Festival of the Regions – 2009: Normalcy and a discussion about the future
Press Conference
Monday, 6 October 2008, 12.30 p.m.
Café Bar Solaris / OK Offenes Kulturhaus, OK-Platz 1, 4020 Linz
15 years ago – on 18 September 1993 – the first Festival of the Regions was opened in Linz Stadium. In the meantime it has developed an unmistakable identity as a contemporary festival of topical, site specific art and culture. The board has made use of this anniversary to start a process of internal discussion that looks ahead to the period of 2011 to 2019.
In collaboration with Linz 09 European Capital of Culture 2009, the Festival of the Regions, which is going to take place between May 9 and June 1, will have its sights on Linz’s southern periphery, along the river Traun, with special emphasis devoted to the satellite city of Auwiesen and the housing complexes of solarCity. At the centre of “Normalcy” there is a temporary relocation of part of Linz’s art and culture scene to the southernmost parts of Linz. A series of events starting in October 2008 provides the chance to get the feel of the themes of the festival before it kicks off in earnest.
15 years Festival of the Regions – Discussion of the future
In the 15 years of its existence the Festival of the Regions has made a significant contribution to the development of the genre of site specific art and culture away from traditional centres. With the help of more than 1,500 people who were directly involved almost 250 projects have been realized that have left their traces in 157 places. Upper Austria’s commissioner of culture, Provincial Governor Dr Josef Pühringer, sums it all up as follows: “The Festival of the Regions is an integral part of Upper Austria’s cultural landscape. Its many exemplary projects have provided powerful boosts to the province’s cultural life and may serve as models of advanced practice in the field of contemporary art and culture.”
The board of the Festival of the Regions takes its cue from this anniversary and from the impending change at the top level of management that was announced this spring and is scheduled to take place at the end of 2009 to initiate a process of discussion about the period of 2011 to 2019. Chairwoman Susanne Blaimschein comments this as follows: “Instead of looking back contentedly on the development of the last few years and sitting back to congratulate ourselves we are making plans for the future. As we prepare for 2009 we want to demonstrate our capability of developing viable perspectives in a timely and conscientious manner. We have made sure for this process to begin before the start of Culture Capital Year and one year ahead of the necessary revirement at the top level of our management to be able to do this properly and in depth.”
Normalcy 2009
In collaboration with Linz 09 European Capital of Culture, the Festival of the Regions upholds its commitment to topical art and culture with a site specific dimension also on the outskirts of Linz. The head of the festival, Martin Fritz, banks in his last programme entitled “Normalzustand” [Normalcy], which will be staged among the housing complexes of Auwiesen and solarCity, on participation, performance and the presence of the actors. The last editions of the festival in Oberes Mühlviertel (2005) and in the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems (2007) put a marked emphasis on installations. Martin Fritz: “Our watchword has been ‘committed to the region’ from the start and this will be even more in evidence in Culture Capital Year. How do we live? How do we want to live? Those are the questions that we’re focusing on in ‘Normalcy’. The fact that cooperation with Linz09 gives us more leeway enables intensive work in the runup to the Festival itself, better mediation and additional possibilities regarding programming, as is exemplified for instance by the curators’ project.”
In 2009 the Festival of the Regions will pitch its tents in the literal sense of the word in Auwiesen and solarCity and will be offering new perspectives on the housing complexes in the city’s southern growth areas through a multitude of cooperative projects. Linz 09 Artistic Director Martin Heller: “The Festival of the Regions is going to be one of the key major events in the programme of Capital of Culture Year. The application of its artistic consequences and qualities to an urban environment will create thrilling moments of friction. I’m greatly looking forward to it”
At the centre of “Normalcy” will be a temporary relocation of a part of Linz’s art and culture scene to the southernmost parts of Linz and its intense collaboration with both local and international partners. Stadtwerkstatt and Radio FRO will set up temporary satellite stations in Auwiesen; in Pichling’s solar city, arguably Linz’s youngest neighbourhood, teenagers will be involved together with local activists in “Claim your Space”, which is an attempt to rethink youth culture and to live and present it. Other exemplary projects, such as a performance of “Brise”, a work for 111 cyclists by the late Mauricio Kagel, the collaborative venture with the pilot project Gropiusstadt, Berlin, and the live TV livingroom theatre “Home Entertainer” of the German group AKKU underscore the broad spectrum of the Festival’s programme. The Linz councillor in charge of cultural affairs, Vice Mayor Dr. Erich Watzl considers the emergence of positive effects a foregone conclusion, as “the networking and collaboration of local ensembles with international artists has remarkable potential. The Festival of the Regions 2009 in Linz is liable to change old perceptions of the ‘outskirts’.”
Project “zerlegt und verspielt”
In keeping with the themes of the Festival as a whole the project series “zerlegt und verspielt” (curated by Doris Prlić) offers performances and actions by young artists, musicians and other activists aiming to re-interpret and re-dedicate public (free) space.
From October 2008 – a series of warm-up events
The first warm-up actiivities in the run-up to the Festival proper have already come on stream. Since late August 2008 options for solarCity’s youth to organise their leisure time and claim their share of free space have been at the centre of “Claim your space". In addition to this there will be more events that offer interested people the opportunity to familiarize themselves on the spot with the Festival’s themes. The series “Lokalaugenschein” [Site inspection] is to be continued from the end of October under the title “Lokaltour” [Site crawl] and will be a jour fixe for all those interested in the Festival’s themes. The already well established series of talks and discussions “Der öffentliche Raum der Stadt” [Urban public space] will supplement this by keeping the focus on the outskirts with contributions by experts from such areas as architecture, urban planning, social history and art in public space. For dates see below or go to www.fdr.at.
