Caroline Salfinger

Caroline Salfinger is a PhD candidate and University Assistant in the PhD Research Collective at the University of Art and Design Linz. Her work bridges artistic practice (painting, photography) with theoretical exploration of liminal moments, ambivalence, darkness, and melancholy through an artistic-scientific lens.

• Born 1991 in Grieskirchen
• Studied Fine Art (Painting & Graphics) and Applied Cultural Studies at University of Art and Design Linz (Diploma with Distinction 2018/2022)
• Current research: Spaces of Loneliness: Figures of Refusal and Their Relationship to Space (Artistic Research)

Notable scientific awards include the Emanuel & Sofie Fohn Scholarship 2022. Her exhibition history spans 2013–2024 with prominent appearances at NEXTCOMIC FESTIVAL and OÖ Kulturquartier. She contributes to cultural discourse through catalogue essays and editorial collaborations.

Research trends in her work include:

• Intersection of spatial theory and affective states
• Exploration of withdrawal as creative strategy
• Visual representation of melancholy and resistance
• Curatorial practice as research method
• Epistemological boundaries in artistic research
• Gender-inflected spatial topologies

As member of KUNSTSCHAFFENDEN since 2020, she participates in collective artistic practice and knowledge production.