Inter/Wall Festival celebrates anniversary

This year, the Inter/Wall Festival is celebrating its fifth anniversary. Light artist Michael Batz, who also illuminates the famous Blue Portillumin, will stage the award-winning architecture at Alter Wall 2-32 and the four surrounding bridges on the Alsterfleet as Blue Bridges at dusk. Alte Wall 38 (future Haus der Bürgerschaft) and Alte Wall 40, where The Hoxton Hotel will open in 2026, will also be included in the lighting. Concerts and projections - this time from a boat - will round off the program. This year, the festival has a special motto: "5 for Karl". In addition to the festival anniversary, the Alte Wall is also celebrating Hamburg-born and former Chanel fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. As a special highlight, Alte Wall 2-32 will be illuminated once again this year parallel to the Blue Port from September 10 to 21 - in the typical blue.

Festival godfather Karl Lagerfeld had an iconic relationship with the number 5, which was part of his aesthetic system. He always used it in his art, his work, his music, but also in his life and his clothes. Last year, the Karl Lagerfeld Boulevard on the canal opposite Alter Wall 38 and 40 was named after him. With special support from the City of Hamburg, the spherical lights on the boulevard will shine in blue for the first time and artfully enhance the illumination on the canal around the Blue Bridges: Rathausschleusenbrücke, Marion-Gräfin-Dönhoff-Brücke, Adolphsbrücke and Graskellerbrücke. One of the construction cranes between Alter Wall 38 and 40 will also be bathed in blue light. In addition, the famous flashing lights, which can otherwise only be seen on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, will once again be used with new spectacular effects on Alter Wall 40 every 30 minutes from dusk.

The festival will be opened musically on August 28 by the popular Hamburg Police Orchestra. The following evening, the Nica Jazz Club will host two concerts with the band RSxT and groove-oriented music between jazz and pop at the Fleet. The duo Parlament will be performing popular musette music, Italo hits and jazz improvisations on August 28 and 30. On August 30, Hamburg's only lock concert will take place with the Floodgate Brass Sextet. In addition, artistic projections will be conjured up from a boat on the walls of the buildings at Alter Wall 2-40 am Fleet on two evenings this year. "The Inter/Wall Festival has become an integral part of Hamburg's summer cultural program and demonstrably attracts more visitors to the city every year. On the days of the festival, we have seen an increase in frequency in the evening hours of more than 20,000 people compared to the previous year. Hamburg residents and tourists are therefore very enthusiastic about Hamburg's city center if the offer is right. This is another reason for our long-term commitment to this privately funded festival," comments Martin Wolfrat, Partner and Head of Hamburg at Art-Invest Real Estate.

"The Inter/Wall Festival is celebrating its 5th anniversary, the Blue Port its 10th. The combination of the two illumination events creates a magical light axis along the water through the heart of Hamburg and will inspire people. Because light is life and inspiration, light brings people together, light makes difficult things light and wonderful things imaginable. And we need that more than ever in these times," says Michael Batz, artistic director of the Inter/Wall Festival and the mastermind behind the Blue Port. Michael Batz is one of the most renowned artists in the Hanseatic city. In addition to highly acclaimed book titles, his projects include numerous plays, performance and art actions as well as internationally recognized lighting projects, including "Blue Goals" and "Blue Port". Michael Batz has been awarded the Biermann-Ratjen Medal by the Hamburg Senate. He has also received the Hamburg Theater Prize - Rolf Mares and was honoured as "Hamburger of the Year". Since 2018, he has also been an honorary lock keeper of the Congregation of Alster Lock Keepers S.C. In 2021, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit and recently received the Citizen's Award for Voluntary Commitment.

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