Programme, International, Esch2022 - news

Esch2022: European capital of culture at Ars Electronica Festival 2021

Visit of the Möllerei in Belval ©Eric Chenal

After participating in the Ars Electronica Festival for the first time in 2020, Esch2022 was again contributing to the international event with a new project.
“From red earth to grey matter” is a video documenting the ongoing collaborative work of Esch2022 with leading institutions ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, HEK (House of Electronic Arts) and Ars Electronica in
the planning and delivery of three ambitious exhibition projects and diverse programmes of events. The video is launched at this year`s Ars Electronica Festival (8 – 12 September).

These three exhibitions will be presented in the Möllerei in Belval, an industrial building, that has been originally used for the storage of minerals employed in the production of steel. Gathering the works of around 70 contemporary artists these three exhibitions will address the current issues of our time and unfold from February till November 2022. Each exhibition will be accompanied by a special programme of events and workshops tailored for the broad and specifically diverse audience of the region, and beyond, to participate.

Presented from early September 2022, the Ars Electronica exhibition will explore the importance of creative thinking and artistic approaches in scientific research and industrial production to create innovative, sustainable and ethical solutions to the struggles and problems of today`s societies. It is curated by Martin Honzik, Chief curator at Ars Electronica, and Laura Welzenbach, Head of Ars Electronica Export.

“It is a pleasure for us to collaborate with three pioneering institutions in the field of art, technology and media. Our visitors will be able to discover exhibitions with themes that have never been tackled before in Luxembourg.
Another important point is the richness of our mediation program, which will include many activities for everyone and will reflect the diversity and potential of the region,” says Vincent Crapon, Cultural Programme – Visual Arts, Esch2022.

About the Ars Electronica Festival
The Ars Electronica Festival, with its home in Linz, is Europe’s largest festival for art, technology and society and thrives on digital networking with the entire world. Organised for the first time in 1979, around 1,000 artists and scientists from more than 40 countries are now involved in shaping the programme. Each year, the event is dedicated to different themes and invites visitors to new locations. This year, the festival will be realised in 100 different locations, including metropolises such as Los Angeles, Berlin, London and Tokyo. Connecting the world digitally and offering insights to each other is part of the mission – in these times more than ever.

For the second time, the festival was an hybrid event including exhibitions, concerts, talks, conferences, workshops and guided tours in Linz and 100 other locations around the globe. Among them is Esch-sur-Alzette. The theme of the new edition is “A New Digital Deal”.

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