Art and criticism: Laurie Anderson opens the 2025 Vienna Festival

Art and criticism: Laurie Anderson opens the 2025 Vienna Festival

On May 19, 2025, the opening speech of the Vienna Festival Weeks 2025 took place in the sold-out ORF Radiokulturhaus. Laurie Anderson, the American performance artist, gave her address entitled “Republic of Love”. The event, led by Milo Rau, addressed fundamental social questions and appealed to the power of love in an increasingly polarized world. Anderson, 77 years old, dedicated her 100-minute speech to the ambiguity between “state of love” and “state of love” and called on the audience to grapple with the challenges of today.

The opening was ceremoniously introduced by the Mozart Boys' Choir and the performance of William Billings' “David's Lamentation”. In her speech, Anderson not only criticized the older generation for destroying the planet, but also addressed current social injustices. She was critical of US politics and Donald Trump in particular and spoke about the new Pope Leo XIV and the historic correspondence with John F. Kennedy. She also quoted Cornel West: “Justice is what love looks like in public” and invited the audience to Tai Chi movements, a gesture that was intended to illustrate the connecting power of music and love.

The motto and themes of the festival weeks

This year, the entire festival series has the motto “V is for loVe”, an approach that brings together over 150 events with socio-political relevance. The program is accompanied by over 40 theater and music productions as well as installations and community projects. With this selection of themes, Milo Rau, who is beginning his second season as director of the Vienna Festival, underlines the goal of setting an example for diversity, love and community. The festival weeks extend from May 16th to June 22nd, 2025.

In the context of her talk, Anderson called on people to recognize the "tide" of life's circumstances and ask, "But can we build an ark?" This reflects the challenges associated with the rise of the right, climate change and wars. Her aim is to emphasize the true value of love and solidarity in today's society. She also drew parallels between historical anti-war protests and current global unrest.

Comprehensive program offers variety

Accompanying the opening speech, it became clear that the Vienna Festival Weeks will once again offer a linear and diverse program this year. The opening will include performances by artists such as Nicole, Soap&Skin, Serge Kakudji and Der Nino from Vienna. Particular attention is paid to creating accessibility, which is why the opening will also be offered with translation in Austrian Sign Language. One goal is to focus on cultural diversity and social relevance, which is also supported by the direction of Felix Breisach.

The Vienna Festival Weeks are not only a cultural highlight in Austria, but also a platform for social discourse. The opening speech by Laurie Anderson is celebrated as the start of a festival series that will appeal to both art lovers and people interested in socio-political issues. Information about the events can be found on the official Wiener Festwochen websites festwochen.at and in the Viennese press [wien.gv.at](https://presse.wien.gv.at/presse/2025/05/14/geburtsstunde-der- Republik-der-liebe-eroeffnung-der-wiener-festwochen-2025-am-16-mai) can be found, while detailed reporting is also available on vienna.at is provided.