Full discourse and arts programme online!

Trust is demanding, cynicism is lazy. But if life is to go on, hope must remain – even when trust is shaken.

The Elevate Festival 2025 invites you to explore the art of trust: How does it emerge, where is it blocked, and how can it be restored? Trust is not a naive stance but a foundation for courage, action, and the collective creation of new structures. From the fine line between justified scepticism and destructive cynicism to the radical questions: Whom do we trust, why – and how can we gain or earn that trust?

For three days, the Heimatsaal at the Graz Volkskundemuseum will once again become a space for open discourse, bringing together local and international guests to exchange perspectives.

At the heart of it all is dialogue: from the power of critical thinking to the ways we can draw hope from the depths of our systemic crises. Because without trust, there is no action. No change. No tomorrow.

The first day begins by exploring the challenges and opportunities of trust in the climate crisis. A hands-on workshop led by Swiss physicist Samuel Eberenz will address climate anxiety while fostering resilience and collaboration. In a keynote speech, Friedrich von Borries will examine the role of mistrust in architectural history and its connection to societal transformation processes.

The day's panels will focus on how critical trust is formed and will also address the media’s trust crisis.

To conclude the day, there will be an artist talk with American composer, musician, and "America’s first female synth hero" Suzanne Ciani. Active since the 1970s, she is considered a pioneering figure in synthesizers, electronic music, and sound design for film and advertising. In conversation, we will reflect on her groundbreaking career and her influential contributions to electronic music.

On the second day, the focus shifts to trust in the context of technology and artificial intelligence. The day begins with the workshop "Manuals for Designing Trust", where students from the Information Design programme at FH Joanneum in Graz explore how design is strategically used by powerful actors such as corporations and governments to generate trust.

In a keynote speech, James Bridle will discuss non-human intelligences and their significance in our relationship with technology and nature. The first panel on Friday will bring together experts who challenge the uncritical trust in AI and the power structures behind it.

The Net Policy Evening will then address IT security, algorithmic bias, and the fight against disinformation. The day concludes with a screening of "How to Build a Truth Engine", a documentary exploring the mechanisms behind disinformation.

"The danger isn’t that AI destroys us. It’s that it drives us insane." – Jaron Lanier

The third day explores political trust and social struggles. A workshop will discuss approaches to a fairer and more inclusive future. In her keynote, Barbara Prainsack will ask what comes after the loss of political trust and examine the root causes of the trust crisis.

Throughout the day, international perspectives on trust, power, and democracy will come together, with a focus on the Middle East conflict and the complexities of discourse surrounding Israel and Palestine.

The discourse programme concludes on International Women's Day with a screening of "Army of Women", a documentary by Norwegian director Julie Lunde Lillesæter. The film tells the groundbreaking story of women fighting to hold law enforcement accountable – a story of pressing global relevance.

Alfred Ongere (KE) | Barbara Prainsack (AT) | Birgit Bachler (AT) | Christoph Burstup Weiss (AT) | Daniel Drepper (DE) | Eugenia Stamboliev (AT) | Elisabeth Kury (AT) | Emina Saric (BA/AT) | Esra Karakaya (DE) | Freyja van den Boom (NL) | Friedrich Moser (AT) | Friedrich von Borries (DE) | Georg Renner (AT) | Gyan Tripathi (IN) | Gvantsa Gverdtsiteli (GE) | Irma Mastenbroek (NL) | Irina Nalis (AT) | James Bridle (UK) | Jens Balzer (DE) | Jouanna Hassoun (DE) | Julia Herrnböck (AT) | Lajla Fetic (DE) | Lea Dohm (DE) | Lisa Duschek (AT) | Lori Baldwin (US) | Lukas Hermsmeier (DE) | Mazda Adli (DE) | Nadja Hahn (AT) | Paul Krisai (AT) | Roberta Maierhofer (AT) | Samuel Eberenz (CH) | Sebastian Kneidinger (AT) | Suzanne Ciani (US) | Tom Khaled Würdemann (DE) | Yilmaz Gülüm (AT)

>>> to the Speakers <<

Film Programme

“How to Build a Truth Engine” (AT/2024)
"An Army of Women" (NO/2024)
 

This year, the Elevate Arts programme continues to focus on intermedial concepts, public space art, sound and performance art at the intersection of activism, social and media critique, and innovation.

On the opening night at the Orpheum, Marta Navaridas and Alex Deutinger will present their performance "Bounce", a powerful ritual of togetherness, exertion, and transformation. Together with electronic musician Manuel Riegler, harpist Eduardo Raon, violinist Matteo Haitzmann, and three dancers, the duo will create an interdisciplinary experience that translates socio-political themes into artistic expressions.

Suzanne Ciani, a pioneer of electronic music, will not only perform a multichannel live set on Thursday but also create a sound installation for the Schlossberglift. As part of the "Music For Elevators" series, she will transform the futuristic lift cabin into a sound-filled wonder chamber for a year with her ethereal sci-fi sounds, turning the Schlossberg into a cinematic backdrop. A specially pressed vinyl postcard featuring the composition will also be available.

The installation "Data’s Inferno" by Berit Gwendolyn Gilma and Andreas Palfinger brings an immersive procession into the decommissioned Schlossberg tunnels. Inspired by Dante's circles of Hell, the work addresses modern trust crises by transforming input data into 3D sculptures and holograms. The installation illustrates how digital systems spread misinformation and undermine users' trust.

On Saturday, the carillon of the Mariahilferkirche in Graz will become the sound project "Change Ringing". The composition by Graz-based musician Annesley Black will be realized in collaboration with Alyssa Aska and Martin Ritter. This unique work, which will resonate throughout the city, is created in partnership with the Institute for Public Art in Styria and the Creative Europe Project. The result will also be captured in a specially pressed vinyl postcard.

Artists

Alex Deutinger (AT) | Alyssa Aska (US) | Andreas Palfinger (AT) | Annesley Black (CA) | Berit Gwendolyn Gilma (AT) | Bruna Diniz (AT) | Eduardo Raon (SI) | Manuel Riegler (AT) | Marta Navaridas (AT) | Martin Ritter (AT) | Matteo Haitzmann (AT)