With the 2006 Ars Electronica Festival Simplicity – The Art Of Complexity, the Linz-based festival broke out of its traditional programming and venues for the first time to transfer itself as an “entire” festival to a different location. Going to the Country took the festival on a search for Simplicity one summer day to the baroque St. Florian Monastery of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. The historic ambience of the monastery, which dates back to the 4th century, with its romantic ambulatories, its secluded, lush courtyards, and its magnificent festival halls, retreats and spiritual spaces, blended harmoniously with the Ars Electronica program and opened up spaces in which more than 2,000 visitors could experience inspiration, tranquillity and meaning-in complete accord with Simplicity. The day’s program included philosophical readings, sound installations, artist talks, piano improvisations in the Marble Hall, the mighty Bruckner organ paired with electronic music, archery in the monastery garden and Gregorian chants in the crypt. With the 2019 Ars Electronica Festival Out of the Box, the Canons’ Monastery of St. Florian was once again transformed into a hotspot for art, technology and science in the course of the AI x Music Festival.
In our Throwback series, we take a look back at past events, exhibitions, installations and other exciting happenings from the Ars Electronica universe since 1979.