



Markus Oberndorfer – Palm Trees Are Noise
Exhibition
ADA Wattgasse 16/10, 1160 Wien
10.—24.10.2025
Artists: Oberndorfer Markus
Curator: Sira-Zoé Schmid
From staging the ordinary to hallucinating the everyday: The palm fronds caress our cheeks like soft brushes, their soothing rustle, carried in from afar, enchants us like the Sirens once bewitched Odysseus on his odyssey. They seem to question what is. Such poetic reflections—thoughts on mere being, on documenting, staging, or generating the everyday, and the resulting considerations—mark the beginning of an artistic search for roots and traces within the ambient noise of today’s media landscapes.
In his exhibition “Palm Trees Are Noise,” Markus Oberndorfer presents the outcome of this artistic approach to virtual imagery. To this end, he remodeled each palm tree depicted in Ed Ruscha’s book “A Few Palm Trees” (1971) in 3D, translating them into digital space. From there, these interpretations undergo a visual evolution from neutral wireframes (Generic), to dissolved intermediates (Diffused), to AI-generated look-alikes (Generated), and finally to staged AI pseudo-realities (Staged). An attempt, traced through the example of the palm tree and rooted in media-philosophical questions surrounding photography and generative AI techniques.
In his exhibition “Palm Trees Are Noise,” Markus Oberndorfer presents the outcome of this artistic approach to virtual imagery. To this end, he remodeled each palm tree depicted in Ed Ruscha’s book “A Few Palm Trees” (1971) in 3D, translating them into digital space. From there, these interpretations undergo a visual evolution from neutral wireframes (Generic), to dissolved intermediates (Diffused), to AI-generated look-alikes (Generated), and finally to staged AI pseudo-realities (Staged). An attempt, traced through the example of the palm tree and rooted in media-philosophical questions surrounding photography and generative AI techniques.
10.10.25 7–10 PM
11.–12.10.25 3–7 PM
17.10.-18.10.25 3–7 PM
24.10.25 7–10 PM
free entry Not barrier-free
Artists: Oberndorfer Markus
Curator: Sira-Zoé Schmid
From staging the ordinary to hallucinating the everyday: The palm fronds caress our cheeks like soft brushes, their soothing rustle, carried in from afar, enchants us like the Sirens once bewitched Odysseus on his odyssey. They seem to question what is. Such poetic reflections—thoughts on mere being, on documenting, staging, or generating the everyday, and the resulting considerations—mark the beginning of an artistic search for roots and traces within the ambient noise of today’s media landscapes.
In his exhibition “Palm Trees Are Noise,” Markus Oberndorfer presents the outcome of this artistic approach to virtual imagery. To this end, he remodeled each palm tree depicted in Ed Ruscha’s book “A Few Palm Trees” (1971) in 3D, translating them into digital space. From there, these interpretations undergo a visual evolution from neutral wireframes (Generic), to dissolved intermediates (Diffused), to AI-generated look-alikes (Generated), and finally to staged AI pseudo-realities (Staged). An attempt, traced through the example of the palm tree and rooted in media-philosophical questions surrounding photography and generative AI techniques.
In his exhibition “Palm Trees Are Noise,” Markus Oberndorfer presents the outcome of this artistic approach to virtual imagery. To this end, he remodeled each palm tree depicted in Ed Ruscha’s book “A Few Palm Trees” (1971) in 3D, translating them into digital space. From there, these interpretations undergo a visual evolution from neutral wireframes (Generic), to dissolved intermediates (Diffused), to AI-generated look-alikes (Generated), and finally to staged AI pseudo-realities (Staged). An attempt, traced through the example of the palm tree and rooted in media-philosophical questions surrounding photography and generative AI techniques.
Events related to this exhibition:

| 19—22 Uhr
From staging the ordinary to hallucinating the everyday: The palm fronds caress our cheeks like soft brushes, their soothing rustle, carried in from afar, enchants us like the Sirens once bewitched Odysseus on his odyssey. They seem to question what is. Such poetic...
Opening hours:
10.10.25 7–10 PM
11.–12.10.25 3–7 PM
17.10.-18.10.25 3–7 PM
24.10.25 7–10 PM
Address:
Wattgasse 16/10
1160 Wien
Wattgasse 16/10
1160 Wien