KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen 2024
15th edition KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen
16.05. – 02.06.2024
The KunstFestSpiele Herrenhausen 2024 reached more people than ever before: a total of around 20,000 visitors, many of them for the first time, experienced the contemporary arts festival's productions in 2024. This year, the programme of the international festival focused on non-European artists and events from diverse cultural traditions - and a large open-air artwork.
According to estimates, well over 75,000 people attended the open-air art installation Floating Earth by Luke Jerram on the mash pond at Hanover's New Town Hall free of charge. The floating earth was probably the most photographed work of art in Lower Saxony in recent weeks.
One of the highlights of the KunstFestSpiele was the major musical work MASS: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers by Leonard Bernstein, which celebrated its Hanover premiere. Standing ovations lasting several minutes from the almost 2,500 visitors for the more than 400 participants, including nine choirs from Hanover and the NDR Radiophilharmonie, the American baritone Lucas Meachem and conductor Ingo Metzmacher, spoke for the enthusiasm of the audience throughout the festival.
The remaining programme also features outstanding international artists. They include the legendary Kronos Quartet, on a world tour to celebrate their 50th anniversary; the director Marta Górnicka, with a politically vibrant women’s choir from Ukraine, Poland and Belarus; the New York choreographer Trajal Harrell, with his version of Keith Jarret‘s legendary Köln Concert; the singer Mariana Sadovska, with traditional Ukrainian songs; Elle Sofe Sara, who explores the culture of the Sámi; the theatre practitioners Tim Etchells and Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe; and Ingo Metzmacher and the GrauSchumacher Piano Duo pay musical homage to the composer Anton Plate, who died in 2023.
In the festival centre, the freitagsküche with Art & Cuisine and Friederike Westerhaus invited visitors to talk to the artists.
The Festivalcampus Niedersachsen took place for the seventh time and offered students the opportunity to experience the festival at close quarters and to gather listening and viewing experiences together outside the seminar rooms.
Trailer
Aftermovie
Venues
Arne Jacobsen Foyer, Galerie, Orangerie, Orangerie Hinterbühne, Ehrenhof, Großer Garten (lawn next to the viewing terrace, rehearsal stage), HCC Kuppelsaal, DHC-Halle, Schauspielhaus, Festival centre , Maschteich at Neues Rathaus
Material for download
Veranstaltungen
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Floating Earth
Luke Jerram
Installation – German premiere
Opening Thu 16.05 – 9 p.m. Fri 17.05 – Sun 02.06 / at all hours Maschteich at Neues Rathaus |
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Rhapsody in Yellow: A Ping Pong Piano Battle
Ming Wong
Concert performance
Fri 17.05 / 7.30 p.m. Schauspielhaus |
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Nzuko – The Gathering
Emeka Ogboh
Walk-in installation
Opening Sa 18.05 / 5.30 p.m. Sun 19.05 – Sun 02.06 / 5.30 to 11 p.m.* Arne Jacobsen Foyer * except Sat 25.05 and Mon 27.05 |
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Encantado
Lia Rodrigues / Companhia de Danças Dance Sat 18.05 / 7.30 p.m. Sun 19.05 / 5 p.m. DHC-Halle |
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Albertine Sarges
Feinkost Lampe Concert
Sat 18.05 / 9 p.m. Orangerie Hinterbühne before & after DJ set by Luv |
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Where is home / Hae ke Kaen
Abel Selaocoe Concert
Sun 19.05 / 6.30 p.m. Galerie
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KunstFestSpiele Tag Mo 20.05. / 11:00 bis 21:00 |
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Die große Ich hab hier keine Lust drauf Show
Artemis / Jetse Batelaan
Theatre – German premiere
Mon 20.05 / 11 a.m., 3.15 p.m. Orangerie |
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STRANGE GARDEN
Colette Sadler
Performance
Mon 20.05 / 1 and 5 p.m. Orangerie Hinterbühne
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Ukrainian Callings
Mariana Sadovska / Shlyakh-dorizhenka
Concert Mon 20.05 / 2 and 5 p.m. Galerie |
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Fantasie minor
Marco da Silva Ferreira / Centre Chorégraphique National de Caen en Normandie
Dance
Mon 20.05 / 2 and 5 p.m. Großer Garten / Lawn next to the viewing terrace |
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Ali Doğan Gönültaş
Feinkost Lampe Concert Mon 20.05. / 3.30, 6.15 p.m. Großer Garten / Rehearsal stage |
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KRONOS Five Decades
Kronos Quartet
Concert
Tue 21.05 / 7.30 p.m. Orangerie |
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Pamela Badjogo
Feinkost Lampe Concert Wed 22.05 / 8 p.m. Orangerie Hinterbühne before & after: DJ set by Kay le Fay and Cannelle |
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Market of Opportunites
Environmental protection – Information and participation in cooperation with Umweltzentrum Hannover
Thu 23.05 / 2.30 to 7.30 p.m.Terrace am Gartensaal / Neues Rathaus |
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HAZ Talk: Von außen gesehen (seen from outside)
Panel dicussion in cooperation with Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung
Thu 23.05 / 6 p.m. Terrace am Gartensaal / Neues Rathau |
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The making of Berlin
BERLIN / Yves Degryse
Theatre / Film
Thu 23.05 / 7.30 p.m. Fri 24.05 / 7.30 p.m. Orangerie |
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Around the world
Concerts at the Rathaus in cooperation with MusikZentrum and the Center for World Music
Fri 24.05 / 8 p.m. Neues Raushaus |
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| MOTHERS A SONG FOR WARTIME Marta Górnicka / THE CHORUS OF WOMEN —
Chorus theatre Sat 25.05. / 7.30 p.m. DHC-Halle
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Mirlitons
François Chaignaud & Aymeric Hainaux
Concert performance – German premiere Sat 25.05 / 7.30 p.m. Sun 26.05 / 8 p.m. Orangerie Hinterbühne
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MASS: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers
Leonard Bernstein / Ingo Metzmacher
Concert Libretto after the Roman liturgy, completed by Stephen Schwartz and Leonard Bernstein Version for large orchestra Sun 26.05 / 11 a.m. HCC Kuppelsaal |
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Common Ground Circus theatre
Sun 26.05 / 2 and 5 p.m. Ehrenhof |
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Eine Hommage an Anton Plate
GrauSchumacher Piano Duo
Concert Sun 26.05 / 6 p.m. Galerie |
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SPAfrica
Studio Julian Hetzel & Ntando Cele
Performance Tue 28.05 / 7.30 p.m. Orangerie
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Vástádus eana – The answer is land
Elle Sofe Sara
Dance / Music Wed 29.05 / 7.30 p.m. DHC-Halle (starting point: Georgengarten / Leibniztempel) |
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Elaha Soroor & Kefaya
Feinkost Lampe Concert Wed 29.05 / 9 p.m. Orangerie |
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To Move In Time
Tim Etchells & Forced Entertainment
Performance – German premiere Thu 30.05 / 7.30 p.m. Orangerie Hinterbühne |
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The Köln Concert
Trajal Harrell / Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble
Dance Fri 31.05 / 7.30 p.m. DHC-Halle |
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Marion Poschmann & Ulrike Almut Sandig: Poetry & Sounds
Reading
in cooperation with Literaturhaus Hannover
Fri 31.05 / 8 p.m. Terrace at Gartensaal / Neues Rathaus |
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Motus Mori RELIQUIEM
Katja Heitmann
Participatory performance
Sat 01.06 / 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. Sun 02.06 / 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. Großer Garten / Lawn next to the viewing terrace |
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A Revue
Benjamin Abel Meirhaeghe
Revue / Performance – German premiere Sat 01.06. / 6 p.m. Sun 02.06. / 6 p.m. Galerie |
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Materia
Andrea Salustri
Circus theatre
Sun 02.06 / 11 a.m., 4 p.m. Orangerie Hinterbühne |
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Talks & Specials Friederike Westerhaus in conversation with... Specials
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Art & Cuisine
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Team 2024
Artistic Director
Ingo Metzmacher
Assistant to the Artistic Director
Daphne Jaschniok
Dramaturgy
Rainer Hofmann (Leitung), Beate Schüler
CEO
Christoph Grasse
Production
Lena Breitfuß (Leitung), Thomas Seidel, Max Kroeschell (FSJ Kultur), Simone Anna Blumenthal, Mathias Brühlmann, Jakob Leba, Sarah Reichert, Mascha-Davina Schmid, Julia Schwerdtner, Vera Wieschermann, Hannah Wörpel, Víctor Zapata
Artistic Administration
Julia von Knebel
Technical Engineering
Willi Brune (Leitung), Wiglev von Wedel, Petra Wiedenhöft
Press and Marketing / Online Communications
Hendrik von Boxberg (Leitung), Vera Fleischer, Ina Walter
Sponsoring / Fundraising
Friederike Zschau
Allrounder
Peter Weidemann
Hosts
Elisa Jungmann, Ursula Meyer-Petersen, Marianna Sulk
Design festival centre
Lucia Vonrhein
Concept and realisation Festival Campus Niedersachsen
Antonia Rohwetter, Philipp Schulte
Ticketing
Peter Müller KulturManagement
Design
Aoki & Matsumoto
Editing programme book
Redaktion Vera Fleischer, Rainer Hofmann, Daphne Jaschniok, Beate Schüler, Hendrik von Boxberg
Editing website
Ina Walter
Translations
Michael Turnbull
Director Herrenhausen Gardens
Prof. Dr. Anke Seegert
We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Anke Seegert, Director Herrenhausen Gardens, and all employees of the Herrenhausen Gardens for their excellent cooperation.
Key visuals
Graphics: Aoki & Matsumoto, photo: Paul de Hueck, Courtesy of the Leonard Bernstein Office
Graphics: Aoki & Matsumoto, photo: Anouk Maupu
Graphics: Aoki & Matsumoto, photo: PhotographicLeigh
Graphics: Aoki & Matsumoto Graphics:Aoki & Matsumoto
photo: Christina Ebenezer photo: PhotographicLeigh
Graphics: Aoki & Matsumoto Graphics: Aoki & Matsumoto
photo: Bartek Warzecha photo: Susana Chicó
