Zurich is always beautiful. However, it is never more picturesque and offers more cultural activities than during summer. The entire city radiates life during those fair weather months. Outdoor cafes and restaurants pop up everywhere as do a myriad of open air concerts, festivals, and movie theatres. One such festival is the “Zuercher Theater Spektakel,” the Zurich Theatre Spectacle, which this year goes into its 43rd successful year.
The ART SAFIENTAL Biennial in the Swiss Safiental is taking place right at this moment until October 23rd, 2022. This year the land art is presented under the theme Learning from the Earth. We had the pleasure to be able to interview the founder of Art Safiental, Johannes Hedinger, who gave us a wonderful overview of the unique location of the Biennial. He also shared with us how Art Safiental has developed in the remote Safien valley over the last 8 years, and where the foundation is headed. This is part 2 of 2.
The ART SAFIENTAL Biennial in the Swiss Safiental (Safien valley) is taking place right at this moment until October 23rd, 2022. This year, the Land Art is presented under the theme Learning from the Earth. We had the pleasure to be able to interview the founder of Art Safiental, Johannes Hedinger, who gave us a wonderful overview of the unique location of the Biennial. He also shared with us how Art Safiental has developed in the remote Safien valley over the last 8 years, and where the foundation is headed. This is part 1 of 2.
The Swiss mountains are full of surprises. One of those is the Art Biennale ART SAFIENTAL which will take place in the Safien Valley (Grisons/Switzerland) from July 2nd to October 23rd, 2022. For the 4th time since its inception in 2016, international artists and participants in the Alps Art Academy create temporary works in dialogue with landscape and nature. These artworks will be freely accessible (and presented free of charge) throughout the Safien Valley as part of ART SAFIENTAL.
Basel just held the 13th edition of the Young Stage Festival this month. In the six competition shows in the Event Hall of Messe Basel, 30 young professional artists showed their top performances to win one of the coveted prizes. On 24th May, there was great excitement when the jury awarded the prizes and awards to the young artists.
Being an ascendent of the founder of Swiss Circus Monti, Guido Muntwyler, Mario Muntwyler has grown up within the circus. He is both a performer and an administrator, enjoys both roles, and is passionate about circus life. In our interview, he gives us insights into the workings and tour life of Circus Monti.
Zurich has a very interesting history regarding the slow integration of the LGBTQ+ community. In many ways, the picturesque Swiss metropolis was way ahead of its time and opened their minds and doors earlier than most places for “fringe” groups. In other ways, they are still way behind today and have, for example, only just last year finally voted “yes” for gay marriage. Here is a little history of what happened in Zurich since the 1940ies. And how the LGBTQ+ community helped shape Zurich’s diverse and vivid night life.
In January, the Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter and his team projected a tiger onto the north face of the Eiger. The aim was to congratulate Asia on the New Year, the year of the tiger, which began on February 1, 2022. At the same time, Gerry Hofstetter wanted to use the strong symbolism of the tiger to motivate all athletes at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing. The projection Tiger on Eiger is 5.3 km long and over 2 km high.
The Zurich Opera House is one of the best in the world and was named Opera House of the Year at the 2014 International Opera Awards. It is located at the Sechseläutenplatz, a big square right in front of the Opera House which is used for all kinds of cultural festivities throughout the year. The Zurich Opera House has been home of the Zurich Opera since 1891. It also houses the Bernhard-Theater Zurich as well as the Zurich Ballet.
For the next few weeks, Frida Kahlo is the illustrious guest at Zurich’s newly established MAAG Light Hall. In fact, the immersive exhibition has been such a success thus far that it has been extended to run until 27th of February 2022. This unique exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s work is a world premiere, full of accessible symbolism and colourful exotic plants and animals, as well as a series of powerful self-portraits.
Dimitri is a Swiss and international legend. And you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone in Switzerland who hasn’t heard of him. Dimitri preferred performing solo in theatres with only a few props and no scenery. Besides Switzerland, he also performed in many other countries across the globe. In 1995, he was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame.
The Zurich International Film Festival (ZFF) is always worth a visit. Each year, the excellent and eclectic choice of films is astounding. As is everything else the festival offers to its guests and audiences. Workshops and presentations with international film makers. An international film music competition. The awarding of Lifetime Achievement Awards throughout the festival days. As well as the main awards ceremony honoring film creatives from all over the world.
Since 2014, the Zurich Opera House opens every new season with the Opera for Everyone. The large Sechseläuten square in front of the picturesque opera house, right next to the lake, transforms into a festival ground. With thousands of spectators sitting on the ground, indulging on picnics and the opera performance which is broadcast live on a big screen from inside the opera house. Inside extends to outside and opera becomes accessible for all.
Zurich’s Cinema at the Lake took place for the first time in 1989. It has since become an integral part of Zurich’s event calendar. Originally, it was planned as a fair-weather event only. But given that Zurich’s weather tends to be unpredictable and rather rainy throughout the year, the organizers soon gave up on their initial idea. Since then, the Cinema at the Lake has taken place every night, each August, for the last 32 years. Only to be interrupted once, last year, due to Covid19.
The Swiss theatre landscape is quite astounding and offers a myriad of entertainment for every taste. A small country, Switzerland surprises with the quantity and quality of all it has to offer. As you might have guessed, the country also has a long and rich theatre tradition. Basel, Bern, Geneva, and Zurich all have institutions with a name extending far beyond their boundaries.
Msoke and I met many years ago when he was still known as Namusoke and had just begun making a name for himself as a musician in Switzerland. Never giving up on his dreams, Msoke evolved ever more over the years, as a man, a person, and as the great musician he is today.
Zurich offers an astonishing palette of cinematic experiences. Independent movies from all corners of the world. Theatres dedicated to old classics only. Hollywood mainstream. Film festivals. Everything in the original language with subtitles. The movie theatres themselves are a sight to behold. Everything from large multiplexes to tiny cinemas with wooden chairs, to theatres which remind one more of being in an opera house, due to the opulent surroundings.
Following a series of workshops with Vancouver theatre artist Niall McNeill, a remarkable poet, playwright, actor and creator with down syndrome, I set out to discover more about Disability Arts practices. Specifically, I was seeking pathways toward facilitating director/ creators with cognitive disabilities. In my research, the only organization I could find with practice specific to this was Zurich’s Theater HORA.
