Creativity Matters

In his role as project coordinator for the Interreg AT-CZ project “KreATivita&InovaCZe” at the LIT Open Innovation Center at JKU Linz, Florian Wiencek conceptualized and produced the exhibition “Creativity Matters”.

The traveling exhibition showcases projects from the creative industries in Upper Austria and South Bohemia whose impact reaches well beyond their own field: creativity opens up rural regions to new players, generates innovative production methods, and makes research tangible. Communication translates regional character into brand identity. Architecture makes housing more affordable and climate-friendly. Design makes medical diagnostics more gender-equitable.

In short: these projects introduce creative methods such as co-creation and prototyping to various industries strengthen regional identity, and connect generations, disciplines, and countries.

Here, impact means more than just numbers. It's about lasting change — in people, places, industries. Together, the projects show how the creative industries as a cross-cutting sector spark innovation across the economy, society, and the region.

Exhibition as a space for negotiation

However, the exhibition is not only a showcase for impactful projects from regional creative industries. At same time it is also a space for negotiating different points of view between the two regions on what can be understood as creative industries and how impact and success can be measured – a discourse that becomes apparent in the hanging of the exhibition, that brings e.g. the classical business oriented approach and studio practices in dialogue with art and cultural activities as a starting point. Key concepts from the impact framework, such as output vs. impact, spillover effects, building connections and cross-innovation form a guideline of reading the exhibited projects.

Digital Mediation

Additional to the on-site physical displays a microsite developed by Creative Region provides more insights into the projects through either video- or text-based-interviews. These additional layers are available via QR code on the visitors smartphones. During the exhibition at Ars Electronica 2026 there were also 4 tablets available to explore the microsite.

Exhibition to go

As an “exhibition to go” we created a series of postcards – one motif per exhibited project. Visitors could take their favorite projects with them as a “collectible”. And the postcards also enable us to make the exhibition content available at other places outside of the major exhibition venues. The postcards combine a representative photo of the project on the front, with a short description of the project and a QR code to the in-depth interview on the microsite on the back.

Guided Tour

A special highlight was the guided tour with Florian Wiencek and representatives of selected projects. Joining him were Karolína Raabová (České Budějovice 2028 – European Capital of Culture), Michal Trpak (SCOOLPT), Markus Pargfrieder (Responsive Spaces), and Nikolaus Schullerer and Laura & Andreas Henter (TP3 architekten ZT).

Together, they talked about the background of the projects, their experiences, and the lasting impact of their work. The tour sparked lively conversations and new connections across the border, which is exactly what the Interreg Austria-Czechia project KreATivita&InovaCZe set out to achieve.

Shows:

10.06.2026 – exhibition of the prototype at the final conference of the Interreg project “KreATivita&InovaCZe”, České Budějovice, CZ
09.-13.09.2026 – Ars Electronica Festival, JKU Med Campus, Linz, AT
November 2026 – Freistadt, AT
November 2026 – University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, CZ

Photos: Florian Wiencek (LIT OIC), Michaela Scharrer (Creative Region)