Minus20degree

The 2012 edition of minus20degree began as a spontaneous idea to create an outdoor snow cinema and invite neighbours and friends to experience projected footage on a wall of snow. This idea quickly turned into an small film festival, screening video works from various artists around the world.[6] Since its inception, the snow screen, or snow cinema has been a fixed feature of every minus20degree biennale.

The 2014 edition showed a selection of film work from around the world, projected onto an outdoor cinema made from snow.

In addition to the projected works on the snow cinema, a guided walk through the forest landscape of Flachau reenacted the play of Dante's Inferno.[7][8] By placing actors in the landscape, the natural environment became a series of stages through which the viewers traversed. Instead of placing artworks in a space 'designed' for exhibition, minus20degree appropriates the landscape and public space to serve as a screen, stage, and gallery to the artworks that are displayed and performed.[9]

To date 2016 has presented the largest number of artworks and artists, with 16 artworks on show, 17 nations are represented amongst the 23 artists.[8] The exhibition featured large scale landscape artwork such as that of GEO|METER by Moradavaga, and the performative sound installations of Tetsuya Umeda. The central hub of the exhibition was staged in an excavated snow room; this also served as the projection screen of the edition, for artworks of Christine Maigne and Denis Beaubois. 2016 introduced a performance of Thomas Bernhard's novel, Frost, in which the audience was guided through the dark and snowed over forest of Flachau, while listening to excerpts of the novel's text. The pacing of the walk, and the scenery were curated and timed to synch with the books reading, and emotive qualities, overlaying literature with landscape. In this edition 198 projects were submitted in the open call.[8] One artist, Paul Wiersbinski attempted to break the guinness world record for the largest snowball with the help of passers-by and tourists.[8][9]

Alongside the contributing artists of the 2018 edition of minus20degree, the exhibition collaborated with the Munster University of Applied Sciences, allowing students to present their site-related architectural work. In addition to this, m20d18 hosted a symposium, in which the future of the exhibition was discussed. External stake holders of the village and contributing artists were welcome to attend and help shape the festival.

The thematic description of minus20degree 2020 gains inspiration from the theoretical work of Marshall McLuhan. m20d20 collaborated once again with the institution of FH Munster, inviting 17 architecture students to erect a temporary wooden village within Flachau to serve as an epicenter for the exhibition.[10]

Collectief Walden performs 'Drei Lieder fur Die Autobahn' as a part of minus20degree 2022 in Flachau.

The 2022 edition of the biennale and 10th anniversary since it began featured artists that were invited by a jury consisting of Anna Vasof, Karolina Radenkovic, and Marek Adomov and Barbora Jombikova of Stanica nd the New Synagogue (Žilina), two cultural centres in Zilina.[11] Kasper König joined as co-curator which allowed the invitation of a number of renowned artists.[12] Laura Horelli was invited as a visiting artist to observe the exhibition and the village in preparation for her contribution in the 2024 edition of m20d.[11]

As a part of the exhibition, minus20degree collaborated with the Social Design course of the University of Applied Arts Vienna (Universität für angewandte Kunst Wien) allowing students the opportunity to contribute artworks to the space of the village either as individual artists or small collectives.[4] One such artwork depicting a false advert for McDonald's sparked controvosy amongst the village.[1] Collectief Walden from the Netherlands installed a heated altar and seating, from which an operetta was performed; the lyrics of this performance were lifted from interviews with the local residents of the village.[4] This performance was staged in front of the old saw mill of Flachau, the Kirchner Sägewerk.

Roman Signer performs 'Fallende Reifen' (Falling Tires) as a part of minus20degree 2022. Pictured is a helicopter, in which Roman Signer sits, throwing tires onto the field of snow below, which can be seen lying in the snow. A tire falls from the helicopter.