Steirischer Herbst 2019 Explores Luxury and Crisis Through Lukács's 'Grand Hotel Abyss' Metaphor
From September 19 to October 13, 2019, Graz hosted Austria's premier art and theater event, the Steirischer Herbst, themed 'The Grand Hotel Abyss,' drawing inspiration from György Lukács. Under the direction of Ekaterina Degot, alongside Co-curator David Riff and collaborator Livia Páldi, the festival showcased more than thirty international artists across twenty-nine locations. Highlights included Oscar Murillo's 'Social Cataracts' at Palais Attems, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze's film 'The Invisible Hand of My Father,' Artur Żmijewski's 'Plan B,' and Nedko Solakov's spy figurines. The event also alluded to Thomas Mann's 'The Magic Mountain' and featured Keti Chukhrov's performance. Degot pointed out Graz's role in exploring Western issues through an Eastern European lens.
Key facts
- Steirischer Herbst 2019 ran from September 19 to October 13, 2019, in Graz, Austria.
- The festival theme was 'The Grand Hotel Abyss,' a metaphor from philosopher György Lukács.
- Director and Chief Curator was Ekaterina Degot, with Co-curator David Riff.
- Works were presented across twenty-nine venues, including baroque palaces and converted storefronts.
- Notable artists included Oscar Murillo, Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze, Artur Żmijewski, Nedko Solakov, Keti Chukhrov, and Jasmina Cibic.
- The festival referenced Thomas Mann's novel 'The Magic Mountain' (1924) as a conceptual source.
- The visual identity was designed by the Ljubljana-based collective Grupe Ee.
- Graz served as a strategic location for examining Western culture from Eastern European viewpoints.
Entities
Artists
- Myclef Laun
- György Lukács
- Theodor Adorno
- Herbert Marcuse
- Jürgen Habermas
- Ekaterina Degot
- David Riff
- Livia Páldi
- Oscar Murillo
- Giorgi Gago Gagoshidze
- Artur Żmijewski
- Nedko Solakov
- Keti Chukhrov
- Guram Matskhonashvili
- Jasmina Cibic
- Adam Smith
- John le Carré
- Thomas Mann
Institutions
- Steirischer Herbst
- Frankfurt School
- Grupe Ee
- Literaturhaus Graz
- Palais Attems
- Künstlerhaus, Halle für Kunst & Medien
- Orpheum Graz
- ARTMargins Online
- Nazi party
Locations
- Graz
- Austria
- Ljubljana
- Colombia
- Berlin
- Georgia
- Portugal
- Poland
- Bulgaria
- Sofia
- Zugdidi
- Switzerland
- Davos
- Slovenia
- Central Europe
- Eastern Europe
- River Mur
- British occupation
- Soviet countries
- post-Soviet countries