Globart places its artistic direction in the hands of cultural manager and author Fabian Burstein

Globart starts 2025 with a new appointment: Viennese cultural manager and author Fabian Burstein, previously head of renowned cultural institutions and festivals mainly in Germany, takes over as Artistic and Managing Director. He succeeds Jakob Brossmann, who will once again focus more on his artistic work for theatre and film. Brossmann remains part of the team for special projects – in recent years he has developed Globart into an “association for discursive practice”. Under his concept, the interdisciplinary festival “Days of Transformation” at Melk Abbey and the civil society climate conference “Tipping Time” in St. Pölten were created, among others. “Together with his team, Stefanie Jaksch and Ursula Rinderer, Jakob Brossmann planned the ‘Days of Transformation’ excellently and realised them at Melk Abbey; his exciting special projects attracted great interest from new audiences. On behalf of the board, I thank him for his brilliant work as ‘artist-director’,” says Globart President Hans Hoffer, paying tribute to the outgoing director. “At the same time, we are delighted to have won Fabian Burstein, who not only brings enormous international experience as a cultural manager, but as a writer has also significantly shaped the cultural-policy debate of the past two years. In many ways, this reflects Globart's commitment to discourse, which is more in demand than ever in these times.”

After heading the cultural programme of the urban development biennial BUGA 23 in Mannheim, with 2.2 million visitors, and leading the Ludwigshafen Cultural Office with several stages and festivals, the directorship at Globart marks Burstein's return to Austria's institutional cultural sector. “I cannot imagine a better place for a new challenge. The way Globart connects art and culture with positions from philosophy, science, business and activism embodies my conviction that the cultural sector as a sealed-off ivory tower has had its day. The Globart team is constantly experimenting with new cultural spaces. This gives rise to encounters, insights and the occasional constructive controversy – which makes the task all the more appealing,” explains Fabian Burstein. During his tenure, he wants to further sharpen Globart's profile as a forum for cultural urban and spatial development. After all: “It is in everyday spaces that it will be decided how we want to live together in the future.” Burstein also plans to expand the “Days of Transformation” with a “School of Transformation”.

“Dealing competently with change is perhaps the most decisive challenge for our deeply divided society. That calls for year-round continuity and further cooperation with civil society.” Globart Vice President Marlene Ropac adds: “Fabian Burstein builds on Globart's existing structures and content and expands them with his innovative vision. Our many years of continuous development thus form a solid basis for the sometimes experimental questioning of the pressing issues of our time.” For Burstein, this continuity also has a personal dimension: “I am very glad that, alongside Jakob Brossmann, Stefanie Jaksch is also staying on board as head of the discourse programme. Politically turbulent times lie ahead, which we must meet with courage, resilience and experience. As a team, together with the board, we will walk this path with trust and confidence.”

About Fabian Burstein: born in Vienna in 1982, studied journalism and communication science. As an author, he has written novels and non-fiction. His essays “Eroberung des Elfenbeinturms. Streitschrift für eine bessere Kultur” (2022) and “Empowerment Kultur. Was Kultur braucht, um in Zeiten von Shitstorms, Krisen und Skandalen zu bestehen” (2024), both published by Edition Atelier, sparked a broad media debate on the state of the cultural sector. For more than ten years, Fabian Burstein was responsible for cultural institutions, festivals and various artistic formats, mainly in Germany. Since 2022 he has also been Managing Director of the Vienna Psychoanalytic Academy. His podcast “Bühneneingang” regularly offers insider views of the cultural sector, thanks in part to prominent guests.

Vienna, Lower Austria, 14 January 2025