Art in Medical Environments

Photo: flap

Intersections II: Art, Healthcare, and Well-being

Panel Discussion

Art in Medical Environments

Jill Sonke (US), Andreas Leithner (AT), Kyoko Kunoh (JP)

White walls, bright lighting, clinical smells, and sounds of medical equipment. Visits to hospitals can make patients feel intimidated and vulnerable. What would spaces dedicated to care look like if they fully aligned with their mission of promoting health and well-being? Jill Sonke talks to medical professional Andreas Leithner and artist-curator Kyoko Kunoh about their projects in Austria and Japan that aimed to redesign spaces of care with the help of art.

POSTCITY, First Floor, Conference Hall
Fri 5. Sep 2025 16:30 – 17:00

  • Jill Sonke

    Jill Sonke, PhD, is a US Cultural Policy Fellow with Stanford University, Co-Director of the EpiArts Lab—a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab in partnership with University College London—and Director of Research / Research Professor in the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine. She is an artist, cultural strategist, and mixed-methods researcher with over 100 publications, and is the recipient of more than 350 grants and awards for her work at the intersection of the arts and health.

  • Andreas Leithner

    Prof. Dr. Andreas Leithner (b. 1974) is Head of the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma and Full Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery (since 2012) at the Medical University of Graz, Austria. Born in Vienna, he studied medicine there and moved to Graz in 2000, soon specializing in the field of orthopaedic oncology. He is author or co-author of more than 450 PubMed-listed publications and over 1500 oral and poster presentations. He has served as a reviewer for 14 funding organizations and 68 international journals.

  • Kyoko Kunoh

    From her base in Japan, she is involved in various research and cultural projects of Ars Electronica. She has created numerous artworks in the field of interactive art and works across a wide range of fields, including directing in the public and commercial space, designing exhibition products, and participating in joint projects with companies and universities. Her projects have been featured in many international venues, including Ars Electronica (Austria) and the Centre Pompidou (France) .