Uninvited Guests
June 30–July 9, 2017
In 2017 the Festival of Regions is stopping off in Marchtrenk and under the motto Uninvited Guests dedicates itself to aspects of exodus and movement, of hospitality and resentment as well as the artistic approach to them.
The Festival of Regions is one of the most famous and high-profile festivals for contemporary art and culture in Austria. Beyond urban conurbations and art centres, every two years it explores and conquers a region or location in Upper Austria. The festival’s aims include sensitisation to contemporary art and culture and the strengthening of regional initiatives in the field of cultural work. Alongside international, supra-regional and local participation of artists, it strives for cooperation with associations, institutions and committed people. Education, open dialogue and connections between art and everyday culture are the key strategies to anchor the festival in the location and to leave the clearest possible mark behind. Above all, however, it is a question of addressing and involving the greatest number of people on site—and celebrating a great festival of the arts in which there is a sustained liaison between sharpness of content, artistic substance, living together and humour.
About the theme, Uninvited Guests: The history of Marchtrenk has long been marked by dynamism and demographic movement. As a result of the influx of the ethnic German refugees and those driven out of their homelands after the Second World War, the population more than doubled within a few years. In all, the Austrian republic had to deal with some 1,650,000 refugees, expellees and displaced persons, who at the time were also often treated as “unwanted elements.” With the theme Uninvited Guests the Festival of Regions is dedicating itself to aspects of fleeing, of hospitality and hostility, of fluctuation, arrival and remaining as well as the cultural approach to them. In the process it raises questions of a shared and communal future and the confrontation with new “neighbourhoods of differences.” We are curious about the artistic references and formulations on the subjects addressed; ultimately art is not always a welcome guest in public space and society.
Marchtrenk/B1: The festival location has more than 12,000 inhabitants and lies directly on the B1 national highway between the cities of Linz and Wels, a fact that opens up further facets of meaning for the festival theme: movement and dynamism. We are dealing with an economically, socially and culturally prosperous municipality with a noticeably optimistic atmosphere and openness to new attitudes. To this extent the Festival of Regions is a welcome guest for the town. The traffic roars along the B1 past Marchtrenk. The area on the margins, with its company premises and brownfield sites will be incorporated in the programme concept.
Useful links: www.marchtrenk.gv.at/www.museumsverein-marchtrenk.at
Call for projects: Project proposals are welcome from all artistic fields and genres. Site-specific works and concepts that concern themselves with the given themes and strategies of the 2017 Festival of Regions will be given preference.
Closing date: May 13, 2016
Submission: Please use our online form here.
Components of the submission: Project description and aims (max. 500 characters) together with a convincing visualisation in the form of sketches, photos, plans/spatial-situative, organisational and technical requirements, brief biographies of the project participants, timetable for development and implementation, budgeting and finance plan (see also the budget template at www.fdr.at), contact addresses, e-mail, and possibly websites. Submissions in German or English, max. length 7 pages. If by post, to:
Festival der Regionen
Marktplatz 12
4100 Ottensheim, Austria
Photos of selected characteristics of the location and further information: www.fdr.at or phone T +43 (0)7234 85285
Selection method: With the support of an independent, international programme advisory committee, the board and management of the festival will make a shortlist. The artistic director will draw up the festival programme based on the selected projects. There is no right of legal recourse in respect of any programme decisions.
Local viewing: On Friday, April 1, 2016, 3pm, on a joint viewing of the site in Marchtrenk there is the opportunity to get an impression of the festival location. Meeting point: square in front of the municipal offices, Linzer Straße 21. Registration at: office [at] fdr.at
Train connection from Linz: 2:21pm
Personal interview appointments with the artistic director of the festival are offered on:
Wednesday, April 6 from 2pm in Marchtrenk, (Der Weinphilosoph, Marktplatzcenter Linzer Straße 35, 1. Stock)
Thursday, April 7 from 2pm in the Linz University of Art and Design (Hauptplatz 8, Sitzungszimmer, 2. Stock)
Wednesday, April 13 from 2pm in 1010 Vienna (Café Ludwig & Adele im Künstlerhaus, Akademiestraße 13)
Interview appointments every half hour, registration at: T +43 (0)664 5239209.
Organisation: The Festival of Regions is an independent association supported by the province of Upper Austria and the Federal Chancellery/Arts Department.
Association board: Susanne Blaimschein, Dagmar Höss, Gerald Priewasser-Höller. Artistic director: Gottfried Hattinger. Business manager: Barbara Mitterlehner. Communications: Karoline Jirikowski-Winter. Photography and graphics: Norbert Artner.
