It marks a quarter of a century in which we have always been keen to firmly anchor art and culture as key factors in human development in the field of development cooperation.
The years fly by, and 25 years of joint cultural work is a reason to celebrate - in a world of global business, art and culture are immensely important as a mirror and a corrective. We have tried to demonstrate and emphasize this again and again over the past quarter century. Especially now, when the world is in upheaval, this has gained even more urgency. And not only because of this microscopic particle that paralyzes the entire world. But also, and perhaps precisely because, this world is threatening to become increasingly unhinged. Economically, socially and ecologically, the system is at its limits. Who, if not art, can manage to touch people in such a way and thus show new perspectives for a change of course?!
And so, in this anniversary year, in addition to looking back at yesterday and the day before, we also want to look ahead.
Whether it will be another 25 years, we do not dare to predict. It is difficult to single out any concert, exhibition or festival. Many things succeeded, some could certainly have been implemented better. Here this was missing, there that. But in the foreground of all our efforts was and still is to step by step enter new territory here in Austria, to expand listening habits and to encourage a change of perspective. Our cultural work is a constant search, a questioning of the causes, an incitement to debate about imbalances and injustices. Cultural work is back-breaking work. The joy of a flash of light, a spark and a moment of reflection on the common whole, on the big picture, makes us look back with great gratitude.
At this point we would like to thank all those who have actively and passively accompanied us over the years, from the starting blocks until today. We would like to share 25 years of art, culture, discourse and debate with you and are working on a digital archive of our cultural work and its significance in development policy. In addition, the anniversary year will be accompanied by discussion events and artistic interventions.
Celebratory, self-critical, reflective, we would like to look back and visionarily shape a more just future.