ID Festival Berlin 2017

Since its formation the ID Festival Berlin has offered Israeli artists a framework for integration into the sociocultural life in Germany.

Building upon our work from previous years, the 2017 ID Festival Berlin will continue to encourage collaborations between Israeli and German artists, organizations, and institutions, providing further opportunities for Israeli artists to integrate into the German cultural landscape.

This year’s edition of ID Festival Berlin is thus dedicated to examine the various aspects of “integration” through art and discussion. Moreover, this year we set out to explore the important role that artists have in the shaping of public opinion and being the precursor of societal changes.

2015-2017: Identity-Migration-Integration?

Since our festival launch in 2015, our aim was to explore the concept of identity. The participating Israeli artists embarked on a journey of self-exploration caused by an apparent identity crisis.

In 2016, we found ourselves naturally responding to the European migratory movements, with the Israeli artists setting out to examine the impacts of these movements and their transformative potentials on the European state of affairs and culture.

This year, the 2017 ID Festival Berlin takes the next logical step and with the theme of “integration?” our participating artists and thinkers will discuss the implementation of the European ideals through art.

Festival Info

In 2015, the first edition of the ID Festival Berlin celebrated the formation of a new and vibrant Israeli artist community in Germany. Over a hundred artists, speakers, and performers partook in the festival’s numerous events, ranging from exhibitions to dance and theater performances, classical and world music concerts, film screenings, and philosophical discussions. The overlaying theme that inspired all of these beautiful works was that of identity and origin, a topic to which we partially owe our festivals’ name.

In 2016, the festival artistically explored then current issue of migration. This topic strongly resonated in the hearts of Israelis, since stories of migration and refuge have always been an integral part of Israel’s history and Israeli’s sense of identity. Through art and discussion we wished to create a space where communication and cooperation can foster a better understanding between Israelis and other minorities in Germany.

Festival Founder

© Ruthe Zuntz

Ohad Ben-Ari is an Is­raeli-born pi­anist and composer. He won nu­mer­ous top prizes at in­ter­na­tional com­pe­ti­tions and ap­peared as soloist with well-known or­ches­tras around the world. After moving to the USA, Ohad branched out to a successful career as a music producer. Since 2010, Ohad Ben-Ari re­sides with his family in Berlin, where he con­tin­ues his work as a classical pianist and composer. Ohad’s first original composition for piano and or­ches­tra, Tips, took place early in 2013 with the Ham­burger Sym­phoniker. In 2014 his con­certo for Marimba was pre­miered in Tokyo and in 2015 Ben-Ari’s composition Vi­o­lins of Hope was com­mis­sioned and performed by the Berliner Phil­har­moniker. He has recently completed work on a Requiem for organ, choir and orchestra, a work that is set to premiere in Germany next season.

Under the Auspices of: State Minister Prof. Monika Grütters, Member of Parliament