The Second IF Lab 2025/2026 Workshop in Ljubljana

From 3–6 February 2026, participants of the current IF Lab edition gathered for the second workshop, this time hosted by the Kersnikova Institute – a platform for the development, production, and presentation of contemporary investigative art projects. The four-day residency focused on the further development of participants’ research projects. Participants were able to use the facilities of the Kersnikova Institute for collaborative work and consultations with tutors. The programme also included a workshop focused on the acoustics of materials and methods of their exploration, a visit to the Krater site, and a symposium presenting several inspiring artistic projects.

Workshop with Ida Hiršenfelder

Ida Hiršenfelder is a sound artist and archivist who creates immersive psychogeographical spatial compositions using electronics, code, analogue synthesizers, and field recordings. Her practice primarily focuses on sound ecology and the spatial distribution of sound, engaging with themes related to listening to the non-human and the inorganic. As part of the workshop, she presented several methods of her work, both theoretically and practically.

During the workshop, we explored the behaviour, properties, and conceptual potential of selected chemical materials, such as chemical garden formations in a water glass solution, piezoelectric crystals of Rochelle salt, and coils designed for the acoustic translation of electromagnetic transmissions, including electromagnetic smog from anthropogenic sources and natural solar radio captured by ionosondes.

Symposium

The symposium featured artist talks by Ida Hiršenfelder and Dmitry Morozov, who presented examples of their creative work at the intersection of art and science, as well as an expert curatorial introduction by Jurij Krpan.

Krater

Krater is both a place and a transdisciplinary collective that inhabits an abandoned construction pit in Ljubljana and protects and advocates for its existence as a self-sustaining ecosystem. As this fragile environment is constantly on the brink of extinction, the collective cultivates creative resilience by responding to urgency through various inventive approaches and artistic strategies.
Their activities call for alliances and community-oriented economies, opening up new fields of regenerative, relational, and critical creative practices. In addition to its core focus on biodiversity preservation, Krater Collective also organises innovative educational programmes, exhibitions, conferences, and other public events.