minus20degree 2024

Plateau

The 2024 edition of minus20degree focused on the theme Plateau. A plateau is a geological formation consisting of a vast horizontal plane at a higher altitude, found in mountain ranges such as the Alps. Beyond its connection to the biennial’s location, the concept of the plateau also offered a model for thinking: reaching a plateau is quite different from reaching a summit. The plateau accommodates many, while the summit offers space only for a few. The summit usually promises further summits, while the plateau suggests vastness and boundlessness. Living on the plateau is therefore perhaps more of a mental and spiritual challenge than a physical one.

The questions that arose were: Can this landscape image be applied to the current state of Western society? Does the fact that we no longer recognise heights—or can no longer imagine them—worry and unsettle us? And is it even important to reach these heights, if they exist at all?

For the first time in its 12-year history, minus20degree included a day programme, offering three days of seminars, art and architecture, with 12 hours of programming each day. The 2024 edition presented seven artworks by international artists and artist collectives. Seventeen students from FH Münster built and staffed the minus20degree Center. Three experts led walking seminars that reflected on the year’s theme, Plateau. In addition, the entire event was mirrored in the exhibition plus20degree at Traklhaus in Salzburg.

The artistic programme was supported by a jury consisting of Francesca Gavin, director of the viennacontemporary art fair, Günther Oberhollenzer, director of Künstlerhaus Wien, and Thomas Lamers, member of Collectief Walden. The jury selected five of the seven artistic works from an international open call, which received 360 submissions from more than 50 countries.