Welcome

To a Festival of Two Cities

Zurich is located at the heart of Europe. It is a vibrant cultural melting pot and a hub of 21st century innovation. Rooted in a tradition of efficiency and stability, the city excels in producing fresh solutions in science, technology, art and lifestyle.

“Zurich meets London — a Festival of Two Cities” is a part of a series of festivals designed to engage Zurich in a fertile dialogue with the most inspirational cities in the world. In 2016, it takes as its cue the 100th anniversary of the Dada movement to present a multi-venue festival of performances, talks, workshops and other events to explore the contemporary relevance of visionary movements and scientific discoveries in the two cities — Zurich and London.

Dada was an artistic and literary movement founded in Zurich by refugees fleeing World War 1. Often intensely playful in execution and at the same time deeply serious in intention, the Dadaist way of looking at things continues to exert a strong influence on artists and thinkers today. It is in its very nature to bring together disparate strands of influence in order to arrive at new forms of communication. London, a magnet for adventurous doers and thinkers from all over the world, is an ideal place to further explore such ideas.

What does Dada mean to 21st century artists? What are the implications of internet connectivity in the modern geo-political climate? What is a cervelat? How does computational psychiatry help us understand mental disorders? The festival program offers a broad palette of opportunities to taste the spirit of ingenuity that forms such a strong bond between Zurich and London. It also creates a platform to create and exchange fresh ideas with a variety of performing artists and visual artists, scientists, philosophers, top chefs, and musicians.

We invite you all to explore the diversity of creative life in Zurich and London!