Waltraud P. Indrist, Dr., is an architectural theorist, artistic researcher and artist. Since winter term of 2025 she is Professor for Architectural Theory and Architectural Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.
She is currently researching the »Ambivalences of Modernity. The Architect and City Planner Roland Rainer between Dictatorship and Democracy«, a stand-alone research project granted by the Austrian Science Fund – FWF (P34938), together with Angelika Schnell (project leader), Ingrid Holzschuh, Monika Platzer and Susanne Rick.
In her PhD she elaborated on the »Performative Architectural Photographies – The Relationship between Architecture, Media and Politics in the Work of Hans Scharoun between 1933 and 1939«. In October 2025 her PhD was awarded with the Science Award of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Civil Engineers, Section of Architects [Bundessektion Architekt:innen | Arch+Ing].
Waltraud’s fields of interest are architecture and urbanism, decolonialism, phenomenology, extractivism, cultural studies and artistic research:
A central focus of her work is the analysis of the socio-spatial contexts and the media-specific dimensions of artefacts, in which forms of ideologies, governmentality and biopolitics – in the broadest sense of their meaning – are inscribed and therefore call for critical identification. Her dedication lies in conducting exhaustive research into primary sources and their critical analysis, particularly those stemming from the institution ‘archive.’
The scope of her artistic practices encompasses phenomenological-spatial, photographic and performative approaches.
From 2018 to 2024 Waltraud P. Indrist held an assistant professorship position at the Institute of Architectural Theory, Art History and Cultural Studies, Graz University of Technology.
In 2016, she was awarded with the Marietta Blau-Scholarship (ICM-2014-09776) by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Economy for a one-year stay abroad.
Indrist has taught and presented her research at numerous universities such as MUBAS–Malawi University, Blantyre, UdK Berlin, IIT Chicago, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, Leibniz University Hanover, University of Arts Linz, Vilnius University, University of Bern, Charles University Praha, Bauhaus Dessau, Austrian Academy of Science or KTH Stockholm.
She has written for magazines such as ARCH+, Modulør, RIHA, GAM – Graz Architecture Magazine and stadtaspekte.
Publications and Articles [selection]
Books
Forthcoming 2027 Anamarija Batista, Lorenzo De Chiffre, Waltraud P. Indrist (eds.), Shifting Foundations: Researching Future Alternatives in the Built Fabric, Series: Forum Architekturwissenschaft, Vol. 11, Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin, Berlin.
Forthcoming 2026 Angelika Schnell, Ingrid Holzschuh, Waltraud P. Indrist, Monika Platzer, Susanne Rick (eds.), Ambivalenzen der Moderne. Der Architekt und Stadtplaner Roland Rainer zwischen Diktatur und Demokratie, Series: Exploring Architecture, Vol. 4, Birkhäuser, Berlin.
Daniel Gethmann, Waltraud P. Indrist (eds.), Topographie des Widerstands in der
Steiermark 1938–1945: Eine Ausstellung, jovis, Berlin 2022.
Daniel Gethmann, Waltraud P. Indrist (eds.), Pasubio: Friedensschauplatz – Theater of Peace, Verlag der TU Graz, Graz 2022. Online: doi.org/10.3217/978-3-85125-865-3.
Angelika Schnell, Eva Sommeregger, Waltraud Indrist (eds.), Entwerfen Erforschen. Der “performative turn” im Architekturstudium, Birkhäuser, Basel, Berlin, Boston 2016.
Articels, peer-reviewed
Forthcoming 2027 “The Aestheticisation of the Narrative: A Speculative Counter-narrative to a Built Environment Without Mining Iron Ore,” in: Anamarija Batista, Lorenzo De Chiffre, Waltraud P. Indrist (eds.), Shifting Foundations: Researching Future Alternatives in the Built Fabric, Series: Forum Architekturwissenschaft, Vol. 11, Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin, Berlin.
Forthcoming 2027 “Design and Reality of Territorial and Urban Planning in the ‘East’ – The Case for Lithuania,” together with Marija Drėmaitė, in: Quart. Kwartalnik Instytutu Historii Sztuki Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, Vol. 80, Iss. 1 ed. by Katja Bernhardt, Markary Gorzynski, Hanna Grzeszczuk-Brendel, Aleksandra Paradowska and Annika Wienert, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, Wrocław.
Forthcoming 2026 “How to Lie with Drawings – The concept of the Structured and Dispersed City,” in: Angelika Schnell, Ingrid Holzschuh, Waltraud P. Indrist, Monika Platzer, Susanne Rick (eds.), Ambivalenzen der Moderne. Der Architekt und Stadtplaner Roland Rainer zwischen Diktatur und Demokratie, Series: Exploring Architecture, Vol. 4, Birkhäuser, Berlin.
“Das wechselseitige Verhältnis von Architektur, Medien und Politik: Hans Scharoun 1933–1945 – Einige methodisch-kritische Reflexionen,” in: Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte (ed.), RIHA – Journal of the International Association of Research Institutes in the History of Art, Special Issue: Architekt:innen-Monographien. Kanonisierung, Kontextualisierung, Kritik, ed. by Ruth Hanisch, Richard Kurdiovsky, Bernadette Reinhold, Antje Senarclens de Grancy, 2025 Munich, pp. 1–26. Online: doi.org/10.11588/riha.2025.2.110560.
“Eine Collage an ‘Erinnerungen’ – Der Bauhaus-Schüler Hubert Hoffmann und sein fragwürdiges NS-Narrativ,” in: Anke Blümm, Elizabeth Otto, Patrick Rössler, Klassik Stiftung Weimar (eds.), “… ein Restchen alter Ideale” – Bauhäuslerinnen und Bauhäusler im Nationalsozialismus, Wallstein, 2025 Göttingen.
“Time Sphere: Plant Life as Part of Architectural Design,” together with Anamarija Batista, in: Anamarija Batista (ed.), Notion of Temporalities in Artistic and Filmic Practice, De Gruyter, Berlin 2022, pp. 113–134. Online: doi.org/10.1515/9783110720921-010.
“Roland Rainer und die Drehscheibe Hannover. Kontinuitäten von NS-Netzwerken in Nordwestdeutschland nach 1945,” in: Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft zum Studium Niedersachsens e.V. (ed.), Neues Archiv für Niedersachsen – Zeitschrift für Stadt-, Regional- und Landesentwicklung, Iss. 1: Kontinuitäten und Neuorientierungen – Personelle Netzwerke niedersächsischer Raumwissenschaftler nach 1945, Wachholtz, Kiel 2021, pp. 176–201. Online: doi.org/10.5771/9783529096143.
“I – Eine Stadt sucht ihre Identität. Oder: von originalen Tiroler Bauern, Bugglkraxn, Contergan-Mandln, Bulldozern und anderen techno-humanen Ambivalenzen,” in: aut. architektur und tirol – Architectural Forum (ed.), Widerstand und Wandel – Über die 1970er-Jahre in Tirol, Innsbruck 2020, pp. 273–293.
“Chicago 1904 – Sociological Discourses and the Work of Social Reformers as Vital Parts of Subsequent Architectural Considerations,” in: Dan Costa Baciu (ed.), Prometheus – Journal of the PhD Program in Architecture at the IIT Architecture Chicago, Vol. 2, Chicago/Illinois, October 2019, pp. 72–75.
“7+1: Luigi Snozzi, Part 2 – Im Gespräch mit Arno Brandlhuber, Waltraud Indrist und Christopher Roth,” in: ARCH+, Iss. 225, Aachen 2016, pp. 176–178.
“7+1: Luigi Snozzi, Part 1 – im Gespräch mit Arno Brandlhuber, Waltraud Indrist und Christopher Roth,” in: ARCH+, Iss. 222, Aachen 2016, pp. 136–138.
“Der Akt des Fotografierens – Ein performativitätstheoretischer Blick auf die Häuser Mattern und Moll von Hans Scharoun,” in: Research Training Group Knowledge in the Arts, University of Arts, Berlin (ed.), Das Wissen der Künste, Iss. 5: Erkenntnismittel Fotografie. Architektur- und Performanceforschung, ed. by Lisa Großmann, Constance Krüger, Renate Wöhrer, Berlin 2016. Online: https://wissenderkuenste.de/texte/ausgabe-5/der-akt-des-fotografierens-ein-performativitaetstheoretischer-blick-auf-die-haeuser-mattern-und-moll-von-hans-scharoun/; doi.org/10.25624/kuenste-1621.
“In-der-Welt-Sein,” in: Angelika Schnell, Eva Sommeregger, Indrist (eds.), Entwerfen Erforschen. Der “performative turn” im Architekturstudium, Birkhäuser, Basel, Berlin, Boston 2016, pp. 160–173.
“Bauen Wohnen Denken – Die Begegnung Martin Heidegger und Hans Scharoun,” in: Judith Prossliner, Elisabeth Haid (eds.), Architektur Zeichensaal 4, Diplomarbeiten aus einem Innsbrucker Zeichensaal. 2007–2011, Springer, Vienna 2012, pp. 218–223.
Book Reviews
“Beate Störtkuhl, Rafał Makała (Hg.): Nicht nur Bauhaus – Netzwerke der Moderne in (Ost-)Mitteleuropa,” in: Herder-Institut für historische Ostmitteleuropaforschung – Institut der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft (ed.), Zeitschrift für Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung (Journal of East Central European Studies), Vol. 71, Iss. 2, Herder-Institut, Marburg 2022. Online: doi.org/10.25627/202271211176.
“Die Wohnung des geistigen Arbeiters – Hans Scharoun und die Entwicklung der Kleinwohnungsgrundrisse – Die Wohnhochhäuser Romeo und Julia 1954–1959 / Hans Scharoun and the Development of Small Apartment Floor Plans – The Residential High-Rises Romeo and Julia, 1954–1959,” in: Daniel Gethmann, Petra Eckhard, Urs Hischberg (eds.), GAM – Graz Architecture Magazine, Vol. 17, jovis, Berlin 2021, pp. 287–289. Online: doi.org/10.1515/9783868599633-032.
Exhibitions (Curating, Designing, Contributions) | Artist in Residencies [Selection]
February 2025, Exhibiting the art work “Fuksas Erben,” together with Rina Treml at Lokal, Vienna/Austria
January 2025, Exhibiting “Performative Architectural Photographies – The Relationship between Architecture, Media and Politics in the Work of Hans Scharoun between 1933 and 1939,” contribution to the annual exhibition “Rundgang” at Academy of Fine Arts Vienna/Austria
July 2024, Artist in Residency for the concept “(Raum-)Portrait” and producing the art work “Fuksas Erben,” together with Rina Treml, granted by Land Tirol at Domus Artium, Paliano/Italy
June 25, 2024 to October 6, 2024, Designing the exhibition “Karl Ilbing – Ein Architekt in Graz und Haifa,” curated by Antje Senarclens de Gancy and Waltraud P. Indrist at Museum für Geschichte, Graz/Austria
Summer 2023, Producing and exhibiting the art work “interLUDium,” installative performance, contribution to the performance festival Unter dem Pflug der Zeit/ Nën braza të Kohës – Palast der Träume, curated by Andreas Pronegg, Katarina Csanyiova and Alban Beqiraj in Gjakova/Kosovo
Summer 2022, Producing and exhibiting the art work “Jusuf Gërvalla’s Window,” installative performance, contribution to the performance festival Unter dem Pflug der Zeit / Nën braza të Kohës – 82 GËRVALLA 22, curated by Andreas Pronegg, Katarina Csanyiova and Alban Beqiraj in Peja/Kosovo
January 2022 to March 2022, Co-curating the exhibition “Pasubio: Friedensschauplatz – Theater of Peace,” together with Daniel Gethmann at Schlossbergstollen, Graz/Austria
June 2021 to August 2021, Co-curating the travelling exhibition “Topographie des Widerstands in der Steiermark 1938–1945,” together with Daniel Gethmann in Deutschlandsberg, Museum für Geschichte Graz, Leoben and in Eisenerz/Austria
January 2018, Co-curating the exhibition “Bitte nicht bewegen!,” together with Anselm Wagner at Schaumbad, Graz/Austria
October 2018 to January 2019, Designing and co-curating the exhibition “Roland Rainer – Leerstellen einer Biographie. Neue Erkenntnisse (1936–1963),” at Az W – Architekturzentrum Wien/Austria
2015 and 2013, Exhibiting “Archiv 210,” installative archive, together with Anamarija Batista, Eva Sommeregger et al., contribution to the annual exhibition Rundgang at Academy of Fine Arts Vienna/Austria
October 2011, Co-curating “Die Bäckerei wird 1,” together with Christoph Grud, Christina Mölk and Klaus Schennach at Die Bäckerei-Kulturbackstube, Innsbruck/Austria
2011, Exhibiting the art work “StraßenkinO – Reiche(n)au,” performance, together with fellow workshop participants, curated by Peanutz Architekten, Berlin in the bus line “O,” Innsbruck/Austria
2011, Exhibiting the art work “Time-Space,” analog photography, contribution to the exhibition Deep Reed, curated by Quirin Leppert at Baukunstarchiv, Innsbruck/Austria
2008, Exhibiting the art work “A Re-enactment of Yoko Ono’s Cut piece,” contribution to the exhibition Joyeux non-anniversaire Fluxus at FRAC, Montpellier/France