Austrian Town Upset Over Modern Art Exhibit

Walking through Bad Aussee in Austria’s alpine Salzkammergut region, I expect to see something shocking in the drizzle. Artists Wolfgang Müllegger and Georg Holzmann describe how their big pink sculpture in the town’s park has surprised locals. Many want it removed. When we arrive, it looks like a pleasant pastel-pink wooden piece that might belong in a kids’ TV show.

“It’s just ‘different’,” says Georg, dressed in a hoodie and yellow waterproof dungarees, like a hipster fisherman. He points to a traditional stone statue nearby, indicating what the locals are used to.

The pink sculpture is part of hundreds of exhibitions and events across Salzkammergut in 2024. This is due to Bad Ischl and the surrounding area’s selection as the first rural alpine destination to gain European Capital of Culture (ECOC) status. Contemporary art adds vibrant creativity to a region usually attracting tourists for historic villas, mountains, and high-end lederhosen.

Vienna-based design studio Lucy.D redesigned rooms in local guesthouses, drawing inspiration from craftspeople working with wood and dried grass. Venues previously closed to the public, from semi-derelict mansions to quarries, now host exhibitions. The buzz invigorates many, though some see it as a threat to traditions.

Traveling to Salzkammergut involved taking the Eurostar from London to Brussels, the European Sleeper to Berlin, and then overland trains to Bad Ischl. By 6pm the next day, arriving at Bad Ischl’s station, I’m greeted by a chrome sculpture of a gasping woman by Xenia Hausner.

Despite Hausner’s modern portrayal, Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph I remains the town’s historical face. His imagery fills the town, and busloads of tourists visit his former residence, Kaiservilla, now a museum also showcasing Ai Weiwei sculptures.

Just past Bad Ischl’s market, I find the Sudhaus complex, which used to process salt, a significant part of the region’s history. At the heart of the Sudhaus exhibition is Motoi Yamamoto’s intricate salt labyrinth. Nearby, a video by Sigalit Landau displays salt-covered boots melting into an icy lake. The gallery floor is scattered with sculptures of human teeth carved from rock salt.

While many residents are excited about the ECOC content, others find it “too foreign” and believe traditional dancing and dressmaking should be promoted instead. Radical events provoke stronger reactions, like Doris Uhlich’s contemporary “powder dance” which included nudity and talcum powder, and was livestreamed to a church in Bad Ischl.

Simone Barlian, an artist and curator, faced harsh confrontations for organizing these events. Despite the backlash, she continued her work with the all-female performance art collective Raumarbeiterinnen, even building a floating wooden sauna on lake Traunsee. When a huge art piece depicting two women kissing was displayed, some locals protested intensely.

“They’re not used to this,” Simone comments. “But after one event, even priests defended the art, pointing out visual representations of a half-naked Jesus in churches for centuries.”

Elisabeth Schweeger, artistic director of Salzkammergut ECOC events, aims to highlight the importance of bringing new art to the area. She shows me a memorial at the Ebensee concentration camp site, where Chiharu Shiota’s work intertwines red string and dresses, symbolizing both blood and optimism.

Information boards detail the prisoners’ suffering, hoping younger generations will remember and learn. “This is a new way of reflecting,” Elisabeth says.

Big themes are explored through various artworks. Bill Fontana’s installation features glacier sounds livestreamed into an ice cave, while local artist Heidi Zednik’s work documents climate crisis impacts on fish.

For local artists, the ECOC status offers a platform to unleash creativity. Müllegger, who also builds traditional boats, now showcases vibrant sculptures made from building foam.

“We have the right to express ourselves,” says Holzmann. “Contemporary art usually just goes to cities.” Standing beside a unique building foam sculpture, Georg adds, “We’re lucky to be part of this.”

Source: Jamie Fullerton