Inspired by Bertolt Brecht’s iconic drama Life of Galileo as well as historic and contemporary figures from Hannah Arendt to Edward Snowden, Cuban artist Tania Bruguera creates a performative set-up for the Wiener Festwochen that explores questions of truth, decision making, commitment, and the role of the powers that be. Brecht’s Galileo does not appear to be a brave man. He fears physical pain, maybe even the simple loss of comforts. But what would we do in his place? And even if we did choose the difficult, dangerous or courageous path – is it necessarily the right one? It might endanger others; it might not change anything it might even be in vain as the sacrifice itself might instantly be instrumentalised. No one has full control over her or his own actions. So how do you make the right decision – and not be a smart coward or a stupid hero? Galileo is not a theatre of representation; it creates an experience of reflection and feeling and becomes a work of ‘useful art’, a term coined by Tania Bruguera, i. e. an art form that strives to shape the political realities of our societies and economies.