The festival was created in 1998 by Ruedi Schill and Monika Günther specifically for the site of the Turbine Hall at Giswil. The two performance artists working as a couple since 1995 organized 12 Festival editions in all: 1998–2000 and 2005–2013. In 2014 this founding couple passed the artistic direction on to Andrea Saemann, performance artist and networker from Basel. Since 2022 Benjamin Sunarjo is part of the curatorial team as well.

In 2026 Antonia Röllin joins the curatorial team with Benjamin Sunarjo.

Until 2023, the festival was among the activities of the d expo Turbine association, an interest group for artists and other art lovers who have been using the turbine hall for cultural purposes since it went out of service in 1994. The association initiates and realizes exhibition projects, and facilitates cultural creation and presentation at the turbine hall in Giswil and elsewhere. Since 2024 the association «Translocal Performance Art Giswil» builds the legal basis for the performance art festival.

d www.performanceart-giswil.ch

Photography: Lee Li Photography, 2014
Performance: Monika Günther & Ruedi Schill «Amor», 2014