Begehungen Art Festival

6.00 pm Opening

Warm words, nods of agreement, perhaps a few notes of protest – but in any case, waiting for it to finally begin. Accompanying this, the Berlin duo Esels Alptraum yodels in to the Begehungen 2026.

Concert

8.30 pm Josi Miller (live)

Josi Miller was born in Leipzig-Connewitz and gained her first DJing experience within the East German subculture. Whilst studying at the Bauhaus University in Weimar, she began playing on increasingly larger stages across Germany and developed a genre-spanning sound. In the years that followed, she accompanied Trettmann as a touring DJ, established herself as a solo artist at the same time, and honed her production skills. International gigs, renowned clubs and festivals have shaped her career. In 2025, she released her debut album ‘4stages of sleep’, which blends breakbeat, pop and electronica. Josi brings her live shows to the stage with a setup comprising a drum machine and synthesiser, creating high-energy sets featuring clattering drums, vocals and visuals.

Art Café

2.00 pm – 5.00 pm Art Café at the neighbouring ASB Residential Centre

The neighbouring residential centre for people with disabilities run by the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund is opening its cafeteria over two weekends. The event will feature an exhibition, guided tours (2.00 pm and 4.30 pm) and a documentary film about the origins of the theatre project ‘Rollimaskentheater’. There will also be readings of poems written by resident Evelin Höfner.

Morning pint

11:00 am Morning pint and art

With music from the turntable

Meet the Artist

1.00 pm: Talk with artist Anna Ehrenstein

Meet the Artist

3.00 pm: Talk with artist Veneta Androva

Art Café

2.00 pm – 5.00 pm Art Café at the neighbouring ASB Residential Centre

The neighbouring residential centre for people with disabilities run by the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund is opening its cafeteria over two weekends. The event will feature an exhibition, guided tours (2.00 pm and 4.30 pm) and a documentary film about the origins of the theatre project ‘Rollimaskentheater’. There will also be readings of poems written by resident Evelin Höfner.

Panel discussion

6.00 pm: Quo Vadis Schauspielhaus?

The ideas, facts and figures surrounding the Schauspielhaus are changing so frequently at the moment that we have given up on planning an event around it in advance. What is certain is that on the day, we will be discussing the current situation with interested parties and those involved. We will post further details here at short notice.

Guided tour & discussion

4.00 pm Art walk through the OdF Park

Residents of the neighbouring ASB residential centre will be presenting the art in the OdF park (approx. 90 mins). Register at kunstwerkstatt@asb-ov-chemnitz.de

Guided tour & discussion

6.00 pm Between Utopia and Farce

This walking tour explores the history of Chemnitz from the perspective of the adjacent park. From Marx to the euphoria of reunification, from factory ruins to the ‘baseball bat years’, and not least from the occupation of the theatre to the imposition of austerity measures, the urban crises and hopes of Chemnitz are reconstructed. Led by Dominik Intelmann from Offener Prozess – a documentation centre on the NSU complex (approx. 90 mins)

First Long Night of Begehungen

The exhibition is open until midnight

Performance

7.30 pm EWA

Performance for an elephant and a drum kit. By Frank Maibier and Andreas Winkler (Free admission)

Concert

8.30 pm Oh No Noh

Oh No Noh is the project of Markus Rom, a guitarist, robot programmer and composer from Leipzig. Through his solo project, he has spent several years searching for beauty in unusual musical settings, blurring the boundaries between lo-fi, indietronica, post-rock, krautrock and pop. His latest album, ‘As Late As Possible’, was released last year. (Free entry)

Art Café

2.00 pm – 5.00 pm Art Café at the neighbouring ASB Residential Centre

The neighbouring residential centre for people with disabilities run by the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund is opening its cafeteria over two weekends. The event will feature an exhibition, guided tours (2.00 pm and 4.30 pm) and a documentary film about the origins of the theatre project ‘Rollimaskentheater’. There will also be readings of poems written by resident Evelin Höfner.

Morning pint

11:00 am Morning pint and art

With music from the turntable

11:00 am Farewell letters

“Farewell Letters” is designed as a collective writing and remembrance project in which older people write farewell letters to significant places in their lives that have disappeared or are set to disappear. Through these letters, they share memories, emotions and stories that resist oblivion and give value to a sense of belonging, the passage of time and the bonds between people and their lives.

As well as its local focus, the project also has an important international dimension. It was originally launched under the title “Cartas para despedirse” by the theatre group “La Compañía Opcional”, which was founded in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2010. The walks are being organised in collaboration with visitors from the neighbouring day care centre, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, and the Chemnitz-based artist Mica Kempe.

Meet the Artist

5.00 pm Talk with artists Anna Sophia Barth and Jana Gunstheimer

Art Café

2.00 pm – 5.00 pm Art Café at the neighbouring ASB Residential Centre

The neighbouring residential centre for people with disabilities run by the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund is opening its cafeteria over two weekends. The event will feature an exhibition, guided tours (2.00 pm and 4.30 pm) and a documentary film about the origins of the theatre project ‘Rollimaskentheater’. There will also be readings of poems written by resident Evelin Höfner.

Panel discussion

6.00 pm Kongress, Parteifalte, Schauspielhaus – Should historic buildings in the East be protected at any cost?

Three iconic buildings of so-called ‘Eastern Modernism’ stand empty or are obstructing urban development plans. What potential uses might be considered, or is demolition the likely outcome? A panel discussion with architects, urban planners and members of the public.

Reading

7.00 pm Almut Sandig "Im Orkan"

Born in Riesa, the author is one of the country’s most important poets. Yet Sandig is equally compelling when writing novels. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, her new novel draws a consistent, symbolic arc across the pressing issues of our time:

Overnight, the streets of Volnopol are transformed: dunes sweep across the promenade, and artificial-looking tornadoes carve swathes through the Ukrainian coastal town. What appears to be a natural phenomenon quickly turns out to be an existential threat. Do the storms come from Russia? Can the people and the town withstand them? Amidst this chaos, Maksym makes a name for himself – as a dealer in synthetic drugs. His grandfather Bohdan, who survived the Gulag, teaches him chess and quotes Pushkin. His mother Nadia, a heart surgeon at the municipal hospital, trusts neither the state nor the people. Like Bohdan, she strives not to instil in Maksym the legacy of the Soviet dictatorship. Yet as the city threatens to vanish into the sand, the family too begins to falter. Although Maksym still sees his drug business as a game, he is already caught in a dangerous spiral of power, addiction and violence. In her new novel, Ulrike Almut Sandig draws a consistent, symbolic arc across the pressing questions of our time: How much do we need one another in the storm? And what is the price of our freedom?

Meet the Artist

3.00 pm Talk with artist Frenzy Höhne

Concert

8.30 pm Manu Louis

Manu Louis is Belgian and lives in Berlin. He travels with a small setup consisting of samplers, drum machines, electronic gadgets and guitars, delivering passionate performances that transform any venue into an improvised nightclub. His beats are infectious and his music is captivating: Manu Louis blends pop, jazz and 8-bit electronica into an amazing live experience.

Morning pint

11.00 am Morning pint and art

With music from the turntable

Concert

3.00 pm Marjary

Greetings from the European Capital of Culture 2028! Marjari from Budweis (CZ) blends guitar loops, samples and her soft voice to create an atmospheric sound. Following her debut album “Hey Girl” (2022), she has performed numerous concerts across Europe. Her second album, “Setting This Place on Fire”, followed in autumn 2025, impressively capturing her personal and musical growth. 

Movie

8.00 pm Movie theatre

Over the past 35 years, the Chemnitz Film Workshop has developed into a leading production centre in Central Germany. From the very beginning, there has been a fruitful collaboration with the local theatre. Numerous films have been made right here at the Schauspielhaus, and a selection of these will be screened at the close of the festival. Curated by: Olaf Held (including the film magazine “Unicato”)