The Off Stage programme of re:publica Hamburg

How does the digital transformation affect humans and their environment? At the second re:publica Hamburg, you can expect lectures, panel discussions and workshops as well as a large outdoor area with an exciting off-stage programme: Interactive and immersive experiences, video installations and a buzzer game invite you to discover, try out and reflect. At a time when the boundaries between reality and simulation are becoming increasingly blurred, these works not only challenge us to critically scrutinise the technological present, but also to explore new forms of resistance and autonomy.
The PLAY – Creative Gaming Festival is also back as a partner and is bringing an entire overseas container of alternative forms of gaming to re:publica Hamburg!

You can expect a few off stage surprises at re:publica Hamburg:

High Baby, Baby, Bye Bye – The art of rest as resistance
Glass House, 18-21 September, continuously

Christopher Dippert's installation ‘High Baby, Baby, Bye Bye’ opens up a space in which the concept of ‘radical resting’ is reinterpreted as an artistic practice. In a world characterised by constant accessibility and hyperactive productivity, Dippert calls for a radical reversal of values. His interactive spatial installation functions as a place of retreat which, as an exhibition piece, also represents the interface between art and personal reflection. Dippert invites the public to leave the usual hustle and bustle of the festival and immerse themselves in the quiet, contemplative atmosphere of his work. In doing so, he questions the importance of space and tranquillity in an age of digital overload and challenges us to recognise the potential of resistance through pausing.

TREE[AI]D – Emancipation through the play of chance
Neo House, 20-21 September, continuously

In their work ‘TREE[AI]D’, Margarete Jahrmann and Stefan Glasauer combine elements of game design with a deep, philosophical understanding of the role of chance and autonomy in a world dominated by AI. At a time when algorithms are increasingly shaping our decisions, ‘TREE[AI]D’ reminds us that chance can represent not only unpredictability but also a form of liberation. The buzzer game functions as a metaphor for the complex interactions between human autonomy and machine control and encourages us to consciously shape the spaces of the uncontrollable in order to make room for new forms of collective action.

Living Amidst the Heat of Surplus – A reflection on material conditions and linguistic transgressions
Yellow Space Container, 20-21 September, continuously

Julia Koch's work ‘Living Amidst the Heat of Surplus’ offers a critical examination of the ecological and economic consequences of our current modes of production. By examining the physical and linguistic surplus created by extractive industries, Koch takes a bleak look at the destructive forces of capitalism. The video installation highlights the urgent need to address the material foundations of our digitalised world and to overcome the speechlessness that often accompanies ecological destruction. Koch invites us to unravel the invisible threads of global markets and to recognise the resonances of these dynamics on human life.

J’adore Venise – On invisibility and surveillance in smart cities
Neo House, 20-21 September, continuously

Stefano Dealessandri's ‘J'adore Venise - on disappearing bodies’ analyses the invisible structures that shape the urban experience in the era of smart cities. Using the example of Venice, a city that is equally permeated by tourism and surveillance technologies, Dealessandri raises the question of how urban spaces are being reshaped by algorithmic control and tourist needs. The installation invites a critical examination of the future of our cities, in which the boundary between public and private space is becoming ever more permeable and physical presence is increasingly being replaced by data streams.

Consensus Gentium – A dystopian vision of surveillance
Yellow Space Container, 20-21 September, continuously

In ‘Consensus Gentium’, Karen Palmer sketches a dystopian future in which artificial intelligence and facial recognition technologies form the basis of a ubiquitous surveillance state. The first emotionally reactive film of its kind, it challenges viewers to consider the ethical and social implications of these technologies. Palmer creates an immersive experience that directly involves the audience in the mechanisms of surveillance, forcing them to become aware of the consequences of their own choices. In a world where AI and surveillance are omnipresent, Palmer questions how far we are willing to relinquish control over our own lives and what possibilities of resistance are still open. The installation is presented by the Silbersalz Science & Media Festival.

PLAY Gaming Area
Gaming Area, 20-21 September, 12:15–19:30

Together or against each other - games bring people together. Really? You can test this in the PLAY Gaming Area! Masterpieces of art history can be painted together, with a computer ultimately awarding the ‘nicer’ copy. How about billiards, but everyone plays at the same time? Or a snail race with up to 99 competitors? Or interactive light installations where not everything is always visible? Phew! Too confrontational? Then head for the cosy barstool-sized Kuti arcade machines, where you can get to know each other again via regional mini-games.

Silent Disco meets Werewolf – The interactive thriller dance game
Gaming Area, 2x daily

Twice a day, the PLAY Gaming Area will be a treat for your ears! In the ‘Secret Shuffle’ mobile game, up to 30 people with headphones will dance to the same music... All of them? Not quite! Some are just pretending and have to be spotted by the others. All you need is your mobile phone, headphones and the free Secret Shuffle app, which you can use to continue playing with your friends afterwards.

The Reeperbahn Festival brings even more art and culture to Heiligengeistfeld:

This year, the Flatstock exhibition presents an even broader spectrum of the best poster art from film, politics, comedy, theatre, tourism and the visual arts alongside individually designed concert posters. There are various exhibitions in the Arts Playground: Including photographs by Jamie Lüders,  as well as the Queer Souls series by Yousef Iskandar and Wastelands by Simon Puschmann, the exhibition "Es denkt mich" by Joana Owona and Dejvi Haxhi and the feminist compositions and colourful motifs of the Good Gurls Gang. Visitors can get creative together at the Live Art Club's Zeichenbistro (drawing bistro). In addition to the immersive experience "Beauty of no Return" by the artist duo Animationseries2000, a contemporary dance performance by "Children Of Today“ awaits you.

In addition to the re:publica sessions and art exhibitions, the Festival Village will also host a number of concerts:

• After the end of the #rpHH programme, you can round off the day on the open-air stage (Hangar) with concerts by remi.fr, Nein Danke, Enpal, TINY WOLVES and Abarra.
• On the Acoustic Stage you can hear Julianna Townsend, Sebastian Schub, Ami Warning, Jule, Siggi, Revelle, ENGIN, Marlo Grosshardt, Sarah Lesch and BRUCHBUDE, among others.
• The programme on the fritz-kola stage includes frytz, JAS, Tiavo, soffie, Leocardo DiNaprio, Joy Bogat, PAULINKO, SCHRAMM, Endless Wellness, remi.fr, Versacer, Siggi, Streichelt and Güner Künier.
• Edna Million, Rasco, Bibi Club, PRISMA, Anna B Savage, Isaac Roux, Endless Wellness, Spilif, Master Peace, DVTR and jolle will be playing at the MOPO bus. 

In the skate park on Heiligengeistfeld, there will also be a FLINTA Workshop as part of the Skate Academy, skate shows by Tyler Edtmayer - or you can just let it roll. The Info Desk in the Festival Village is also the meeting point for Gallery Hopping and the Street Art Walk.