In a time of collapsing dichotomies and ethical quandaries, the 2023 edition of steirischer herbst turned to a character-driven storytelling strategy to explore how people navigate gray zones. It created a world populated by a cast of tricksters: a jazz-loving Nazi, an émigré artist, a dissident’s dissident, and a phantasmal heroine. This richly illustrated publication showcases the festival’s four group exhibitions held throughout Graz, including essays on the unusual protagonists, and documents the performances and cabaret shows.

Every year for a month, STEIRISCHER HERBST, the oldest interdisciplinary festival of contemporary art in Europe, turns the city of Graz and the province of Styria in Austria into a parcours of installative and performative works. Since 1968, the festival has offered a platform for public debates, critical positions, and dialogues between the arts.