Festival »Blue Skies – Bodies in Trouble« – Technological Progress, New Mindscapes, and Different Ecologies

An interdisciplinary festival in Essen, »Blue Skies – Bodies in Trouble«, offered ample opportunity for the five visitors of the International Visitors Programme to delve into the theme of the festival programme.

Starting out with current developments in bioscience, the festival’s artistic projects and discursive contributions went on to seek out imaginative new worlds the far side of the capitalised self, reflected in holistic technological access to bodies, consciousness and the unknown. 

Active and interdisciplinary work on new narratives, speculative visions of the future and alternative practices made up the focus of the multi-day festival for which medienwerk.nrw and PACT Zollverein had brought together a group of international artists and scientists, activists and publicists, students and an interested public.

From 9th to 14th July 2019 the guests of the International Visitors Programme, who had travelled from Belgium, Greece and Mexico, participated in presentations, (lecture-) performances, artist discussions and table talks with participating artists and festival performers. A discussion with the organisers, Fabian Saavedra-Lara and Klaas Werner from medienwerk.nrw and Stefan Hilterhaus of PACT Zollverein, as well as other partners within the network such as Tasja Langenbach, VIDEONALE e.V., and Alain Bieber, NRW Forum Düsseldorf, provided an opportunity for intensive dialogue and networking.

The visit was topped off with a tour of the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site.