passages Past, Present and Future 75 Years of Arts and Culture in Switzerland Two Theatre Workshops in Egypt An International Conference in India Classical Tragedy Reloaded in Albania THE CULTURAL MAGAZINE OF PRO HELVETIA, NO. 65, ISSUE 2/2015 3 – 31 DOSSIER 32 LOCAL TIME Cairo: Two Workshops, Many Stories Arts and Culture in Transition Innovative exchanges between Swiss and Egyptian theatre This anniversary issue of Passages also features a bonus poster. It was artists. designed by 22 artists whose contributions have helped shape the By Menha el Batraoui magazine over the past 10 years, and portrays their visions of art and 34 New Delhi: Public Art culture 25 years from now. in Global Dialogue A conference in Mumbai brings together performance 3 Timeline collectives from around the globe. Selected milestones from the 75-year history of Pro Helvetia. By Rosalyn D’Mello 7 Looking Into the Past 36 REPORTAGE The birth of Pro Helvetia, in historical context. Medea Mash-Up By Daniel Di Falco A Swiss-Albanian theatre production revisits a classical 10 “Be Brief, and to the Point” tragedy. By Isabel Drews (text) The poet and author Giovanni Orelli in conversation. and Tristan Sherifi (photos) By Yari Bernasconi 40 PRO HELVETIA NEWSFLASH 14 The Meeting of the Accidental and the Planned Cultural Diversity A portrait of the multimedia artist Christian Marclay. Anniversary Publication By Aoife Rosenmeyer Architecture Biennale Swiss Jazz in Bremen 18 The Punk Dance Diva 42 PARTNER An interview with the dancer and choreographer La Ribot. Star Academy By Anne Davier By Elsbeth Gugger 22 Guerilla Tactics, Poetics, and Static Electricity 43 CARTE BLANCHE Crisis and Crossroads An interview with the electronic artist Valentina Vuksic. By Eric Vautrin By Christian Pauli 44 GALLERY 26 The Joy of Yodeling A Showcase for Artists Vocal artist Nadja Räss in conversation. Insight #1 and Untitled By Lena Rittmeyer By Daniel Karrer 47 IMPRESSUM 29 To the Artists of the Future “Do what must be done”: an artist’s call to arms. By Milo Rau About the images: The collage portraits of the 5 artists featured in this dossier were created by photographer Jean-Vincent Simonet (b. 1991). In 2014 he obtained a Bachelor of Photography with high honours from the École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL). In 2015 he received a Swiss Design Award for his project Maldoror. He lives in Lausanne and divides his time between commissioned projects and independent artistic experiments. www.jeanvincentsimonet.com EDITORIAL 2 Dear Readers, This year, Pro Helvetia has multiple anniversaries to celebrate. 75 years ago, the Swiss Arts Council opened its first small office in the historic building on Hirschengraben in Zurich, where it is still located today. 30 years ago, the first issue of Passages was published, just in time for the opening of the Centre Culturel Suisse in Paris. Reasons enough to take a trip down memory lane in this issue’s dossier section. The timeline featured in these pages revisits the main events in Pro Helvetia’s history, from its origins to the present day. In his introductory article, historian and journalist Daniel Di Falco shares his research into the political and societal context that led to the founding of Pro Helvetia in 1939, and explores the tensions between politics and culture that have shaped the Arts Council’s work over the years. Supporting and promoting arts and culture has always been central to Pro Helvetia’s mandate. For this reason, we have chosen to place artists of different generations and various disciplines at the heart of this issue, with four interviews and one portrait. The oldest featured artist is the poet and novelist Giovanni Orelli (b. 1928); the youngest, the musician Nadja Räss (b. 1978). The dossier’s last word belongs to theatre artist Milo Rau, who delivers an impassioned speech to the artists of the future. Speaking of the future, we also have an announcement to make about Passages: After 30 years and 65 issues, the magazine is taking a makeover break. We plan to return with new content and a new look in late 2016. Until then, we wish you interesting reading and inspiring cultural encounters. The Passages Editors Switzerland’s Spiritual National Defence First Federal Politicians, intellectuals and Cultural journalists across party lines band Institutions 933 together to demand a policy of In 1888, the 1 “spiritual national defence” to help Federal Art protect Switzerland from the Fascist Commission threat posed by neighbouring countries. is established. 1890 sees the founding of the A Parliamentary Motion 19 June: Fritz Hauser, a member of Late 1800s Late Swiss National Museum (in Parliament from Basel, proposes Zurich) and the 935 a motion urging the Federal Council Swiss National 1 take steps to protect Swiss identity following the rise to power of Hitler Culture, from Latin cultura: care, cultivation, agriculture. Library (in Bern). Photo: an Aebi farm machine (before 1930). and Mussolini. A week later, the Swiss writers’ association makes the same A Federal Foundation for Culture demand. 12 November: The Neue Helvetische Gesellschaft (New Helvetic Society) joins in the discussion and presents a plan for a “Helvetic Foundation.”. 938 09 December: The Federal Council publishes a Dispatch on cultural policy “concerning 1 the duty and the means of preserving and promoting Swiss culture.” It includes the idea of a federally-funded foundation for culture. Pro Helvetia Hirschen- New Duties 5 April: The graben 22 21 March: Pro Helvetia proposal for In April, is assigned new duties, 939 940 a cultural Pro Helvetia 945 with an emphasis on 1 1 foundation moves into 1 promoting exchange is approved by its new quarters at and dialogue, as well as a federal decree, Hirschengraben focus on activities outside of just a few 22, in Zurich. From Switzerland. The goal: break- months before the very beginning, ing out of the spiritual and the outbreak the cooperative cultural “fortress mentality” Hirschengraben 22, Pro Helvetia’s head office of the Second council is subsidi- of the war years. in Zurich since 1940. World War. ary to the cantons 20 October: Origi- and municipalities, and operates on the An Autono- Funding for nally planned as basis of applications received. In the mous Foun- Research a private founda- early years, its budget (500,000 Swiss dation The Swiss 952 tion, Pro Helvetia francs) is divided between two groups: 949 28 Septem- National 1 is transformed one half is allocated to the “People” 1 ber: A federal Science into a cooperative division, the other to the “Army” (also decree transforms Foundation is council regulated known as “Army and Home”) division. the co operative established. by public law. council into an Its first president First Yearbook autonomous foundation regulated is former Federal Pro Helvetia publishes its first by public law. The “Army” division is Councillor 64 yearbook, summarizing its ac- dissolved. Heinrich Häberlin. 9 tivities of the past several years. The Pro Helvetia Law Its director for 1 From then on, the publication 17 December: The federal gov- the next nineteen appears yearly and serves as a source ernment passes a law dedicated years is Karl Naef; of information for members of par- 965 to Pro Helvetia; it establishes as secretary of liament as well as the general public. 1 a legal basis for the Arts Coun- the writers’ asso- The Clottu Commission cil’s organization and activities. Pro ciation, he had The Federal Department of Helvetia’s responsibilities include: helped launch Home Affairs establishes • preserving and protecting Switzer- the debate about 969 a commission to be chaired by land’s unique cultural heritage federal cultural 1 Gaston Clottu and charged • supporting artistic creation policy. The coun- with evaluating the state of cultural • promoting cultural exchange be- cil’s goal is affairs and activities in Switzerland. tween linguistic regions and cultural to preserve “the spheres within Switzerland spiritual inde- Around the World 1 • maintaining cultural relations abroad pendence of With the exhibition “La Suisse culture” in Swit- 7 présente la Suisse” (“Switzerland presents Switzerland”) in Dakar, 9 zerland in the Senegal, Pro Helvetia supports a large-scale project on the African face of the dan- 1 continent for the first time. After having focused its support on gers represented projects in the USA and Europe, in the following years Pro Helvetia broadens by Nazi Germany its scope to include projects around the world. and its Fascist Contemporary art, Paris, 1972. propaganda. The Clottu Report For the first time in the history of its activities abroad, Pro Helvetia organizes an event series 975 lasting several months: entitled “Espace,” it takes 1 place in the premises of the Swiss Tourist Office in Paris and includes exhibitions, theatre performances, film evenings and concerts. It is In Paris In New York also the first time that Pro Helvetia The Centre Culturel Suisse opens In a national mounts a large-scale project in Paris. Its creation, and the referendum, 986 without the participation of diplomatic 985 attendant purchase of space Swiss voters 1 representatives. 1 in the venerable Hôtel Poussepin reject both The Clottu Commission publishes in the Marais district, were preceded the proposal for its five-hundred-page final report on by a long tug of war between the Pro a “Cultural Initia- the state of cultural activities in Helvetia Board of Trustees and the tive” (which would Switzerland. It recommends adding an Federal Council, or rather the Federal allocate one article on culture to the Swiss Consti- Department of Home Affairs. A petition percent of the tution, and dividing cultural affairs and donation drive spearheaded by annual federal among several administrative bodies, the francophone weekly “L’Hebdo” budget to cultural which leads to the establishment helps make the purchase a reality.