11TH GENIUS LOCI WEIMAR FESTIVAL FOR VIDEOMAPPING AND MEDIA ARCHITECTURE
The 11th edition of the Genius Loci Weimar Festival for Videomapping and Media Architecture will take place for the first time ever in Buchenwald from 30 August to 1 September 2024:
International groups of artists will use their audio, light and video installations to interpret the architecture and elements of the memorial erected in 1958 as a national monument of the GDR near the mass graves of the Buchenwald concentration camp on the southern slope of the Ettersberg.
On the weekend of the festival, state elections will be held in several federal states, including Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg. Not only in Thuringia, but also in Germany and around the world, strident populism and misanthropic extremism are on the rise. Not entirely unaffected by these social and political events, the Buchenwald Memorial, Genius Loci, the city of Weimar and the state of Thuringia are sending a clear message on these days and from this historic site not to lose sight of the past for the sake of a better future.
Artists from all over the world were invited to take part in the competition, which was awarded a prize of 30,000 euros. Over 100 works from 22 nations were submitted on the competition theme "It feels like 5 to 33". The three competition venues are the Stelenweg, the Straße der Nationen and the Bell-Tower.
The Stelenweg is staged by the Italian group mammaSOnica/IT/Catania with their work "Ghostpoets". There are seven stelae in total, representing the seven-year history of the Buchenwald camp. Each projection will emphasise different aspects of the life and suffering of the inmates - and also show what the steles do not tell.
Area Composer from Düsseldorf/D will illuminate the Street of Nations. With their work "EMPATHY", they transform a special soundscape and their "liquid image" - intertwining images from Buchenwald n, into a human path of fate.
Marina Konther/F performs in the bell tower together with sound designer Etienne Martin/F. "Die Stille", based on the poem of the same name by Rainer Maria Rilke, tells the story of man's longing for love in a world that makes this impossible due to austerity and war. They use traditional animation techniques with sand, paper and clay.
The Genius Loci Weimar Festival is known for its unique fusion of digital technology, artistic expression and historical heritage. By integrating site-specific audiovisual art with historical locations using video mapping, projection techniques and contemporary technology, the festival offers new perspectives on well-known public spaces. Since its foundation in 2012, it has developed into an outstanding international platform for independent artistic works in the field of video mapping and sets standards for technological innovation. This year alone, over 100 artists from 22 different countries and three continents have submitted their works, contributing to the ongoing success of the festival, which attracts more than 50,000 visitors every year.
The Genius Loci Weimar is organised by the festival organisation MXPerience gUG.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our supporters, sponsors and partners: the Free State of Thuringia, the Buchenwald Memorial, the State Chancellery of Thuringia, the Stadtwerke Weimar, the City of Weimar, the Sparkasse Mittelthüringen, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, the Weimar Summer Initiative, the Weimar Art Festival, the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation, Weimarer Wohnstätte, Franz List University of Music Weimar, the German National Theatre and Staatskapelle Weimar, Stiftung Schloss Friedensstein Weimar, Logando Display& Media Solutions GmbH, rebeam, Epson Exceed your Vision and Lighthouse of digital art Berlin.
The festival will take place from 30 August to 1 September 2024, starting at 8 pm at the
Buchenwald Memorial.
Regular buses will leave from Goetheplatz and Weimar Central Station from 8 pm.
As parking spaces at the memorial are limited, we recommend carpooling or taking the
free bus connection. A visit on Friday or Sunday would also be ideal.
Admission is free. Donations are welcome.
We stand up for an open minded Thuringia.
The house rules of the Buchenwald Memorial apply for the entire duration of the event.
