PHOTOGRAPHY

Workshop - Simon Lehner

with Simon Lehner, Milo Keller, Clément Lambelet

For this workshop, ECAL invited Simon Lehner, a Vienna-based visual artist whose interdisciplinary practice spans photography, 3D rendering, AI-generated imagery, lens-based paintings, and sculptures. Drawing from personal archives of photo albums and videos, Lehner creates unique works that blend classical photography, digital production, painting, and kinetic sculpture. As one of the few Austrian young artists working within this medium, his work delves into themes of memory, trauma, and emotional landscapes, often exploring how personal experiences intersect with technological mediation. Exhibited internationally, Lehner’s practice critically engages with identity, psychology, and the digital age, positioning him at the forefront of contemporary visual culture and emerging technologies. Social media algorithms manipulate memory and emotions by trapping users in echo chambers of repetitive imagery and ideas. These visual cycles exploit memory processes, triggering emotional responses—such as fear, envy, or desire—that reinforce behavioral patterns. Corporations leverage photographic images to target insecurities, activating primal instincts to drive consumption and engagement. Algorithms also contribute to radicalization by tailoring content to intensify biases and desensitize individuals to alternative views. Fast-paced formats, such as TikTok edits, overstimulate users, impacting emotional development and reducing critical thinking. Parasocial relationships with influencers and celebrities further manipulate emotions, shaping identity and societal norms in ways that benefit corporate agendas. Before the workshop, students were invited to reflect on their personal echo chambers by collecting at least 20 examples of content—videos, photographs, screenshots, or trends—encountered on their social media feeds. They were asked to think about the following while observing and collecting: •    What trends or niches were suggested to you? •    Which emotions played a role in these trends? •    What emotional responses did they trigger in you? By analyzing these patterns, students gained insight into how photographic images and algorithms influence memory, emotions, and behavior. This critical awareness serveed as a foundation for exploring the broader societal implications of visual media.