The Bschlabertal valley in Tyrol lies at an altitude of 1400 meters and is one of the most remote places in Austria. Today, fewer than 90 people live there, and the region is suffering from an aging population and rural depopulation. For the fifth time, the **medienfrische** festival is taking place there over 21 days. **medienfrische** is a contemporary art festival and artist-in-residence program that focuses on current developments. The landscape and the completely different way of life in the valley demand new and unconventional ways of thinking and ideas, as well as a questioning of traditional ways of working and living.

The theme is **GOING TO STAY.**

If you live in a small place like Boden, you ask yourself at least once in your life whether you should stay or go. It is a serious question, crucial to one's own life: SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO? Going means not only testing the nature of the soil on which I live, but also, as it were, reading the territory surrounding me with my body. Walking, leaving, going a way also means: changing my point of view, leaving my safe position, crossing boundaries, exploring new territory, reinventing myself and my environment step by step. The rebellion begins as a walk.

In the fleeting act of walking, I explore and change existing situations, spaces, and relationships; I transgress the limits of action. Walking as art is an example of a radical aesthetic that focuses on the most elementary bodily technique of humankind. The limping Oedipus (literally: swollen foot) solves the riddle of the four-legged Sphinx: which animal can change its gait throughout the day? The anthropos (the one turned toward the other) constantly rebuilds their motor base, using technical aids to reflect on and radically alter their physical constitution, location, and orientation, and thus their position in the world.

Can walking as an artistic practice open a path for me to leave and yet remain grounded? What possibilities do technological developments offer people with disabilities to design new (performative) spaces for action? What future, collaborative forms of play do new media offer for continuously exploring the social and political nature of a secluded place like ground?  
Inspired by artistic practices and scientific research such as that of Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, Janet Cardiff, Marina Abramović, Richard Long, Bruce Nauman, Rebecca Solnit, Walter Benjamin, the Dada excursion of 1921, the Situationist International, The Ministry of Silly Walks, etc., we are looking for contemporary, interdisciplinary projects and designs that open up a social space for the future and play for an alpine mountain village like Boden, in which I can decide: TO WALK IN ORDER TO STAY.

The residency in a secluded high valley encourages contemplation, rethinking, and experimentation. The Bschlabertal valley serves as a laboratory and workshop. Accommodation and meals are provided for the duration of the stay. Workspaces, mentoring, and exhibition venues are also made available. Furthermore, a diverse program of concerts, lectures, film screenings, readings, and much more takes place throughout the three weeks as part of the **"medienfrische" festival.**

There are a few single rooms, some double rooms, and multi-bed rooms. We can cover up to €100 of the travel costs per participant. Onward transportation from Imst or Reutte to the valley will be arranged by **medienfrische** . We are happy to assist with travel planning. Arrival by private vehicle is also possible. A Lechtal Card will be provided for the duration of your stay, allowing free use of public transportation within the valley. We try to accommodate requests, but our options are limited.

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