Graz city center

Klanglicht festival unfolds its magic again

Luke Jerram brings the moon into the Graz parish church.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian/Christian Jauschowetz)

Luminous and resounding works of art will attract visitors to Graz city center until Saturday (from 6 pm to midnight). The Klanglicht Festival, organized by Bühnen Graz, once again invites visitors to artistic, poetic encounters that enchant young and old alike.

This year's Klanglicht is a dreamlike event, as the motto "Dreams" has inspired a large number of artists to create very special works. The boundary between reality and fantasy becomes increasingly blurred and you are immersed in a world where amazement is the order of the day. "Will you bring the moon back to the sky later?", British artist Luke Jerram was asked by a young visitor. With his "Museum of the Moon" in the Graz City Parish Church, he invites visitors to a poetic encounter with the Earth's satellite.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

Once again, the work of the Graz-based collective OchoReSotto, which performed at the opera in the very first Klanglichtfestival in 2015, is impressive. This time, with "Unveiled", the front is bathed in magnificent colors and images to the sounds of Wolfgang Lehmann. Boris Acket's blue wave on the Schloßberg-Kasematten stage has an almost sublime effect. "Einder" is the name of his work, which shows fantastic images. 

Eye-catchers on the Schloßberg
Of course, the clock tower is once again an eye-catcher. Yann Nguema makes the Graz landmark dance in dreamy choreographies. As a transfer from Klanglicht 2022, "Constellations" by Hartung & Trenz can also be admired on the Bastei again this year. Giuditta Vendrame and Ana Shametaj invite you into a mystical labyrinth.

Boris Acket's "Einder" on the Kasematten stage

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian/Christian Jauschowetz)

"Reverse" by Yann Nguema

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

In the side tunnels, six exciting works by young light artists await in a "Young Masters Exhibition", while this year MO:YA immerse the Dom im Berg in a mystery worth seeing and hearing. 

A monster develops
"Ungeheuer" by the duo Detlef Hartung and Georg Trenz begins almost harmlessly in the Joanneum Quarter. To the precise music of Seppo Gründler, eerie images develop from letters and writings on the wall of the Joanneum.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

Graz Cathedral is a newcomer to the sound and light series. Together with prominent organists, Laurenz Theinert creates sounding light sculptures that allow us to perceive the majestic church interior in a completely new way.

In the Schauspielhaus, Gudrun Barenbrock explores human sleep to music specially developed by Sebastian Gramss and Klaus Osterwald, while in the courtyard next door Philipp Artus presents floral shapes created by visitors using a touchpad. And the Antoniuskirche will be transformed into an immersive experience by design students from the FH Joanneum.

Curator Birgit Lill-Schnabl, organizer Bernhard Rinner from Bühnen Graz.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian/Christian Jauschowetz)

Questions about questions
A special feature is the installation by Fischli & Weiss in the Next Liberty, where there is hardly a question that is not asked. Curator Birgit Lill-Schnabl has been chasing after this work for years. A.I.L.O.'s "Lumière Sonore" is also unique, if only because the performance will only be shown once as part of the gala celebrating 529 years of stages in Graz.

The four Points of Interest, with light art contributions, are also definitely worth mentioning: Norbert Pfaffenbichler's "Pandoras Box Party" in the Halle für Kunst "Choir of Kin" by Tranformative Narratives in the Studio of the Neue Galerie, Joseph Kosuth's "Nicht im vorliegenden Sachverhalt" in the Lesliehof and the exhibition by Esther Stocker and David Reumüller in the Galerie Grill.

Klanglicht from October 24 to 26, 6 pm to midnight. All further information can be found here.