Marcel Hörler

Sustainability is no longer just a question of ecological circumstances such as climate change, geographical particularities or agricultural technologies but a question of production and consumption. Between 20 April and 7 September 2019, the Plateaux Festival invited artists to discuss sustainability issues and solutions within the framework of the ecological farm Froh Ussicht in Samstagern, in the periphery of Zurich. In addition, guests* were invited to take up the theme of the festival with a Carte Blanche, in order tackle curated performances, film evenings, installations and actions with unexpected ideas. The festival was conceived in collaboration with Mateo Chacon-Pino, Lydia Perrot and Lisa Li at the invitation of Martin Blum. With artistic contributions by Artist Organizations International, Aurélie Strumans, Bergkrautsyndikat*, Carina Erdmann & Anna Kindermann, Johanna Bruckner, Johanna Kotlaris, Kunsthaus Aussersihl*, Kunst Du*, Martina Mächler, Matthew C. Wilson, Nino Baumgartner, San Keller, Simon Würsten Marin, Thomas Geiger, Violeta Burckhard Razeto*, Wagner & Friends with Carlos Fernández* and Yael Wicki.

Dogo Residenz für Neue Kunst is unique combination of the four components site specific Art Production (dealing with local conditions), Art Positions (events that provide insights into artistic practice), Art Mediation (the bridge from the art world to the everyday realities of children, teenagers and adults) and Art Knowledge (the public digital archive). The apartment at Rathaus für Kultur offers a living space for five young artists from around the world. They live and work during two to four months periods on site. The artspace at Rathaus für Kultur enables the artists to show the works they produce to an audience. The program enables the artists using the space to experiment with the exhibition of works-in-progress. The shared studio at the converted gym allows for the production of large-scale works. Dogo’s mission is to promote artists who want to develop their artistic practice and works. The location allows for a variety of responses from residents. Lichtensteig uniquely combines an urban and a rural character. The building itself is situated on a lively street within a bustling neighbourhood. Within walking distance industrial buildings are encountered, from which point on the hilly landscape begins. The small size of the municipality promotes art production in all kind of ways. Among other things, it serves as object of projection, a catalyst for thoughts and interventions. The exchanges created with the community are at least as important as the personal development of the artists themselves. This is the way to create works that transcend place, medium and time, and while containing and responding to questions that are anchored in the present. Dogo Residenz für Neue Kunst opened on 1 March 2019 and was initiated with Hanes Sturzenegger, Julia Wäckerlin, Maura Kressig and Sirkka Ammann.

While the tourist takes the gondola lift to the summit and a refugee leaves his home, the digital nomad works somewhere on his boat. Never before has mobility manifested itself in so many ways as it does today. Spatial, social and virtual mobility has become the basic principle of a global and networked world. Anyone who is mobile is receptive - open to something new, perhaps better. Mobility also demands mental and physical mobility from people. On the one hand, it breaks down social structures and, on the other, reinforces the perception of existing, unequal preconditions. The broad concept of mobility was the focus of "Weiter". As part of "Weiter", Christian Eberhard, Collectif Chuglu, Damiano Curschellas, Gisa Frank, Lino Bally, Flurina Brügger, Iris Brodbeck, Marc Jenny, Matthias Rüegg and Robin Michel developed works en route. From 9 to 23 September 2017 they presented their works at three different traffic junctions in the lower, middle and upper Toggenburg. The exhibition was a co-production between the Kunsthalle[n] Toggenburg and Arthur Junior.

Imagine Rhythm used the expressiveness of dancing and filmmaking to overcome intercultural and linguistic obstacles. A group of 34 deaf and hearing young people from Armenia, Switzerland and Germany created a dance performance during ten days together with the choreographer Melanie Alexander and the dance coach Hayk Hobosyan and showed it in public space in the city of Zurich in August 2017. Through a inclusive approach, the participants could create their own movements, make use of their skills and integrate it in a contemporary dance performance. The whole activity was filmed on site by a group of participants interested in filmmaking in collaboration with the documentary filmmaker, producer Seg Kirakossian in order to document the learning process. The project was designed also for engaging the participants in social life and giving them knowledge on how they can implement social initiatives in the future. Besides the dance workshop, a group discussion was held, with a focus on the problems and needs of deaf people to promote awareness about the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The project was a collaboration between Subkult and Doctor Cinema NGO and was valuated as Best Practice by Movetia.

Catherine Xu, Samuel Koch, Nina Emge, Lucie Biloshytskyy, James Stephen Wright, Domingo Chaves, Edmée Laurin, Fridolin Schoch and Martina Mächler received six orange envelopes on 9 July 2016. Six thousand Swiss francs in thousand notes - the most valuable banknote in the world. The artists had the task of spending all the money on Obere Bahnhofstrasse, the shopping street of Wil. The works that were presented to the public from 30 July to 13 August 2016 and were created from the purchased goods. "Shopping" dealt with a theme that has always moved society and the art world. We want it, we love it and we do it. From young to old. Whether conscious, ecological or wasteful. We shop, we choose and shopping should be fun, or not?! That's why the cross-media art action treated consumption as a act of life and asked questions. Questions about the commodity art, questions about artistic work, questions about investment. The artistic processes were documented and were part of the exhibition, which was initiated by Arthur Junior and the city of Wil in collaboration with the graphic design studio Badesaison.