steirischer herbst '24, from September 19 to October 13 in Graz and Styria, addresses nationalism and homeland culture under the theme "Horror Patriae". Numerous performances and exhibitions question the concept of the fatherland and its associated fears.Different venues!
The steirischer herbst '24, titled "Horror Patriae," will take place from September 19 to October 13. Inspired by the festival's founding phase in the late 1960s, when the aftermath of National Socialism was still evident, the festival once again dedicates itself to analyzing and exposing nationalist seductions. Performances, exhibitions, music, and literature are the means used to question and deconstruct these narratives.
The festival opens with Natalia Pschenitschnikova's musical performance A.E.I.O.U. at Lesliehof. Other highlights include Yoshinori Niwa's election poster intervention and Ari Benjamin Meyers' "The Nation of Sleep," where children sing adults to sleep in a tennis hall. At the traditional Graz department store Kastner & Öhler, Thomas Verstraeten stages an immersive theater experience, while Clara Ianni addresses the resurrection of nature.
The heart of the festival is the major group exhibition "Horror Patriae" at the Neue Galerie Graz, presenting an alternative museum of national complexes and dark fantasies. The exhibition combines works and artifacts from the Universalmuseum Joanneum with contemporary artworks and is divided into several fictional departments. Accompanying the exhibition is Kunst Heimat Kunst Revisited at Forum Stadtpark, which explores the exhibition series Kunst Heimat Kunst (1992–94) through archival materials.
Additionally, the steirischer herbst offers biting cabaret performances with six new shows and the discourse format Ideen with "Deathmatches" on the key topics of the super election year. The 57th ORF musikprotokoll and the literature festival Out of Joint complement the program.
The steirischer herbst is deeply rooted in Styria and promotes critical artistic engagement with sociopolitical issues. Further information and the complete program will be available from August 9.