ESPI Open Day

The European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) will open its doors to the public for the first time on 18 September 2026, hosting an Open Day that explores space policy through the lens of art. The free, public event will take place at ESPI’s premises at Schwarzenbergplatz 16, Vienna, from 15:00 to 22:00 CEST, and is designed to welcome visitors of all ages, with dedicated activities for families and children in the afternoon.  

Developed in collaboration with Vienna-based artist Wendelin Pressl, the inaugural Open Day invites visitors to engage with space beyond the usual frameworks of policy and technology. Original artworks, each corresponding to one of ESPI’s thematic focus areas, offer an accessible entry point into the subject requiring no prior expertise — only curiosity.  

Rather than offering answers, the pieces use an associative and exploratory approach designed to spark conversation and reflection on what space means for society today.

Programme 

Part 1 – Children’s art workshop

• 15:00 – 17:00 — Public guided tours and a children’s art workshop (families and young children welcome)  

Part 2 – Exhibition and Evening Reception

• 17:00 – 18:30 — Doors open for the evening event  

• 18:30 – 18:40 — Opening remarks  

• 18:40 – 19:30 — “Connecting art and space”: a conversation between Wendelin Pressl and ESPI’s Research Leads  

• 19:30 – 22:00 — Cocktail reception with canapés 

Attendance 

The event is free and open to all, but registration is required, whether for the afternoon exhibition, the evening programme, or the full day. Interested attendees can register at events.espi.eu/openday.  

About the artist 

Wendelin Pressl has spent over two decades working across drawing, object and installation, exploring how everyday systems, objects and narratives can be taken apart, recombined and reread in unexpected ways. Based in Vienna since studying at the Academy of Fine Arts, his work has been exhibited across Austria and abroad, including at the Venice Biennale.