Julian Warner

Ready to rumble? For the festival opening, Julian Warner is creating a cross-genre spectacle blending wrestling, concert, and storytelling. A brass band, cheerleaders, and a choir face off against Austrian wrestling stars—a culture war between old enemies and with new allies.

The venue, Karmeliterplatz, is not merely a backdrop. One of its buildings houses the Styrian Provincial Archives; another has been home to various political factions, mostly conservative. Now, the square becomes an arena where discourse meets spectacle. As the singing and grooving host, Warner guides the audience through the ideological divides between the city and the country, between cosmopolites and defenders of the homeland. In the ring, entertainment, community art, and social analysis merge in an explosive show centered on the question, “Who is ‘the people’?”

Julian Warner (1985, Erkelenz, Germany), also known as Fehler Kuti, is an artist and curator. In his works—ranging from soul music to sporting events—he explores the boundaries and intersections of folklore, pop culture, and the avant-garde. His projects range from analyses of the present to artistic spectacles in public spaces. He served as artistic director of Brechtfestival Augsburg (2023–25), and his works have been presented at institutions and festivals such as Münchner Kammerspiele; Künstler*innenhaus Mousonturm, Frankfurt am Main; Sophiensæle, Berlin; SPIELART Festival München; and Kampnagel, Hamburg. He lives in Munich.