That was the
2024 Fö N Festival

Tirol was clearly eager to get involved and explore the various levels of creativity. A large portion of the Fö N Prolog, which ran from Monday, September 9, 2024, through Thursday, September 12, 2024, sold out quickly. Over 400 people took part in the workshops, lectures, interventions, and events—some of which were free—that also made stops in Hall and Wörgl. Film played an important role in the Fö N Prologue;festival organizer Daniel Dlouhy initiated movie nights at the Cinematograph, the Kulturbackstube Bäckerei hosted the Tyrolean Film and Music Industry Day in collaboration with the Tyrolean Chamber of Commerce’s Film and Music Industry Division, the Photographers’ Guild hosted workshops and an exhibition, and the Tyrolean Filmbase also contributed a specialist lecture for filmmakers. Bernhard Sanders, who runs one of the last “authentic” hand-bookbinding workshops in Innsbruck, provided insights into his craft during a workshop; the barcamp.tirol association organized an innovative Creative Barcamp at the new Agnes-Heller-Haus at the University of Innsbruck on Innrain, which was attended by over 50 people. The Tyrolean State Museums offered fascinating insights into their extensive collections at the Research and Collection Center in Hall in Tirol, while the Tyrolean State Theater provided a deep look behind the scenes during a guided tour followed by a visit to a dress rehearsal. Architecture, urban development, and the common good were the focus of a discussion at the BALE in Innsbruck. At the Polylog City Gallery in Wörgl , a discussion organized by TKI (Tyrolean Cultural Initiatives) explored the question of how art and culture can have a lasting positive impact on rural areas.

>The Fö N Prolog program made it clear: Creativity has many faces, which makes it elusive but all the more valuable. Kurt Höretzeder, who launched the Fö N Festival together with Tom Jank, emphasized the unifying value of creative thinking: “Creativity always has two sides that cannot exist without each other. Only when the collaboration between creative implementers and clients works well does a project emerge that is enjoyable and ultimately results in a good, exciting idea.”

Business leaders, artists, decision-makers, and people excited about the future gathered in the audience at the Fö N Summit at the Innsbruck Congress Center. Daniel Dlouhy’s 35-member team transformed the Tyrolean Congress Center into the eye of the storm on Friday, September 13, and Saturday, September 14. The Fö N logo—a flying mountain—took the form of a six-meter-tall helium balloon and became a much-photographed crowd favorite, as did the 25 custom-designed pieces of Fö N furniture, which are now available for rent. The sounds of exceptional cellist Lukas Lauermann floated through the room between the presentations, while the foyer offered food for the mind and soul in the form of hand-selected books on creativity, design, research, and art. Against this backdrop, host Charlotte Bufler had an easy time bridging the gap between the individual presentations: On Friday, Sascha Friesike, a professor of design innovation in Berlin, explained how creativity can be guaranteed—and how it can be nipped in the bud under any circumstances; designer Magda Mojsiejuk retold the story of the future; brand strategist Vera-Maria Glahn unveiled her “Handbook for Non-Toxic Leadership in the Creative Industry”; Till Grusche invited attendees to his “House of beautyful business,” a global network for a “Life-Centered Economy”; Musician Albin Paulus transported the audienceto entirely new realms with his jaw harp and bagpipes. Philosopher Lisz Hirn followed up by asking whether culture is a luxury (which it is, of course—and yet it isn’t). As the final speaker on the first day of the summit, glaciologist and Austria’s Scientist of the Year Andrea Fischer captivated the audience—she described the shrinking glaciers as a symbol of change and called on the scientific community to explore creative ways of communicating in order to gain a stronger voice in society.

Day two of the Fö N Summit began with Leonard Sommer and his call to put the education system on a better footing; his initiative called on 100 creative professionals around the world to reflect on the learning culture of the future. Transformation expert Katharina Ehrenmüller presented her “Ministry of Curiosity and Enthusiasm for the Future,” which, originating at the Tabakfabrik in Linz, now has more than 700 ambassadors. Reality and fantasy merged, thanks to Berlin-based artist Via Lewandowsky, into a spirited “Huh?”—and thus into the realization that misunderstanding and rejection can become a bubbling wellspring of creative work. In his lecture “Does the Stuff Work or Does the Work Speak?”, graphic designer Clemens Schedler advocated for more self-reflection and humility in creative practice, while artist Angelika Wischermann shared the findings of her experimental research on the foraging behavior of forest ants. Sociologist and aerospace engineer Stefan Selke opened the door to distant worlds: His concept, “Poetry of Hope,” is a plea for a “critical” yet still spirited enthusiasm for the future as fuel for our society. Film composer and self-proclaimed “AI nerd” Tom Batoy also painted a positive picture of the future in his lecture on artificial intelligence, stating: “Creativity is when humans and machines dream together.” —A prime example of this came at the end of the summit with the “Fö N Anthem,” which Batoy’s little AI helper virtually hallucinated on the spot in real time.

The summit concluded with remarkable projects from Tyrol, which were presented as part of a “Stage Time” format: Architect Gertrud Tauber presented her project, architektur:lokal, which she runs together with Andreas Semler and which focuses on the revitalization, renovation, and development of buildings and sites in rural areas. Thomas Bonora introduced BALE in Innsbruck as a hub for collaboration and exchange on topics of sustainability and social innovation—a project that, unfortunately, currently also serves as an example of how, in Innsbruck, once again (and despite a promising start), opportunities to establish a flagship project for the creative industries are being left untapped. Katharina Schmermbeck from the University of Innsbruck presented the INNklusion project, which aims to leverage university teaching and research to create synergies that break down barriers and sustainably strengthen inclusion. Michaela Senn from Theater Praesent in Innsbruck gave a compelling account of the development of the Offtheater, which will now move into its new venue at Tschamlerstraße 3 (formerly Utopia / Weekender)—and thus remain true to its motto “small & defiant” in the future as well; Flo Ennemoser from Büro Maisengasse in Landeck presented the “wiegon” project, in which innovative digital solutions for waste management are developed in collaboration with municipalities, cities, and companies; Information designer Christian Mariacher has been dedicated for years to the challenge of making educational materials more understandable and visually appealing through better design; Vinzenz Mell presentedthe “Speis von morgen” project , which has established a cooperative local grocery store in the St. Nikolaus/Mariahilf district of Innsbruck, offering organic, regional, and seasonal foods from local producers. All of these projects are examples of passionate, creative individuals and, at the same time, of applied creativity that goes far beyond mere “nice ideas” and takes into account not only the creative but also the social aspects of sustainability.

The festival placed a clear emphasis on further concrete contributions toward a creative vision for Tyrol: As part of the festival, Lebensraum Tirol Holding presented its new “Atlas of Art, Culture, and the Creative Industries.” This 64-page, hot-off-the-press publication examines the current state of affairs; in their contributions, eleven high-profile authors outline possible perspectives and viable paths forward, present best practices from other regions, and highlight the potential of art, culture, and the creative industries in Tyrol as a tourist destination. The “School of Ideas,” meanwhile, which held its first “Pilot Day” as part of the festival, aims to promote creative thinking and action in the future and to provide young people—as they navigate the transition to their professional futures—with tools and methods to improve their problem-solving skills.

Just like its namesake, the Fö N Festival 2024 kicked up a storm, threw open windows to the outdoors, and created a breath of fresh air among the synapses. If the organizing team has its way, the festival will continue building on all the positive feedback it has received. The festival sees itself as a creative process that is constantly evolving. Its central mission: to make creativity in the country more visible and impactful, and to instill in the minds of those in political leadership positions the understanding that creativity is the most important resource for transformation here as well.

So we need events like the Fö N Festival—as a force to counter gravity and stagnation, as a counterforce to those who stifle the future. The festival gives us courage for tomorrow. In a world where mountains are eroding, old certainties are long gone, war has returned to Europe, and artificial intelligence oscillates between fears and hopes, we need creativity more urgently than ever. Merely repeating what we already know gets us nowhere—creativity, on the other hand, does. As a uniquely human capacity, it continues to shape the narratives—both grand and small—that make us believe in the future, driving not only ideas but also joyfully inspiring us to take action. And for this to have a broad impact, we need everyone’s creativity. Fö N speaker Till Grusche summed it up perfectly: “Creativity is the energy that drives our world forward. At every level, we see how relevant this force is. In the economy, it is the source of innovation. In society, it is what gives life greater meaning and builds community. And on a personal level, creativity is the way we connect with our innermost selves—which in turn helps us forge genuine connections with others.”