20 February 2019

Preview Wiener Festwochen (10 May - 16 June) via printed catalogue and website: Robert Wilson & Isabelle Huppert, Angélica Liddell & Markus Öhrn,...

Some will prefer the website festwochen.at (German/English) where the programme search can be refined after the categories Performance, Visual Arts, Film, Theatre, Dance, Music, while others will enjoy rather the linear, chronologically structured print catalogue which starts with the introducing words by Wiener Festwochen Artistic Director Christophe Slagmuylder under the title 'A Place For Imagination And Dissent'. The printed book, which can be ordered online, leads through the programme beginning with the opening weekend happening this year at the focus district Donaustadt with events developed for and together with local inhabitants. The title 'A Place For Imagination And Dissent' isn't the motto of the Wiener Festwochen neither are the festival's events over the duration of five weeks dedicated to a special topic. The agenda of Wiener Festwochen is to show a wide range of contemporary artistic expressions for mirroring a sort of kaleidoscopic light from and back to nowadays society.

Fashion.at browsed through the printed catalogue and stopped randomly at around the middle of the programme book at director Robert Wilson's theater piece with French actress Isabelle Huppert in the main - and only, role. Author Darryl Pinckney wrote 'Mary Said What She Said' as monologue of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots reflecting upon her life. The theatre piece will premiere on 22 May in Paris; some days later on 30 May, it will be shown in Vienna. The scheduled Vienna dates are 30 May, 31 May, 1 June, and 2 June.

The printed catalogue seduces to read text by text in chronological order. Fashion.at switched back to the website for exploring more intuitively side presentations such as in the directory 'Service' the 'Travel Guide' where the organizers provide accommodation, restaurant tips for travelers.

'Guided by Artists' is another festival format - unfortunately only two events can be found under this topic. Both are tours through the Kunsthistorische Museum Wien guided by artists who are mentioned by Artistic Director Christophe Slagmuylder in the foreword as investigators of burning questions of our time. It's announced that the artists Angélica Liddell (15 May) and Markus Öhrn (8 June) will lead under subjective perspectives through the museum with focus on art which inspired or influenced their own works. Performance artist, theatre maker Angélica Liddell's 'The Scarlet Letter' premiered already in December 2018; in May, Angélica Liddell brings her theatre piece about the freedom of art and humankind to Vienna. Markus Öhrn's theatre, film '3 Episodes of Life' - a research on abuse in the work environment, will premiere in May in Vienna; '3 Episodes of Life' is a Wiener Festwochen production.

By the way: The programme can be browsed via 'Calendar' chronologically online too; the calendar starts with the opening ceremony on 10 May at Rathausplatz in the 1st district of Vienna.


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