Art in Vienna:

NEW VIRUS IN TOWN

Interview with INFLUENCA, who infects this edition of the Donaufestival in Krems.
February 26, 2018

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This Thursday, a retrovirus will be born in a cozy atmosphere of the SAMSTAG shop in the 5th district of Vienna. Her name is INFLUENCA and she will infect this town before spreading to the provinces in Spring of this year. Next year it will be the world. So don't miss out on this one of the kind experience.

You do not have to follow a star nor bare any gifts to come and experience this phenomenal occurrence. 

I managed to get some, as you see very cursory, answers from her embryo and we are publishing them to give you a taste of what you might expect. Who the hell is she? What the fuck does she think she is? What the fuck? Right....

 

Where do you actually come from?

I was be born in a SAMSTAG Shop on March 1st. 

What were you before you became INFLUENCA?

I’ve always been INFLUENCA. As a retrovirus, it is my mission to infect everybody with the endless need to consume and to #likemetoo. I think buying things is the ultimate way to true happiness.

How did you get to work with Barbis Ruder?

I have a direct channel to her.

Often we hear horror stories about working with STARS, how is it to work with her?

She often has flu, so work together in a sneezy union.

What are your special skills?

I am good looking and I can sing. Also, I am a very nice virus. Not all viruses are nice and usually more deadly then I am.

What do you love most about social media?

In contrast to IRL, social media offers the unique opportunity to be and show who you really are.

Where and how do you work best?

Sometimes my brain is connected directly to the USB port. In these happy moments, I can finally feel myself.

What does a typical day in your week look like?

I look at my iPhone and open my computer the second I wake up. The first like really makes my day, and only then I can start the day. 

How do you structure your days?

Unfortunately, I cannot make my source code open to the public, but Barbis is working on a Beta version with Creative Commons License to make me available for more artists in need.

Who are your biggest influences? Who do you admire most? Who or what inspired you to do what you’re doing now?

Everything monotonous with an Instagram filter gives me special satisfaction. This can be a special beige/pastel blend in colors, but also can apply to unsaturated fat products. I think that when you cry you burn a lot of calories, so I am especially inspired by people who do Yoga in a way that it hurts so much that they cry. It’s almost like my hit online tears. Just different and more sophisticated. 

You are incredibly fashionable, what is your favourite brand?

I only wear handmade clothes by superated which you can get at Samstag Shop. Everything produced with real hands makes me feel real, cherished, inspired and loved.

Where do you love to hang out?

I love hanging out in pop-up stores and on block parties. Just about everywhere, where there are a lot of people. I am very emotional about consuming local, healthy, and organic products that can be infected with my special retro blend.

Your favorite poison?

I am glad that most shots don’t work for me anymore. Resist! Change! And survive!

Favourite pastime?

OMG! I still miss MySpace and StudiVZ

Do you have any friends? Who are they?

Yes, I collect friends. To me, they are a number.

What do you guys do together? 

I count them.

What’s the best advice you got?

One selfie a day makes your doubts go away.

Any surprising lessons you received from life?

Emotions make me very emotional.

What would you say is the #1 key to success in your business?

Take yourself more seriously than you are.

Talk about the biggest failure you've had. What did you learn from it?

My system shut down when the #metoo campaign took over. I was already preparing #likemetoo, and suddenly everybody wanted to cry online tears without me. I hope that I still can win them over.

What keeps you going when things get tough in your business?

I hit the refresh button.

What’s your best advice for handling criticism?

Blame them back right away, block them, swipe left or directly delete the friendship.

What do you want your legacy to be? How do you want to be remembered?

I know that my product lifecycle won’t last forever. I hope that I can stay retro and celebrate glorious comebacks like Syphilis or Rabies do nowadays.

 

Info

Donaufestival Krems 3500