INTRODUCTION

To our dear, loyal audience:

It’s been such a long time since we last met. So I’m delighted that at least I still have this way of getting back in touch with you. And I’m all the more pleased now, because  here at MuTh we have some news for you. It’s no understatement to say that the past year has been rather challenging for us. But we’ve also learned a lot along the way. We’ve stayed inquisitive, we’ve tried out lots of new ideas, and we’ve put ourselves to the test in the process.

Difficult as it was, the last year has also been very productive. And now I’m delighted to present our new programme and to introduce you to MuTh 2021. You will have already noticed the most obvious change – we have a new layout. We wanted the new design to offer greater clarity and provide an improved overview. But we also wanted it to be a visual expression of our outlook and of our position within the cultural landscape of Vienna, both of which are becoming clearer and growing in step with our reputation. Because MuTh is a place where people and art come together. But more than that, MuTh is a place where people and art come close together, and share an intimacy that is rarely found elsewhere.

With this in mind, we have used the last year to try out various new formats. We’ve worked proactively, approaching many of our artist friends in search of mutual exchange and cooperation. As a result, even though our doors have been closed, MuTh has been full of life. One example has been the MuTh Lab, which has allows our audience to watch artists via livestream as they rehearse and experiment. This totally new format views art not just as an end product to be consumed; it also facilitates access to the very act of artistic creation itself. For us this is a marvellous example of how intimacy between artist and audience can become a solid, lived reality.

You will also find this theme of closeness in our 2021/22 programme, such as in our new series “Curated by …”. Here artists with particularly close ties to MuTh and our audience have curated and designed their own section of the programme, making the connection between art and audience something lived, palpable, and direct. I am personally very excited to see how this new programme is received by you and to find out what you think of it. And I’m equally excited by the events that we, as we all finally come back together again, will  be able to share and experience together.

Finally, one thing has not changed at all. In the coming season, like the seasons that have gone before, we will continue our search for the marvellous, our quest for the wonderful.

I look forward to seeing you. (Honestly, you have no idea how much!)

Yours, Elke Hesse