Radio Art?!

Knut Aufermann

Radio art exists, of course. For every new medium artists have developed specific, experimental forms of use, so we can be confident that radio art is more than 100 years old. The individual formation of this discrete art form however is so diverse for each country and across the ages that it cannot be easily perceived as a coherent genre. The personalities of the artists, who are mostly self-taught in the realm of radio, as well as the political, social and commercial environment and constraints shape the various forms of this radio-inspired art. Hosts for the genre are not only public, community or pirate radio stations but also galleries, museums, biennials, clubs, concert halls and public space.
In 2016 Radio Revolten offers the ideal framework to present all types of contemporary radio art in the best possible way. This happens in the form of a month-long festival, which offers many suitable locations, ample time and access to the airwaves. All of these preconditions are met in Halle in a globally unique setting.
The internationally cast curatorial team has chosen a mix of classic and cutting edge radio art works for Radio Revolten. These include performances, installations and a 24/7 FM festival radio station for the audience and the local and translocal listenership of a prodigious network of radio partners. For the artists the festival offers a stage and a rare opportunity for personal dialogue with each other. This hitherto unknown concentration of radio art in one place offers the opportunity for an in-depth view and a detailed analysis of the genre, to trace the evolution and the fault lines between the works in order to reach the conclusion that Radio Art’s span covers them all.

Knut Aufermann, Artistic Director