There were discussion formats already in the past editions of the festival directed by Daniel Ott and Manos Tsangaris that accompanied, reflected upon, and contextualized the Biennale in the form of symposiums, lectures, discussions, seminars, podiums, and salons.
For 2022 we are now developing a campus format, which especially has students in various disciplines in mind.
With the thematic setting of “Good friends” the Biennale is investigating the bright sides and shady sides of the chosen relationships and bonds of people, states, and the arts. Such questions are meant to be looked into thoroughly in this campus format, and while doing so become evolved artistic strategies with the other experiences and reflections. Friendship in an emphatic sense, and at times also in a cynical sense (“with friends like that who needs enemies”) has been a topos for a long time in discussions about music theater and its material. But at the same time friendship denotes the topic of new, experimental forms of performance, certain dynamics in creative collaboration, and also alternating relationships between the word, sound, gesture, and space. Kinship metaphors have been found in discussions for a long time, for instance, when theater and music are referred to as “sisters in art” or when one talks about the character Marthaler’s “family.” But does this already describe sufficiently the network of relationships in multimedia music theater and in collective authorships? And what dynamics do evolve, beyond many prevalent relationship networks, from the creative teams’ artistic “friendships” (established very consciously by the Biennale) and their special approaches?
These and similar questions will be examined at the Biennale campus together with students, artists, and scientists. The focus will be on attending performances as well as on the in-depth discussion of what has been experienced in the circle of interdisciplinary participants and their lecturers.
In addition, there are plans for introductory and stimulating presentations from the speakers, and discussions and workshops with the artists of the Biennale productions.