Looking back on WORT:KLANG 29. October 2025

#wort:klang

Intense encounters, artistic treats from a wide range of genres, newly discovered places and an exchange between cultures and people: these and many other things come to mind when we think back to the festival WORT:KLANG. From 24 to 28 September, together with the exhibition space L WIE MATERIE, we brought together numerous art forms and protagonists in and around Salem Castle and initiated an interdisciplinary dialogue that still resonates.

The festival opened in front of the forester’s lodge in Salem, beneath an ancient chestnut tree. Johanna Knöpfle and Christian Siegmund, the artistic directors of the festival, welcomed the audience and presented the programme.

The diverse programme ranged from the exhibition KON:TEXT and the Syrian-German reading QAMAREEN: Two Moons to the film screening Films to Watch Days Go By, the Monkey Talk and the concert performance Goethe & Dante, all the way to the Audio Play Hut project I Am Where You Find Me.

A central part of the programme were the 1:1 encounters, in which artists and visitors met tête-à-tête in an kind of “blind date”. This time it was not only about music: artists from a wide variety of genres expanded the 1:1 experience and experimented with new facets of this format. We collected a few impressions for you:

That was so moving, connecting, stirring and revealing. The piece that was read touched exactly the place where I often find myself, where I tend to suppress things. War, flight and fear are feelings I often do not want to feel. And yet they push through again. (…) Thank you so much for your openness, your courage and also your tears. The moment was very truthful and alive. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

The beauty of your soul reached me, together with the story of this place and the charm of your costume. Thank you for giving me a magical moment.

During the 1:1 encounters, an actor and an author read poems and stories, musicians enchanted the guests, a sound designer transported them into unexpected sound worlds, and a photographer captured fleeting moments:

Your gaze, with and without the camera, allowed me to look a little deeper inside myself.

Simply touching, to receive the absolute attention of another person.

The 1:1 encounters took place throughout the region, from the Feuchtmayer Museum in Salem to the Kulturschutzgebiet Omega B in Überlingen and the inclusive cultural restaurant Lagerhäusle in Frickingen. We also discovered new venues in Salem itself: the Alte Säge – which hosted the film screening, reading and Monkey Talk – and the former bakehouse of the margravial family.

The spectacular castle library was the setting for the concert performance “Goethe & Dante” – a fictional dialogue between two giants of world literature, presented through music, texts and sound design.

The evening with the two “princely poets” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Dante Alighieri fitted perfectly into the festival’s artistic concept. (…) The creators of the production succeeded in bringing the two great poets into a direct dialogue and thus also demonstrated the power of art. In the performance, singing, acting, music, history and activism were woven into a coherent artistic whole. The venue was also a perfect fit. No place could be more suitable for a performance about poets than this library.

Mardiros Tavit, Südkurier (translated from the German)

Culinary arts and community

Sara Mateus, also known as Mama Afrika, took care of everyone’s physical well-being: with African spices and intercultural recipes, the food became an indispensable part of the festival experience. Despite the autumnal weather, the atmosphere was open and lively: people could stroll through the wild, romantic garden with a drink in hand, sit and chat at the tables under the fruit trees, get cosy in the Audio Play Hut and strike up conversations with all kinds of different people.

Resonance and outlook

Even weeks after the intense festival weekend, its impact continues – in the form of exchange, community and lasting memories. At the turn of the year, an exhibition at L WIE MATERIE will present photos of some of the 1:1 encounters.

For three days, art and culture created new connections in Salem. A big thank-you goes to all the artists, helpers and hosts who, with their commitment and openness, made this multifaceted festival possible.

A quote from a visitor after her personal 1:1 encounter perfectly describes the wonderful, nostalgic feeling that comes over us when we look back on this special festival:

I greatly regretted that it had to end. It was beautiful but unfortunately so short. Just like the lovely moments at the beginning of autumn.

Many thanks as well to all our partners, funders and sponsors: Das Haus Baden, LOTTO Baden-Württemberg, Kulturamt Landratsamt Bodenseekreis, Gemeinde Salem, Oberschwäbische Elektrizitätswerke, Die Zieglerschen / Leopoldschule Altshausen, Josef-Wagner-Stiftung, Linzgau Shuttle, Familientreff Salem, Fluctuating Images, Linzgau Buchhandlung, Sonett, Baustoffgruppe Salem, Natursteinpark Salem, Klavierhaus Heinzelmann, Getränke Reck, Sara Mateus – Mobilköchin Mama Afrika, BK Messebau, gs-electric Veranstaltungstechnik, Bodensee Kelterei Widemann, Affenberg Salem, Wolfgang Knöpfle, Feuchtmayer Museum, Lagerhäusle, Kulturschutzgebiet OMEGA B, Alter Bahnhof Salem, Saiteninstrumente Salem.