NOW – the best place to change the future. This is the theme chosen for the second edition of “Locarno Talks la Mobiliare”, the platform for discussion and exchange of the Locarno Festival, which will take place from 9 to 11 August. Among the prominent figures of this privileged space are the American activist and artist Narcissister, the German scientist and philosopher Jürgen Schmidhuber, and the German artist Juergen Teller; personalities of international importance who will tackle some of the main contemporary questions, reflecting on the present but with a careful eye on the future.
The American activist and artist Narcissister will open “Locarno Talks la Mobiliare”, questioning the perception of the concepts of gender and sexuality by inviting the public to imagine through her work a future free from oppressive categories, where everyone is free to shape their own identity. The next guest will be German scientist and philosopher Jürgen Schmidhuber, expert in the field of artificial intelligence, who will propose a reflection on scenarios related to the use of this type of technology. The series of conferences will be completed by the German artist Juergen Teller, one of the most esteemed and ground-breaking photographers of his generation. Having spent the last three decades looking for new forms of authenticity through art, Teller will offer an original insight into the potentials and hazards of photography.
Carlo Chatrian, Artistic Director of the Locarno Festival: “Following last year’s successful experience, our collaboration with Swiss Mobiliar is back this year with a programme which, if at all possible, is even further cohesive and fascinating. The concept of identity, so central nowadays, is the figured bass connecting the rendez-vous of this second edition, which, as cinema does, wishes to discuss the present, searching within it for those signs capable of pointing out the way to the future to us.”
Dorothea Strauss, Chief of Corporate Social Responsibility at Swiss Mobiliar “What are the issues that concern us most today? What will the future be like? Together with the Locarno Festival we have created “Locarno Talks la Mobiliare” to debate with personalities from the most varied professional fields on different aspects of our future. Because this is exactly what interests us and which is at the root of our social commitment and our partnership: we wish to collaborate towards the innovation of society. Moreover, we should like to make the public more and more attentive to discussion. This year, we shall focus on NOW in our Talks.”
The “Locarno Talks la Mobiliare” will be held at the Spazio Cinema, where the installation created by artist Kerim Seiler will invite visitors to relax and mingle with the creative and stimulating environment of the “Locarno Talks Bar la Mobiliare”. The series of Talks are free and are moderated by Michelle Nicol and Finn Canonica.
Swiss Mobiliar will also be present together with the Festival at the “Locarno Garden la Mobiliare” with the What-If-Pavilion, also created by Kerim Seiler specifically for Swiss Mobiliar. The Locarno Garden will once again be a meeting point with bars and music for all festivalgoers. 2018, in the context of its social engagement, Swiss Mobiliar is Main partner of the Locarno Festival for the second time (www.mobiliar.ch/locarnofestival-engagement).
The public will have the opportunity to follow the Locarno Talks also in Livestream by accessing the Locarno Festival website.
Locarno Talks la Mobiliare: the Program
9 August – 11.00 am Narcissister, activist and artist
Moderation: Michelle Nicol, curator and co-founder of Neutral
10 August – 11.00 am Jürgen Schmidhuber, expert in artificial intelligence
Moderation: Finn Canonica, Editor-in-chief of Das Magazin
11 August – 11.00 am Juergen Teller, photographer
Moderation: Finn Canonica, Editor-in-chief of Das Magazin
The 71st Locarno Festival will take place from 1 to 11 August 2018.
www.locarnofestival.ch
