ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Transart Festival Turns 20: 2020 Edition Confirmed Despite Pandemic

festival-fair · 2026-04-27

Transart, a festival dedicated to contemporary culture in Trentino Alto Adige, marks its 20th anniversary with its 2020 edition scheduled from September 10 to 26 in Bolzano. This year’s event showcases a blend of electronic and classical music, visual arts, performing arts, science, and innovative technologies in unique venues. Notable performances include Georg Friedrich Haas alongside Mollena Williams-Haas, a modern take on Boccaccio's Decameron, Roman Signer's LUFT, and Alex Cecchetti's The Astronomic Weather Choir. Additionally, there will be a tribute to Agnès Varda and a series focused on artificial intelligence at NOI Tech Park. Artistic director Peter Paul Kainrath emphasized the festival's hybrid nature. Over its two-decade history, Transart has welcomed many acclaimed artists and partnered with various festivals.

Key facts

  • Transart festival celebrates 20th anniversary in 2020.
  • 2020 edition runs September 10-26 in Trentino Alto Adige, centered in Bolzano.
  • Festival confirmed despite COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Features electronic and classical music, visual and performing arts, science, new technologies.
  • Performances in unconventional spaces: abandoned factories, mountain huts, former barracks, universities, museums.
  • Highlights: Georg Friedrich Haas and Mollena Williams-Haas performance-concert; Decameron reinterpretation by eight writers; Roman Signer's LUFT; Alex Cecchetti's The Astronomic Weather Choir.
  • September 21: tribute to Agnès Varda and five-day AI-focused talks/performances at NOI Tech Park.
  • Artistic director Peter Paul Kainrath emphasizes hybrid approach and turning restrictions into creative formats.
  • September 17: Maja Solveig Ratkje performs from Oslo, implemented by MDI Ensemble at Museion Bolzano.
  • Past artists include Marina Abramović, Nils Frahm, Laurie Anderson, Sonic Youth, and many others.
  • Collaborations with MUTEK Montreal, Maerz Musik Berlin, Club To Club Festival, Klangspuren Schwaz, Elevate Festival.

Entities

Artists

  • Marina Abramović
  • Nils Frahm
  • Laurie Anderson
  • Blixa Bargeld
  • Omar Souleyman
  • Matthew Barney
  • Jon Hopkins
  • Beat Furrer
  • Klangforum Wien
  • Matthew Johnson
  • Moataz Nasr
  • Sonic Youth
  • Quiet Ensemble
  • Teho Teardo
  • Tokyo Contemporary Dance
  • Roman Signer
  • Tomoko Mukayama
  • Alex Cecchetti
  • Georg Friedrich Haas
  • Mollena Williams-Haas
  • Maja Solveig Ratkje
  • Agnès Varda
  • Peter Paul Kainrath

Institutions

  • Transart
  • Museion Bolzano
  • NOI Tech Park
  • MDI Ensemble
  • MUTEK Montreal
  • Maerz Musik Berlin
  • Club To Club Festival
  • Klangspuren Schwaz
  • Elevate Festival
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Trentino Alto Adige
  • Italy
  • Bolzano
  • Oslo
  • Norway

Sources