It’s a presence that has become even more pressing since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the intensification of the conflict in the Middle East: the ubiquitous pressure to make a commitment and take a stance. Is a public art festival a space for clear positions? Or should it be the very space where the ever-present cancel and boycotting culture is suspended? Who is allowed to speak, appear, take the stage at the Free Republic? What tenets, loyalties, red lines, indeed values make sense in an art republic that considers itself ‘free’?

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are hearing days – a series in which we will develop the rules for the festival of the future together. Who takes decisions? Where does project funding come from and where does it go? Who is invited and who isn’t – and why? Who is the producer, who is the audience? Boycotts – yes or no? And: how does a globally active festival agree with sustainability? Experts, artists and activists provide an insight into their practices and examine potential alternatives. Over the duration of five weeks, the Council of the Republic will attend and discuss the hearings and design the Festwochen’s own constitution, which will be presented to the audience at the end of the festival as the Vienna Declaration.

The detailed programme will be announced in May.