In the “Jardin des Planètes” – the garden of planets – planets designed by artists’ hands rise into the sky and create an artificial and artistic universe. Here, visitors walk among trees and planets as if in a distant cosmos, but at the same time find themselves in a modern translation of the magnificent Planetary Hall inside the palace.

Klaus Littmann is, among other things, an international freelance mediator of contemporary art. The Swiss artist and curator focuses on the planning and realization of themed art exhibitions and artistic interventions in public spaces. His elaborate projects focus on everyday culture as well as the confrontation of contemporary art with historically evolved urban spaces. Most recently, his intervention “For Forest” in the Klagenfurt stadium caused an international sensation. Littmann was awarded the Culture Prize of the City of Basel in 2002.

Concept & realization: Klaus Littmann
Participating artists: Joep van Liefland, Markus Wirthmann, Hanspeter Hofmann, Otto Zitko, Daniele Buetti, Ren Zhitian, Michel Blazy, Peter Kogler, Enrique Fontanilles
Technical realization: Andreas Braunböck, ETWAS ANDERES

KLANGLICHT 2021

“planten balletten – from bausspiel fest rockenem” by Nikos Zachariadis and Max Höfler

The Graz-based multimedia artist Nikos Zachariadis, in collaboration with the writer Max Höfler, reworked texts from the nine-part Baroque planet ballet from 1678. As a sound installation, the new, abstract version of the planetary texts accompanied visitors through the “Jardin des Planètes” initiated by Klaus Littmann. The interweaving of these light and sound interventions invites visitors to see, understand and thus rethink their own position and the role of humans in a larger context.

You can read the text of the sound installation “planten balletten – aus bausspiel fest rockenem” and the original text of the baroque planetary ballet from 1678 “Ballet Von Zusammenkunft und Wirckung derer VII. Planeten” here.

Nikos Zachariadis is a multidisciplinary artist, designer and organizer based in Graz. After completing his studies in architecture, he focused primarily on the effects and manipulation of sensory perception within the field of tension between image-sound-space-time in a wide variety of constellations and aspects. He is particularly interested in the interweaving of real, imaginary and virtual space and the resulting aesthetic shifts in atmosphere. In addition to works in classical media and electro-acoustic concerts, the spectrum of works includes immersive AV environments and performative sound sculptures.

Max Höfler is an Austrian writer, artist and former literary representative of the Forum Stadtpark in Graz. Max Höfler writes experimental prose texts and publishes regularly in literary journals such as perspektive, manuskripte, Lichtungen, schreibkraft, fröhliches wohnzimmer and the publications of the artists’ group monochrom. He is the founder of the net art project Eigenheimgalerie GG44 and co-founder of the artist group R.A.P1.2. Since 2013, he has been the editor of the screen-based literary magazine “GLORY HOLE – nachrichten von drüben”, which is projected onto the outdoor screen of the Forum Stadtpark at night.

Text and composition: Max Höfler
Composition: Nikolaos Zachariadis
Technical implementation: grafx live-marketing GmbH, slv-austria

The art intervention was realized with the kind support of GRAWE at