LOOK UP! ART IS EVERYWHERE AT THE FESTIVAL – EVEN ON THE SCREENS

Roskilde Festival is synonymous with music in all its forms. But there is also a good reason to turn your attention to the big stages when the music is not playing.

By Vera Francine Claver, volunteer at Roskilde Festival

Art is a central part of Roskilde Festival. You will find it everywhere. From MeWe and Understanding towering over the camping area to the graffiti on the festival fences.

Even on the big screens at Orange and Arena, you can experience art that will ignite your imagination and dreams. Four of the those works of art have been created in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art. Curator Christian Skovbjerg Jensen briefs us on what to expect when looking at the big screens.

"For many, Roskilde Festival is primarily a music festival, so we have tried to consider that premise. In collaboration with the festival, we have discussed how we can use the big screens to engage the audience in a playful and surprising way. So, we’ve invited four artists or artist constellations that we believe work with text in a new and different way. Many of them are humorous, poetic – and a bit mysterious."

The artist collective Apparatus 22 has created a poetic universe that questions where imagination and fiction are today: "The artwork is meant to remind us to hold on to playfulness, imagination, and the essence of fiction."

We are also presented with two manifestos: “Filip Vest has created the manifesto 'Imperfect Pitch,' which provides 48 ideas for pop songs. They go in all directions and reveal the impossibilities of pop songs. Then there is Driton Selmani's manifesto, which comments on human self-perception and the often somewhat naive belief in oneself in one-liners."

The artist duo consisting of Maja Malou Lyse and Esben Weile Kjær work with the space between them and the audience: "They present text-based prompts to the audience while simultaneously competing for attention, looking out, kissing, and pressing their bodies against the screen."

So, look up! Art is all around you. Even on the screens while you wait for the next concert or relax in the afternoon sun.