From a rather apolitical reservoir of fanatical supporters, so-called Ultras, in recent years diverse groups emerged who find themselves beyond the stadiums with their techniques of resistance in political actions, be it the Istanbul Gezi Park revolt in the summer of 2013, the Arab Spring in Egypt or the riots on Majdan in Kiev. They draw from football aesthetics such as flags, jerseys, songs and drums to mobilize the masses in public spaces. The socio-political potential of these groups, which already exist since the 1970s and which represents the currently fastest-growing youth subculture in Germany, is visually presented in the immersive installation by Wermke / Leinkauf. On two large-format video walls, the artists negotiate Ultras’ rousing audiovisual strategies and their increasing influence in public and political spaces, questioning their participatory and activist potential.

The present publication, which was realized on the occasion of the exhibition “Wermke / Leinkauf: Macht der Masse – 4th Halftime” at the Ludwig Forum for International Art Aachen, complements and contextualizes the work not only in art and cultural studies, but with the contributions of the authors also provides important information about historical and current developments of ultra-culture.