Communities of Creativity: bildBalance – Vienna & Maria Ponsee, Austria 🇦🇹

Artist Elisabeth Hinterlechner making work at bildBalance.

Tucked within the offerings of Balance – Leben ohne Barrieren, bildBalance has, since 2001, demonstrated the powerful role that art can play in the lives of adults with intellectual and multiple disabilities. With two studio locations - Vienna and Maria Ponsee - this unique program supports artists through individualized guidance, accessible studios, and an emphasis on creative autonomy.

🎨 A Studio Grounded in Artistic Growth

At the heart of bildBalance is a deep respect for the creative process as a personal journey. The program provides each artist with a dedicated workspace, a rhythm that supports deep engagement, and mentorship that prioritizes voice over instruction. Artists explore drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media, and textile art, often discovering new interests and methods over time.

Rather than centering productivity or output, bildBalance invites artists to work without pressure, allowing their styles to evolve organically. This results in powerful, authentic work - some of which has been shown in exhibitions both in Austria and internationally. Through these opportunities, artists challenge traditional narratives of who belongs in the art world.

🧩 Belonging Through Artistic Practice

bildBalance is more than a studio - it's a community of belonging. Each participant is supported in building a creative identity, strengthening confidence, and forming meaningful social connections. The studio embraces the idea that personal development and artistic development go hand in hand, and that creativity is a valid and vital way to communicate, explore, and participate in the world.

The program is also embedded within a broader care and support network provided by Balance, ensuring that artists have access to the services they need while being recognized for their talents and contributions.

bildBalance offers a compelling model for supported studios worldwide - demonstrating how individualized attention, community integration, and respect for creative expression can unlock possibility and purpose.

🔗 Find out more: www.balance.at/tagesstruktur/kunst/bildbalance