Ars began on 9/1 and ended on 9/6. Each night after finishing our shoot, we relaxed over beer and wine at the pub/club Stadtwerkstatt near the Ars Center. Compared to Tokyo, Linz is a tiny dot with not many places for the young to fuck around. In other words, the pub was pretty much the only place we could go. Kinda like a dumping ground for all the youthful energy being packed into this town. And two dance floors that are crammed up against the bar like parasites.

Maybe because of the small town feeling though, once you got to acquainted with the female bartender, she would make sure to take you order over all the other orders being thrown at her in the crowded place. With that kind of attention, you get a kind of feel-good superiority complex that wraps your entire body. I couldn’t help wanting to come back the next day. If you ever get the chance, try the place out.

Stadtwerkstatt isn’t just a place where people go to get drunk though. They’re also filled with club events, performances, concerts night after night. Every evening there is an official Ars performance, but in the middle of night they also have funk/punk concerts that have nothing to do with the Festival itself.

Well, time to say goodbye to Anna. She helped us with the film shoot, explained the exhibits, drank beer with us, and after the Festival, she and her friends invited Kenji and I for dinner in Vienna too. We owe her so much!

This year when we visited Ars, focusing on Anna and the other staff really helped us to get a good taste of the Festival. We hope you get to you too will feel how charming Linz is, how fun Ars is and of course, how interesting the staff and artists are.

Enjoy this art work