Fribourg opens to contemporary arts

Avant-garde works of art are returning to the streets of Fribourg on Friday. BBI

Contemporary arts make their return to Fribourg on Friday. The city is hosting the annual Belluard Bollwerk International (BBI) festival for the 19th time.

The BBI, created in 1983, is mainly devoted to avant-garde contemporary artistic productions. The festival is centred on one of the town’s medieval towers, but other locations have also been selected for performances.

This year’s edition has been cut from 15 days to eight. The festival still aims to be at the cutting edge of artistic productions, but its organisers are now concerned that artists are more interested in the commercial impact they make.

“Even the most radical and disturbing productions are taking on commercial aspects, and are taken over by sponsors and the media”, says Gabrielle Gawrysiak of the Belluard organising committee.

The organisers set up the festival’s programme guided by one question. Is there still anything to show?

While no ready-made answers are given, the organisers have made some propositions. The festival is serving up some 20 events, including dancing, music, scenic art and video.

In the field of visual arts, the “Impacts” event, created by Fribourg’s Jean-Damien Fleury and Zurich’s Nika Spalinger, is expected to draw public attention. Another eye-opening event is on the agenda is a “happening” organised by American Spencer Tunick.

People are invited to come to the centre of Fribourg very early Sunday morning to bare their souls and especially their bodies to the photographer/artist’s camera. Tunick has already organised similar events in New York and other major cities, occasionally falling foul of the authorities.

One of the live arts performances will include a work by Angie Hiesl, which consists of elderly people suspended in mid-air against the wall of a building.

swissinfo with agencies