A Chat with Käthe the Cow and a Symphony for Farm Machinery

The Stilt Festival near Reuth opens up a whole new dimension for its audience. At the 33rd edition of this cult festival in the border region where Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia meet, guests can chat with a cow. She’s standing in a barn in neighboring Rothenacker and is connected to the festival via a real-time installation. Käthe wears a cap with sensors on her head that measure her brain waves. Prior to the event, an artificial intelligence system was fed all there is to know about cows in general and Käthe in particular.

Käthe the Cow Proves to Be a Philosopher

Monika Scheibe, who used to work in the Rothenacker barn, lent her voice to Käthe. In front of the camera, the cow munchs on her hay and proves to be a true philosopher in conversation. When asked if she believes in God, her answer is this: “God—that’s a lofty word, lofty and dry like hay without a scent. I’m more familiar with what supports and sustains me: the herd, colostrum, the warmth in my coat, water in my mouth, a body beside me. When you humans say ‘God,’ do you often mean something above you? I’ll ask it another way: What does your body cling to when things get tight, human?”

Käthe, resolutely: “I’ve had enough of this in my mouth.”

Käthe isn’t at a loss for words when asked about aliens, either. “I’m more familiar with things close at hand: fur, flies, metal, the smell of the barn (...) I don’t know if there are other beings out there, but you humans are already strange enough to me.” A woman asks if she would eat cheese: “I eat plants, human! Grass, hay, water, salt. To me, milk is first and foremost a body and a calf—pressure and release—not a human morsel for the mouth. So, I’ve had enough of this.” After four minutes, Käthe wraps up the poetic small talk. As many guests as possible should have the opportunity to chat.

“Stall-Geflüster” is an artistic AI project

The “Stall-Geflüster” project was conceived by a team led by Michel Schneider and Martin Jehnichen. Michel Schneider, son of festival director Henry Schneider, comes from the independent art scene and specializes in digital art. He’s been working with AI for several years now. He told his father a lot about it, and his father became curious. At some point, the idea involving the cow came about; after all, the Stelzenfestspiele had already had a connection to the barn in Rothenacker.

Martin Jehnichen says he has since developed a connection with Käthe even without the language translation. “She’s really grown on me. I feel like I understand her.” He tries to get into her way of thinking and shift his perspective, Jehnichen explained. “I enjoy that. Sometimes I just chat with her from time to time.”

The cow laments how rushed people are in their daily lives

Schneider points out that, beyond the classic AI setup of questions and answers, this is an art project. That’s why Käthe’s way of expressing herself comes across as so poetic. She has been programmed to essentially lament humanity as harried beings who are always checking the clock and rushing from appointment to appointment. “Why do you always search for the vastness when your own body stands so heavily on the ground?” says the cow.

Festival features an epoch-making version of Ravel’s “Bolero”

On Friday evening, the Stelzenfestspiele opened with the sound performance “Landmaschinensinfonie” (Agricultural Machinery Symphony), which once again featured a wide array of agricultural equipment—including a milking machine, a tractor, and an organ played using manure hoses. The finale featured a version of Ravel’s “Bolero” that shattered all previous performance conventions—alongside shawms and the chugging of tractors, a vibrating plate and vocal parts, among other elements, created an unmistakable sound. The audience in the packed festival barn on the Stelzenberg was thrilled.

Festival enjoys cult status—guests from all over Germany

The festival enjoys cult status and is known far beyond the region. Even media outlets from abroad reported on it. Former Gewandhaus violist Henry Schneider founded it in 1993 in his home village. The name “Stelzenfestspiele bei Reuth” is a play on the Bayreuth Festival. The festival hall there is called the “Festspielscheune” here. Music is also performed on stilts atop a hill, featuring the festival’s own orchestra. The audience can enjoy various performances through Sunday.