A Decade of Comix Decadence
For 10 years now, the so-called Bilderberg Conference has been taking place once a year, often unnoticed by large sections of the population, but eagerly awaited by others.
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The Bilderberg Conference is an underground comix festival that also includes concerts and spectacles from the fringes of the genre (punk, free jazz, clowning, animated film, etc.).
Every year, a new work is released from the Bilderberg Studios on significant topics such as Chick Tracts, Tintin or Garfield.
In later years, more age-appropriate topics (Tijuana Bibles) were then covered, and finally a look back at childhood.
Now, after 10 years of Bilderberg, and the late attention from the feuilleton, the question arises: What is the effect of this? Or to put it another way: Why is it continued?
Despite all the differences, there is obviously a common denominator: those involved have all remained attached to underground comix, or rather its last convulsions in the 1990s, and see themselves, against all odds, in this tradition.
It is regretted that this culture is disappearing in favour of more palatable forms of seriousness (graphic novels) on the one hand, illustrative showboating disguised as comics on the other, and a problematic meme culture on yet another front. The Bilderberg conference is a challenge to this development, with the aim of keeping the underground spirit alive.
The friendly, diverse and open group of artists pursues the maxim of countering this degenerate comic culture with their utopia, which they both live and draw.
A large retrospective presents works from 10 years of publications and festivals.
Regarding the name: it is not meant as a comment on or reference to events or conspiracy theories of the same name, but simply came about because ‘Bilderberg’ is a funny name – something that might occur to someone seeing comics for the first time. And after all, it is a conference!
Ten years of Bilderberg – the fight continues.
ARTISTS
FuFu Frauenwahl | Dr. Hannes Niepold | Jules Fischer | Vincent Zurwesten | Geoffrey Krawczyk | Lucie Behla | Daniele Murtas | Mariana Rodriguez Acebal | Ernesto Lucas Herrera Orta | Oska Wald | Kirsten Rothbart | Stinker Hartbrot | Dirk Verschure | Romig DED | BOHOMAZ | Don Toraneko | Crippa XXX Almqvist
GUEST ARTISTS
Marcel Ruijters | Marcus Schäfer | Maia Matches | Zeke Cough | Max Andersson | Zven Balslev | Craig Yoe | Lilli Loge | Yann Jouette | Mutartis Boswell | Ronan Furax | Al Burian | and more!
Programme
Opening night
- Saturday, 12 October 2024, 6 p.m.
- with live music
Halloween closing night
- Thursday, 31 October 2024
- with refreshments
