master mind behind the “Data Loam” project which deals with new concepts for knowledge systems that are designed to embody a critical intermediality of objects, facts, materials, ephemera, technology and matter. Together with Vienna based artist Florian Unterberger, Johnny and Martin will introduce their project and discuss how it provides new tools in practiceled research that both account for the process of making and capture knowledge previously lost in the jungle of big data.
Angewandte Innovation Lab, Franz Josefs Kai 3, 1010 Wien
10.1.2018 at 5 pm.
→ Data Loam

2017

June 6–17, 2017
On 6.6.2017 opening of “Circuit Training – A foray into the world of the Large Hadron Collider” at das weisse haus Vienna, an exhibition of the University of Applied Arts Vienna (Art & Science and Site-Specific Art) in cooperation with CERN (art@CMS and HEPHY – Institute of High Energy Physics). Concept and development: Brishty Alam, Valerie Deifel, Katrin Hornek, Matilde Igual Capdevila, Bernd Kräftner, Paul Petritsch, Karl Salzmann, Virgil Widrich.
→ Circuit Training

2016

December 12, 2016
Workshop “Art, Science, and Philosophy”
The workshop “Art, Science, and Philosophy” will bring together philosophers, artists and scientists to rethink the concept of art and the concept of nature and “human nature” in the age of technoscience, where the biological sciences become the new technological frontier.
This event is part of the research collaboration “Question about the Limits: Art, Science, and Philosophy” between the Department of Media Theory, University of Applied Arts Vienna, and the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature, National Autonomous University of México (UNAM), Mexico City. The project aims to initiate and develop a debate about the relationship of ontology and aesthetics in the age of technoscience from the perspectives of art, science, and philosophy, driven by the question: What is art in the age of technoscience?
With lectures by Ingeborg Reichle, María Antonia González Valerio, Virgil Widrich, Bernd Kräftner, Herwig Turk, Tanja Gesell, Christoph Bock, Frank Rösl.
December 12, 2016, 2–6.15 pm
Vordere Zollamtsstraße 3, sr 24 (mezzanine floor), 1030 Vienna
→ University of Applied Arts Vienna

2015

2014

2013

October 1, 2013
Lecture at St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences – Planning an exhibition, 1.10.2013, 15:30 to 18:00.
As part of the degree course in interactive media at the University of Applied Sciences in St. Pölten, Virgil Widrich explains the entire procedure from the planning stage to completion of the exhibition “The Great World Theater. 90 Years of the Salzburg Festival”. The key steps in production will be explained, including areas such as artistic direction, content and concept, project management, technology and multimedia.
→ Exhibition “90 Years of the Salzburg Festival – The Great World Theatre”
January 8, 2013
Lecture at St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences – Planning an exhibition, 08.01.2013, 13:00 to 15:30.
As part of the degree course in interactive media at the University of Applied Sciences in St. Pölten, Virgil Widrich explains the entire procedure from the planning stage to completion of the exhibition “The Great World Theater. 90 Years of the Salzburg Festival”. The key steps in production will be explained, including areas such as artistic direction, content and concept, project management, technology and multimedia.
→ Exhibition “90 Years of the Salzburg Festival – The Great World Theatre”

2012

2011

October 13, 2011
Rond Table: “Running for the Money and the Flash”
The Austrian Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture (EU Cultural Policy Department) is organising a series of workshops on topics relating to the EU’s Work Plan for Culture 2011 to 2014. Following the first workshop on creative partnerships, a second workshop examines new funding models for cultural and creative industries in collaboration with FOKUS. Virgil Widrich took part in the round table on “Funding creative projects and structures” on 13/10/2011. at 3 p.m.
Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture, “Oscar” room, ground floor, Concordiaplatz 2, 1010 Vienna.
October 7 – November 25, 2011
During the 2011/2012 winter term, checkpointmedia's interdisciplinary team of experts explained every aspect of planning an exhibition as part of the “Interactive Media” module for students taking the course in Media Technology. Taking as a case study the exhibition “The Great World Theater. 90 Years of the Salzburg Festival”, which checkpointmedia created in 2010, the areas of artistic direction, architecture, content, multimedia, project management and technology were explained by current experts in order to give students an idea of just what is involved in creating a multimedia production. At the end the students were given a set of parameters for developing their own concept for an exhibition using multimedia, including an implementation plan that they presented verbally and in writing.
→ checkpointmedia GmbH – Multimedia Productions

2010

January 1 – October 26, 2010
Virgil Widrich is appointed the artistic director of the exhibition “90 Years of the Salzburg Festival” held from 17 June to 26 October 2010 in Salzburg Museum. The centrepiece is a multimedia “meta-exhibition”, a compilation of performances from the most important productions of the last nine decades rearranged to create a programme that never actually existed in this form. The stage for this production is an abstract model that represents and reproduces the Festival venues in keeping with Max Reinhardt’s motto, “The city as a stage”.
→ Exhibition “90 Years of the Salzburg Festival – The Great World Theatre”

2009

2008

2007

March 28, 2007
Participant in the panel discussion “ISPA Philosophicum – Internet the 4th Culture Technology”. Participants: Johannes Hahn (Bundesminister für Wissenschaft), Ide Hintze (Schule für Dichtung in Wien), Peter Rastl (Universität Wien), Rudolf Scholten (Österreichische Kontrollbank), Virgil Widrich (Film - und Multimediaproduktions G.M.B.H), Gerhard Zeiler (RTL Group), Moderation: Andrea Schurian
Festsaal der Akademie der Wissenschaften, Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2, 1010 Wien, 28.3.2007, 18.00.

2006

October 14, 2006
Virgil Widrich at “We – Workshops for Entrepreneurs”
Over the course of three weekends in October 2006 creative talents had a chance to gain basic and practical knowledge that could serve as a stepping stone to their becoming entrepreneurs. The workshops are part of a programme conducted by the AWS (Austria Wirtschaftsservice) and departure, the City of Vienna’s Office for Creative Industries Initiatives. Entrepreneurs from the fields of design, fashion, music and multimedia were on hand to provide their expertise along with allied service providers and others with inside knowledge of the various fields. Virgil Widrich presented the multimedia workshop: “The ability to demand creative freedom depends on good business sense”.
→ checkpointmedia GmbH – Multimedia Productions
June 28 – September 3, 2006
checkpointmedia at the exhibition “360° Design Austria”
As a starting point for this exhibition, 36 leading Austrian design studios are pinpointed along an axis from Vienna to Vorarlberg from 28 June to 3 September, checkpointmedia among them. The exhibition offers insights into the designers’ strategic approaches. A book has been published as an accompaniment to the exhibition. (120 pages, 240 x 297 cm).
→ checkpointmedia GmbH – Multimedia Productions

2005

2004

November 19–20, 2004
Organisation of the “Workshop film copyright” on 19/11/2004 (Hotel Regina, Salon Ferstel, Rooseveltplatz 15, 1090 Vienna, 9:30 to 19:00) and the “Symposium film copyright” on 20/11/2004 in Juridicum, attic, Schottenbastei 10-16, 1010 Vienna.
Organizers:
Verband der Filmregisseure Österreichs, VDFS Verwertungsgesellschaft der Filmschaffenden, Dachverband der Filmschaffenden, A|D|A austrian directors association
Panel guests: Christina Busch, Walter Dillenz, Michael Haneke, Ruth Mader, Kurt Mayer, Peter Mayer, Margaret Ménégoz, Heinrich Mis, Franz Morak, Gabriele Kranzelbinder, Michael Kreihsl, Gunnar Landsgesell, Steffen Schmidt-Hug, Oliver Schündler, Thomas Wallentin, Virgil Widrich
Download folder.

2003

November 7, 2003
“My Pleasure – Film tasting with Virgil Widrich”
It takes a trained eye to not only consume, but to be able to enjoy the masterpieces of film history. The Genussakademie Schloss Mattsee invites to film tasting with clips from the works of Buster Keaton, Alfred Hitchcock and other masters of film history. Small culinary delights will be served to the undeniable Small Talk afterwards.
Genussakademie Schloss Mattsee, Schlossberg 1, 5163 Mattsee, 17.11.2003, beginning: 19.00, duration about 3 hours, drinks and finger food at the end of the event are included in the price of admission. Admission: € 52 -
September 12, 2003
“My Pleasure – Film tasting with Virgil Widrich”
It takes a trained eye to not only consume, but to be able to enjoy the masterpieces of film history. The Genussakademie Schloss Mattsee invites to film tasting with clips from the works of Buster Keaton, Alfred Hitchcock and other masters of film history. Small culinary delights will be served to the undeniable Small Talk afterwards.
Genussakademie Schloss Mattsee, Schlossberg 1, 5163 Mattsee, 12.9.2003, beginning: 19.00, duration about 3 hours, drinks and finger food at the end of the event are included in the price of admission. Admission: € 52 -
July 5, 2003
Lecture “Fast Film – Symmetry of the Chase” by Virgil Widrich at the 11th Festival International de Curtas-Metragens in Vila do Conde. Along with the kiss, the chase is the most popular film scene — and pure cinema. Chase sequences are brought to life by editing, the one creative element no other art form possesses. Although chase sequences look very different, they consist of a small number of practically indispensable shots, whether in Buster Keaton, Indiana Jones or James Bond. Virgil Widrich shows the recurring patterns and how they formed the basis for “Fast Film”.
→ Fast Film
January 28, 2003
Named Salzburger of the Year 2002 by Salzburger Fenster — first place among the Top 100 personalities of the year, chosen by an independent jury. The certificate was presented by governor Franz Schausberger on 28 January 2003. Six laureates were honoured in total; also awarded: the scientists Sabine Auer, Robert Müllner and Dagmar Aigner, managing director Herbert Plank (AB Mikroelektronik), the fire brigade commanders Rudolf Winkler and Martin Schmidhuber (Thalgau) and Paralympic athlete Dagmar Haslacher.
→ Copy Shop

2002

September 26, 2002
Press Conference “The future of the cultural mission and the arts in ORF” on occasion of the last broadcast of the program “Kunststücke” with Bady Minck (filmmaker), Gerald Bast (Rector University of Applied
Art), Gabriele Kranzelbinder (film producer), Virgil Widrich
(filmmaker), Lisl Ponger (photo and film artist), Gerhard Ruiss (IG
Autorinnen Autoren), Daniela Koweindl (IG Bildende Kunst), among others
Generali Foundation, Wiedner Hauptstraße 15, 1040 Vienna, 26.9.2002 at 10 am.
February 1, 2002
checkpointmedia moves into the new office at the “Haus der Musik”, Seilerstätte 30, 1010 Vienna. The new software “Genesto”, which was produced in cooperation with Mensalia Unternehmensberatung, is presented. “Genesto” is a content management system to produce interactive annual reports for the internet.
First clients are DaimlerChrysler, Sanochemia and the Vienna International Airport. Other multimedia projects are: installations for the Giant Ferris Wheel, Kunsthalle Leoben and the Museum SMCA Salzburg.
→ checkpointmedia GmbH – Multimedia Productions

2001

March 20, 2001
Panel participation in the Diagonale-talk: “A year new film policy. Résumé and outlook.”
Date: Tuesday, 20.3.2001 at 15.00
Place: Festival centre Thalia, Graz
Podium:
Representative / Representative of the BKA, cancelled
Brigitta Burger Utzer (Sixpackfilm, for film promoters and -clubs)
Michael Kreihsl (Austrian film directors’ association)
Andreas Gruber (FAustrian Filmmakers Association)
Dietmar Zingl (cinema representative)
Virgil Widrich (filmmaker)
Erich Lackner (producer)
Gerhard Schedl (ÖFI-Austrian Film Institute)
Moderator: Robert Buchschwenter
March 1, 2001
In March, checkpointmedia AG, a joint-stock company, is formed with Stefan Reiter, Stefan Unger and Dieter Göschler, which will be responsible for the multimedia branch in future. The film production company is maintained as an independent firm. The new company’s first projects are the planning of the website for the Museumsquartier in Vienna, media stations for the Lower Austrian Regional Exhibition 2001, a DVD for the Museum of Natural History in Vienna and the creation of a database for Centropa on the life of Jews in the 14 countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
→ checkpointmedia GmbH – Multimedia Productions

2000

1999

June 24–25, 1999
Lecture at the SAE – International Technology College Munich together with Martin Putz.
24.6.1999, 13 to 16: 00 and 17 to 20:00: Classical drama “22 buildings blocks – the model of John Truby”. Interactive storytelling using the CD-ROM “Robbi – Adventures on CD-ROM”
25.6.1999, 13 to16: 00 and 17 to 20:00: “Calculation and production of multimedia projects”
SAE – International Technology College, Hofer Straße 3, D-81737 Munich
→ Robbi – Adventures on CD-ROM
January 2 – June 17, 1999
In the course of the refurbishment of the Technisches Museum Wien one hundred different media stations (including four cinemas) are created by a team of 35 specialists under the supervision of Virgil Widrich Film- und Multimediaproduktions G.m.b.H. These stations give visitors the chance to discover more about the individual themes by means of image and film projection, audio stations, acoustic installations and interactive text, image, music, video, animation and 3D technology applications.
→ 100 Media Stations for Technisches Museum Wien

1998

June 22, 1998
tx-transform is a film technique that transposes the time axis (t) and one of the space axes (x or y) with one another. Normally, each individual frame of the film depicts the entire space, but only a moment in time (1/24 second). With tx-transformed films, it is just the opposite: each frame shows the entire time, but only a tiny portion of space – if one cuts alongside the horizontal space axis, the left portion of the picture turns into the “the before”, the right one into “the after”.
→ tx-transform
January 9 – July 4, 1998
Lecture “How to write interactive dialogues?”.
Writing interactive dialogues seems to be impossible. How can a conversation contain numerous possibilities without being arbitrary at the same time? In the interactive dialogue scenes the CD-ROM “Robbi – a CD-ROM adventure story” the characters in many scenes speak only when instructed by a mouse click, the user can even decide who, when and how often the character speaks. Despite these options, the talking animals have themes and thoughts supporting both the personality of each character while advancing the story. With a budget of 5 million Austrian Schillings “Robbi - a CD-ROM adventure story”is one of the most elaborate multimedia products ever made in Austria. Over 120 graphic designers, technicians and animators worked for one year on this production. For “Robbi”, Virgil Widrich was scriptwriter and production manager.
SAE – School of Audio Engineering, Vienna, January 9th, 10th and 16th, 1998, July 2nd and 4th, 1998
→ Robbi – Adventures on CD-ROM

1997

November 7, 1997
CD-ROM production and budgeting
Rough calculation, schedule, presentation, ordering, planning, detailed calculation, contracts with employees, graphic concept, copywriting, interactive script, daily work of the production manager, organisation of finance, supply chain, graphic design, programming, beta version, artwork, golden master, backup, post processing.
Höhere Graphische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt, Leyserstraße 6, 1140 Wien, November 7th, 1997, 8:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 15:00.

1996

November 18, 1996
Lecture “How to write interactive dialogues?”.
Writing interactive dialogues seems to be impossible. How can a conversation contain numerous possibilities without being arbitrary at the same time? In the interactive dialogue scenes the CD-ROM “Robbi – a CD-ROM adventure story” the characters in many scenes speak only when instructed by a mouse click, the user can even decide who, when and how often the character speaks. Despite these options, the talking animals have themes and thoughts supporting both the personality of each character while advancing the story. With a budget of 5 million Austrian Schillings “Robbi – a CD-ROM adventure story”is one of the most elaborate multimedia products ever made in Austria. Over 120 graphic designers, technicians and animators worked for one year on this production. For “Robbi”, Virgil Widrich was scriptwriter and production manager.
Department of Med. Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence, University of Vienna, Freyung 6/2, 1010 Vienna, 18.11.1996, 18:00 p.m.
→ Robbi – Adventures on CD-ROM
July 26 – September 1, 1996
Advertising and organisation of youth subscriptions of the Salzburg Festival 1996 on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Families and Youth.
26.7. to 31.7.1996: “Festspielwerkstatt der Jugend”. In this 5-day seminar, 40 young people from all of Austria work on approaches to the opera “The Rake’s Progress” by Igor Stravinsky, which is visited together on the last night.
30.8. to 1.9.1996: “Festspielbesuch der Jugend” for 100 young people including orchestral concert at Großes Festspielhaus with Arnold Schönberg’s “Variationen für Orchester op. 31” and Bruckner’s 5th Symphony (conductor: Riccardo Chailly), opera performance of “Moses und Aron” by Arnold Schönberg (conductor: Pierre Boulez, director: Peter Stein).
May 31, 1996
Lecture “The Internet for filmmakers”: To what extent can filmmakers benefit from the opportunities of the Internet? This is no trip for computer geeks, but for people who already have enough work and intend to use the Internet wisely. An evening with the 60 000 films of the “International Movie Database”, the “Virtual Film Festival” as well as the numerous screenplays, which are available in their entirety on the Internet.
Medienlabor München, Lothringerstr. 13 Rgb, 81667 München, 31.5.1996, 17:00 to 20:00 p.m.
January 3 – December 20, 1996
First creative work on a CD-ROM: He writes the screenplay and dialogues for “Robbi - Abenteuer auf CD-ROM.” The story of a baby seal which flees hunters to a desert island becomes a CD-ROM bestseller for children with sales of 20,000. Virgil Widrich develops for this project an interactive dialogue engine, which gives archetypal characters concrete thoughts and injects new dramatic situations. This invention is met with interest around the world and is presented in lectures in Austria and abroad (e.g. at the Medienlabor München and the University of Vienna‘s Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence).
→ Robbi – Adventures on CD-ROM

1995

July 21 – August 31, 1995
Advertising and organisation of youth subscriptions of the Salzburg Festival 1995 on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Families and Youth.
Organisation of two groups:
24.8. to 26.8.1995 with Luigi Pirandello: “Die Riesen vom Berge” (Perner-Insel) and William Shakespeare: “Antonius und Kleopatra” (Felsenreitschule)
29.8. to 31.8.1995 with Luigi Pirandello: “Die Riesen vom Berge” (Perner-Insel) and Béla Bartok: “Herzog Blaubarts Burg” / Arnold Schönberg: “Erwartung” (Großes Festspielhaus).

1994

1993

1992

1991

1990

1989

1988

1987

1986

1985

1984

1983

January 1, 1983
After lengthy preparations, work begins on his first full-length feature film, “Vom Geist der Zeit.” (“The Spirit of Time”) While his grades drop, a 14-month shooting produces a 112-minute genre cross-over mixing action, horror and science fiction in the past, present and future. Peter Handke plays a guest role as an excited passer-by and lay actors from his school play the other parts. The living room in his parents’ house is closed for a period of almost two years due to filming.
→ The Spirit of Time

1982

January 1 – November 12, 1982
Production of his first film with real actors at age 15. Libgart Schwarz, star of the Berliner Schaubühne, plays a role in a Godzilla-inspired science-fiction film entitled “Monster in Salzburg.” Models are built of a number of Salzburg’s streets for this work. The monster is a 30-cm wooden doll with yarn hair, which is brought to life by means of stop-motion. His study of film theory begins this year with the purchase of numerous relevant books and the analysis of screenplays.
→ Monster in Salzburg

1981

1980

1979

1977

1973

1967