Begehungen Art Festival

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The Begehungen art festival uses vacant spaces for its events each year. In 2026, the Chemnitz Theater will be the venue. Since 2022, it has been unusable as a theater due to structural deficiencies. A lively debate is currently taking place in politics and civil society regarding its renovation and reconstruction.

This debate is not only about the specific building but also represents broader discourses on the value of culture and how to deal with the architectural legacy of the GDR. During its run at the theater, the Begehungen art festival aims to keep the space open for these discussions.

As a historical site of performance, the theater directly points to the mechanisms of constructing and communicating reality. In the context of digital media, AI-powered image generation, and accelerated public discourse, the boundaries between reality and simulation are increasingly blurring. Within this tension, democratic negotiation processes come under pressure, while authoritarian and technocratic models of governance gain influence.

The art festival Begehungen aims to reflect on the dangerous staging strategies of reality under the theme IN DER VORSTELLUNG using the means of art, but also to counter these narratives with something powerful.

Open Call

The exhibition will feature 20-25 works by international contemporary artists, complemented by a festival program including concerts, readings, lectures, and performances. The exhibition will be curated from works and project ideas selected by the artistic director through an open call for submissions from around the world. Dr. Claudia Tittel is the artistic director of the exhibition.

The open call opens on February 24, 2026. Click here for the application materials.

Cooperations

Germany's largest international theater festival, Theater der Welt (Theatre of the World), is coming to Chemnitz – directly following the European Capital of Culture year in 2025. For three weeks, Chemnitz will become a meeting place for artists, audiences, and theater enthusiasts from all over the world. On stages, in public spaces, and in extraordinary locations, a vibrant celebration of the performing arts will unfold, transcending borders and bringing together stories from across the globe.

The festival program is curated by nine international curators from Australia, Canada, Colombia, Argentina, South Africa, Greece, Jordan, India, Senegal, and China. More than 30 outstanding productions will create an inspiring panorama of contemporary theatrical forms, languages, and perspectives.

The festival is organized by the Chemnitz Theaters, the Festival Academy Brussels, and the European Capital of Culture Chemnitz 2025 gGmbH.

The Begehungen art festival and the Theater der Welt festival will take place concurrently. Both festivals have agreed to a comprehensive collaboration.

Opening hours

The venue is located in the Park of the Victims of Fascism, at Zieschestr. 28, 09111 Chemnitz.

The exhibition opens on June 19th. Afterwards, it will be open daily from 12 pm to 8 pm until July 5th.

Inclusion

Participation and inclusion are central values of our society. The team at Begehungen e.V. is deeply convinced that everyone, regardless of their origin, age, financial means, or physical abilities, should be able to attend our art festival. The Begehungen art festival team makes every effort to ensure that people with mobility impairments, as well as hearing or visual impairments, have easy and natural access to the exhibition and all program events.

For people with hearing impairments:

Guided tours and events with German Sign Language interpretation

For people with visual impairments:

Audio guide with audio descriptions of selected artworks Tactile models of selected artworks Tactile floor plan of the buildings

For people with mobility impairments:

Barrier-free access to the exhibition, restaurants, and all program events
Wheelchair-accessible restrooms
Portable seating

Cultural support

If you have a disability and need support to attend the Begehungen art festival, please contact www.kulturbegleitung-chemnitz.de. Andrea will be happy to help you.

Do you have specific questions regarding accessible offerings or would you like to book a guided tour? Send us an email to info@begehungen-festival.de

You can support the considerable costs of accessibility measures with a donation.

About us

The festival was founded in Chemnitz in 2003. It is one of the most prestigious art events in Saxony and attracts thousands of visitors every year. It is also part of the official program for Chemnitz, the European Capital of Culture 2025.

For its inaugural edition, twelve vacant storefronts in the Sonnenberg district of Chemnitz served as the venue for a photography exhibition. In subsequent years, the festival moved to Brühl, a then largely deserted shopping boulevard, and grew steadily, increasingly embracing other art forms. Since 2010, the art festival has changed its location annually.

Since then, venues for the festival have included a former prison, vacant cultural centers and schools, abandoned allotments, an old brewery, disused department stores, a drained water park, a derelict museum, and an overgrown train station.

In 2025, the festival was part of the official program of Chemnitz 2025, the European Capital of Culture, and attracted 56,000 visitors to the decommissioned Chemnitz-Nord lignite-fired power plant.

The Begehungen art festival is committed to being inclusive and accessible. The festival is made possible through the extensive volunteer work of the members of Begehungen e.V. and many other helpers.

Donation

The Begehungen art festival is largely organised on a voluntary basis by Begehungen e.V. and numerous helpers. We would be delighted if you could support this work with a DONATION. Thank you very much!

By bank transfer:

Account holder: Begehungen e. V.

IBAN: DE10 8705 0000 0710 0502 32

Institut: Sparkasse Chemnitz

Via Paypal:

Please use Paypal-Link