Kissaten Vienna

Rebecca Merlic

CONTRAST is pleased to present “Kissaten Vienna,” a solo exhibition by Austria-based artist, architect, and researcher Rebecca Merlic from 7/26 (Sat) to 8/3 (Sun). This immersive, interactive project digitally documents and reconstructs the deeply human culture of the kissaten—a traditional Japanese-style coffeehouse—rooted in both Japanese and Viennese social life. More than just cafés, kissaten are places for quiet reflection, community, and daily rituals. They hold the layered stories of those who built, worked in, and visited them. Yet many have disappeared due to urban redevelopment and generational change. Rather than simply recording these places, the project revives them as “memory spaces” in digital form—a new kind of archive that passes on their presence and connections to the future. Merlic visited kissaten across Japan and Vienna, engaging in dialogue with owners and regulars while 3D-scanning architecture, furnishings, and atmosphere. She also captured owners’ voices and bodies as 3D avatars, reconstructing each kissaten’s unique mood and memory. In addition, she has created three sculptures combining actual cups and furniture used in kissaten with rare porcelain from the MAK Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna. Alongside these sculptures, visitors can experience a playable visual novel within a digitally reconstructed kissaten. Like a game, they are invited to freely explore the spaces, discovering hidden objects and fragments of memory. We invite you to step into these digitally preserved kissaten to wander, observe, and rediscover the memories and connections that once flourished in these spaces. This work will also be shown in alternate formats at the Austrian Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, and at Knowledge Capital, Grand Front Osaka. ー Opening: 7/25 (Fri) 18:00 - 21:00 Date: 7/26 (Sat) - 8/3 (Sun) Tue - Fri: 14:00 - 19:00 Sat & Sun: 12:00 - 19:00 Closed: Monday Entrance: Free Venue: CONTRAST Support: Vienna Business Agency, X VISION Inc. ー Venue: Austrian Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai Date: 7/17 (Thu) - 7/28 (Mon) ー Venue: Knowledge Capital, Grand Front Osaka Date: 8/8 (Fri) - 9/13 (Sat)