This year’s IMPAKT Festival doesn’t do things by halves. The media festival has opted for clear statements and artists with a radical reaction to society. ‘People with guts, people whose work is guided by their principles and self-assurance,’ says Arjon Dunnewind, who compiled the programme for the festival. The theme of this year’s IMPAKT Festival is DEAL WITH IT. Director Arjon Dunnewind compiled the programme with Ine Gevers from the Niet Normaal foundation. Like IMPAKT, she too is known for putting together exhibitions that criticise society. ‘The title came to us in no time,’ says Arjon. ‘We both like working with artists who aren’t afraid to speak out, but we’ve also noticed that the work they produce can be boring and contemplative, and that highly activist subjects don’t always make for interesting art. So for this festival, we looked for artists with a deal with it attitude. People with guts, people whose work is guided by their principles and self-assurance.’ Without compromise So artists who don’t modify their work in line with current thinking or marketing objectives, and who don’t shy away from controversy. Not because they want to shock people or get under their skin, but because they see it as their duty to put their finger on the sore spot. Arjon: ‘This attitude is the connecting factor in the festival. The exhibits themselves feature all kinds of hot topics, including Gaza, identity, capitalism or the patriarchy, but the common denominator is that none of the makers compromise in their art. In fact, some of them even put themselves at risk of being sent into exile. Their work is a statement and appeals to the public directly. Some of it will be displayed in public spaces.’ A few examples: Ausländer Raus! by Christoph Schlingensief (2002) is among the works on show. He placed a container housing 12 asylum seekers on a square in Vienna and asked the public to vote two of them out day by day. Who should be deported? Who decides? There’s also a piece by The Yes Men, who often expose wrongdoing by posing as employees of famous companies. They pretended to be managers at Dow Chemical, and went on television to take responsibility for the Bhopal gas disaster in 1984. At a technology conference, they once introduced themselves as so-called Adidas staff, working on a new project: a virtual playground for sweatshop workers, so they could at least have a bit of fun. This absurdist fake project was met with applause at the conference. A soaking wet Hitler I her video diary Baby, I will make you sweat, Birgit Hein chronicles her personal quest for love and sex in Jamaica, where she was accused of colonialism. In another of her works, she questions the idea that women are basically gentle beings. Roy Villevoye chose a picture of an Asmat man from Papua New Guinea (once part of the Dutch Indies) for DEAL WITH IT. Although the artist visits the country on a regular basis and is closely allied to the Asmat people, his pictures and photos are controversial because of his western approach, which can clash with local customs and ideas. He is also exhibiting a picture of a young, soaking wet Hitler, which almost evokes sympathy. The works are confrontational and make you think. How do I really feel about this, and why? Theft as an act of idealism If you had to sum up this year’s IMPAKT Festival in one word, it would be: uncomfortable. The exhibition, film screenings, discussions and performances all make you feel uncomfortable, particularly the performance by the Utrecht theatre maker Dries Verhoeven. His Everything must go is set in a supermarket, where a disillusioned consumer is explaining her shoplifting techniques and her motives for stealing. She’s very convincing. This idealistic thief stands up to capitalism at the self-scan till like a modern-day Robin Hood. Audiences can watch her live and via security cameras, as she performs between the aisles. Once again, the IMPAKT festival constitutes a critical commentary of ongoing developments in society. And it will continue to do so, regardless of the fact that the municipality of Utrecht has withdrawn its long-term funding. The Creative Industry Incentive Fund will support IMPAKT financially for the next four years. It’s a smaller budget and the focus might shift towards international activities. This remains to be seen, says Arjon, but IMPAKT is going nowhere. IMPAKT Festival is from 30 October to 3 November in Het Huis Utrecht, De Paardenkathedraal and Impakt Centre (until 12 January 2025) impakt.nl