zürcher theater spektakel 2026
the campaign was realised in collaboration with french photographer maxime ballesteros and actress and choreographer vimala pons, who will show her production honda romance, creating a thematic link to the festival.
at the heart of the campaign are bodies caught between vulnerability and resistance. shot on analogue film in an industrial setting, the images show figures leaning, bracing, carrying or losing their balance – moments suspended between stillness and movement.
the subjects are ‘physical translations of inner states’: micro-movements, emotional impulses that are merely hinted at in the visible. inspired by literary concepts such as nathalie sarraute’s ‘tropisms’, a visual language emerges that makes the invisible tangible.
the photographs are complemented by short video sequences that show the protagonists in almost motionless sequences. minimal shifts – a tremor, a breath of air – undermine the apparent rigidity. rather than staging movement, the campaign makes its inevitability noticeable.
with more than 100’000 visitors a year, zürcher theater spektakel is one of the leading festivals for contemporary performing arts in europe. with its open grounds, international artists and a curious audience, it creates an unmistakable cultural venue in the centre of zurich. studio marcus kraft is responsible for the visual communication and campaign since 2018.
the campaign will be visible across various media from now on. the 47th edition of the festival will take place from 13 to 30 august 2026 at the landiwiese and other venues across the city.
(sound on)
credits
responsible for concept, art direction, design & animation: studio marcus kraft; maxime ballesteros & vimala pons (artwork), maxime ballesteros (photography), makoto c. ôkubo (videography), rebeka warrior (sound), michel fries & thomas bruggisser (layout), highfive (web development), unwiderstehlich (social media)
zürcher theater spektakel: sarah wendle, veit kälin, matthias von hartz (co-direction), heike dürscheid (head of communication); selina stefaniak (assistance communication); rona schauwecker (marketing & head of campaign), josefine stähli (head of artistic administration)
related
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zürcher theater spektakel ’19
zürcher theater spektakel ’20
zürcher theater spektakel ’21
zürcher theater spektakel ’22
zürcher theater spektakel ’23
zürcher theater spektakel ’24
zürcher theater spektakel ’25