REMIX ART – The programmatic approach

The programme for Esch2022

Art means freedom and openness, which allows it to show alternatives and solutions for every area of life. Esch2022 presents contemporary art at the intersection of technology, science and society. This interface holds tremendous potential for the ideas of the future and invites us to shape the world of tomorrow. Under the slogan of “Remix Art”, the Esch2022 programme deals with digital culture, i.e. the effects of modern media on our togetherness, the way we experience art and its entire influence on our lives. “The medium is the message” was the premise of communication scientist Marshall McLuhan. With regard to art and society and an increasingly medialised world, Esch2022 has opted for a resolutely contemporary programme that focuses its artistic programme on media art.

Media art?!

Media art is an art genre that makes use of mass media. It is characterised by the fact that art is based on apparatus production, distribution or reception, i.e. created with machines or cameras, for example, and thus is made visible and accessible to people. The use of different media can be combined as desired. Whether drone shots, thermal imaging cameras or virtual reality, there are no limits when playing with the media repertoire in media art. In addition, modern forms of production can be combined with traditional art genres such as opera or painting, thus creating hybrid genres.

Remixing classical art and rethinking it in the age of digitalisation is goal of “Remix Art”. It is about participation and the critical impulse of each individual visitor to Esch2022 in order to strengthen the perception of and sensitisation to variety.

The art of tomorrow or back to the future

The digital age we live in and the corona pandemic have influenced our social interaction and created new ways of virtual communication. The idea at Esch2022 is to enter into a dialogue together both digitally and on site. In this respect, too, media art is an advantageous medium, as events can be shared worldwide and opportunities for exchanges are no longer tied to a specific location. In addition, the international partnerships with the Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Ars Electronica Linz and the Haus der elektronischen Künste Basel will support the digital approach to the programme and make a wide range of multimedia events possible.