BAD ISCHL / BAD GOISERN / HALLSTATT / OBERTRAUN / LINZ / OÖ. “Under day” is the motto of the Festival of the Regions this year. From June 25th to July 4th there are various items on the program such as films, exhibitions, readings and concerts. For the first time, artists have also developed their projects directly in the region together with the population.
The 15th edition of the Festival of the Regions is planned from June 25th to July 4th in Bad Ischl, Bad Goisern, Hallstatt and Obertraun. This time the motto is “Unter Tag / Underground”, with which the festival for contemporary art and culture focuses, as usual, on a current and at the same time timeless topic. The organizers say that this would combine civil protest and resistance activities, opportunities to improve working and living conditions, unspoken conflicts, alternative scenes or specific needs and dreams of the population for the region. “We associate day-to-day work with heavy physical work under extreme conditions and in constant danger. At the same time, working in the mine also brings something valuable to the surface. This historical reference to the Salzkammergut region serves as the starting point for the Festival of the Regions. In the meantime, reality in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic has overtaken the festival theme and is forcing the population – not only in this region – into a so-called underground that makes our living conditions difficult and threatens our livelihoods, ”is on the Festival website to read.
(No) underground rooms
Originally, due to the theme of the festival, it was planned to create underground rooms, reported Artistic Director Airan Berg at the presentation of the program on Thursday, May 20 in the Linz Castle Museum. Due to the corona restrictions, the team decided against it. Most of the venues are in the open air – such as parks, gardens, open spaces or alpine pastures. Nevertheless, taboo topics would be brought to the surface, promises Berg. Since certain parts of the current Covid-19 regulation apply until June 16, he hopes that there will be no curfew from June 25.
From KulturNaut * inside to Karl Sibelius
In addition to the Corona measures, this time the so-called KulturNaut * inside – 18 selected artists who come from the region as well as from other countries. Together with the population, they have developed projects such as dance, theater and installations directly in the region. These results can be seen as well as pre-recorded items, films and various exhibitions. A show is planned using augmented reality on the history of the Festival of the Regions itself. Behind it are students from the Institute for Media / Visual Communication at the Art University Linz. Other components of the Festival of the Regions include a temporary sculpture garden, concerts and installations. Participating artists are, for example, actor and director Karl Sibelius, theater maker David Mayaan, choreographer Eva Lilja, dancer Romy Kolb and visual artist and architect Markus Jeschaunig. Four Kepler salons are also planned around the themes of the festival. Details of the program will be available on the website from June 10th.
According to the organizers, the Festival of the Regions wants to leave its mark, take up discussion processes and set them in motion, and encourage or initiate requests for change. In addition, the needs of the population should be taken seriously and included. Stories could only be presented and brought to the surface through cooperation with the population in Bad Ischl, Bad Goisern, Lauffen, Hallstatt and Obertraun. Part of the exhibition is scheduled to come to Linz in 2022.
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