Vienna to the World: Edgar Honetschläger Work Shines at Crossing Europe 2025
A Tribute to Art, Cinema, and Environmental Awareness
February 20th, 2025
The Local Artists Special at Crossing Europe 2025 highlights the distinguished Austrian visual artist, filmmaker, and environmental activist Edgar Honetschläger, a figure whose work transcends geographical and cultural boundaries. Though born in Linz, Austria, Honetschläger has spent most of his adult life abroad—living in the U.S., Japan, and currently on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Rome and Naples. This extensive international journey has profoundly influenced his multidisciplinary practice, which blends drawing, painting, photography, installation, intervention, and film. Honetschläger’s work challenges perceptions of civilization, human nature, and the environment, often through deeply poetic, political, and subtly humorous approaches.
The Local Artists Special at Crossing Europe, while focusing on Honetschläger’s connection to Upper Austria, exemplifies the fluidity of local identities in a globalized world. The term "local" in this context carries a fluid, global significance—his work resonates with international audiences, having been shown at esteemed venues like the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome and Belvedere 21 in Vienna. It also graces major film festivals, including the Berlinale and the Rotterdam International Film Festival, reinforcing the transnational scope of his art. This presence at such prestigious festivals underscores the importance of cultural diplomacy in the exchange of artistic ideas, bridging continents and cultures through shared artistic language.
Honetschläger’s involvement in these major festivals, especially Berlinale, highlights the role of cinema in advancing cultural dialogue. The Berlinale, a globally recognized platform, served as a launchpad for some of his most acclaimed works, such as CHICKENSSUIT / ERNI and IL MARE E LA TORTA. These screenings at the Berlinale not only emphasized the artist’s cinematic skills but also his engagement with environmental activism—central themes in his oeuvre. His commitment to environmental issues, exemplified by his founding of the NGO GOBUGSGO, illustrates the role of art in societal change. The NGO, which purchases land to create "Non-Human Zones" for wildlife, further underscores the impact of Honetschläger’s work beyond the gallery and cinema, blending artistic expression with activism.
The Crossing Europe special program offers an exciting opportunity to experience the breadth of Honetschläger's cinematic exploration. Featuring four distinct films—CIVILIZATION SUCKS, AUN – THE BEGINNING AND THE END OF ALL THINGS, GIVE NATURE A BREAK, and LE FORMICHE DI MIDA – MIDAS’ ANTS—the series captures his unique, essayist approach to filmmaking. These films, ranging from documentary to experimental fiction, provide an immersive experience into Honetschläger’s multifaceted critique of civilization and human impact on the planet.
As Honetschläger personally attends the screenings and engages with audiences, the event becomes a key moment for cultural diplomacy. His works act as a bridge between Austria, Japan, Italy, and beyond, emphasizing the power of art and cinema in fostering cross-cultural understanding, ecological awareness, and political discourse on a global scale.
