The “In-Situ/City” activity is aimed at putting young artists squarely in the middle of various European social contexts and creating closer relationships with European citizens. The city – with all that it implies from a historical, cultural, political, and social perspective – is the focal point of these activities.

The City of Graz specifically enjoys a very strong tradition in the avantgarde after WW2, with Forum Stadtpark being an early center for artistic, scientific, and political activities and confrontations already back in the late 50ies.

Up to the very day, it has not lost its significance in the arts (including also subcultural strands and interdisciplinary cultural work), but also as a sociopolitically active center being situated in the midst of the city park (populated by fringe groups, drug addicts and squatters and in the same breath being targeted by real estate developers and abolition-efforts of right-wing parties).

impuls thus builds upon both the avantgarde, in the sense of the daring, experimental, trendsetting arts and its sociopolitical role, using Forum Stadtpark as both symbol and venue for the InSitu/City activities.

As mentors architect Heidrun Primas, year-long head of Forum Stadtpark, is envisaged to establish contacts and function as connecting link to various scenes in Graz, and so are senior artists, who can offer assistance in compositorial, artistic and also technical questions.

The project is realized in several steps, starting in 2021, including two visits for invited composers and artists to Graz, one for research and to develop first ideas, and another for the actual realization and final presentation (during the impuls Academy and Festival in 2023).

On top of that, participants of the impuls Academy 2023 are invited to deal with the InSitu/City topic and develop some smaller projects on spot under the guidance of both Academy tutors and – for further knowledge-transfer und networking – the officially invited In Situ/City-artists.

All processes are accompanied by a documentary team (video-artist and journalist/writer) hereby interlinking the ULYSSES partners´ places with each other and in the end drawing various pictures of Europe today.

Georgia Koumara participates to InSity/City : Graz in the framework of her ULYSSES Journey together with other young composers like Julian Siffert but also Mauro Hertig and Loïc Destremeau who both had been supported by the ULYSSES Network already during its 2nd edition (2016-2020).

More information to be published soon!