Music festival Into the Open recently concluded its latest edition in Berlin at the iconic Kühlhaus am Gleisdreieck from January 23rd to 28th. This vibrant event, which is soon set to captivate audiences in Tbilisi, Vilnius, and Strasbourg, showcased exceptional cutting-edge musicians and renowned artists from diverse genres such as acting, NFT video art, dance, and electronic music. The festival’s vision is to reimagine classical music in exciting settings, creating multimedia concert experiences that engage all the senses.
Upon entering the Kühlhaus, attendees embarked on an exciting journey into unknown dreamscapes with the ITO Experience. This immersive experience was guided by captivating video installations, visual arts, electronic sounds and also a bar. Emphasising the ritual of entering, the festival provided a seamless transition into the mesmerising world within the Kühlhaus. The basement featured video installations curated by digital artist Christopher Hönninger, while video-mapping by video and light artist Francois Schwamborn transformed the interior into a unique and spectacular backdrop each day.
A highlight? The night of Saturday, when Dutch producer and DJ Ion Ludwig and Stegreif (The Improvising Symphony Orchestra) caught the attention of the most avant-garde seekers, with its electroacoustic performance project: drone music for electronic synthesisers and live improvisation. Ludwig, in point of fact, studied classic and electronic guitar at the age of ten and followed multiple African percussion courses, then getting introduced to techno and house music around 2000, he started production later in 2003. He’s often described by those who have had the chance to witness his live performances as a wizard, a magician or maestro.
