A!KO SUMMER 2025

Between digital control and civic courage lies the space for artistic intervention: What remains of the self in the digital shadow – and what emerges when we appear as a collective "we"?

A!KO TANZ FEST 2025 is an international dance laboratory taking place in Linz, this year in cooperation with the Ars Electronica Festival under the overarching theme PANIC. The focus lies on two artistic strands: Digital Shadows – a performative exploration of digital identity, surveillance, and algorithmic control – and Flood the Zone with Courage, a format for public interventions that reimagines protest, civil courage, and collective presence through physical actions in urban space.

Participants become part of a transdisciplinary working process that begins with a shared introduction to thematic, aesthetic, and societal questions. This process is guided by an internationally composed Artistic Leading Ensemble, bringing together artistic and academic perspectives. The team’s expertise spans contemporary dance, immersive theatre, performance studies, digital research, and political action.

Through workshops, movement labs, and rehearsals in public space, performative formats are developed collaboratively with the ensemble – both in the studio and in urban settings. The focus is not on a finalized piece but on collective artistic research and experiential formats that culminate in daily performances during the Ars Electronica Festival (September 3–7).

This year, A!KO TANZ FEST offers a space for exchange, political reflection, and embodied artistic practice. As part of an international network, participants contribute their perspectives, explore new forms of artistic expression, and engage actively within the dynamic interplay of art, society, and digital transformation.