Ski race of the year

Tyrolean artist creates 85th Hahnenkamm poster

The Tyrolean artist "Golif" presents his winning motif

(Bild: KSC/alpinguin)

The well-known and sought-after Tyrolean muralist and street artist "Golif" won the annual international artist competition for the iconic poster of the "most important ski race of the year". 

The posters for the Hahnenkamm races have become collector's items and cult objects over the past decades. The idea of having the poster for the legendary ski race designed by an artist was born in 1990 and turned into reality. It was preceded by the annual "International Hahnenkamm Poster Competition", in which hundreds of well-known and lesser-known visual artists submit their poster designs. In 1990, which was also the 50th anniversary of the Hahnenkamm Race, Rudi Wach was responsible for the first "artist poster" - it depicted a ski racer with the silhouette of a goat.

Well-known artist who remains anonymous
This year, 34 years later, another Tyrolean was selected from over 300 entries from 157 artists from all over the world. His name is "Golif", he was born in 1984, grew up in the Außerfern region and now lives in Vienna, from where he is in demand and active internationally. From 2011 to 2016, he studied printmaking at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. Anonymity plays a central role in both the art figure "Golif" and his works, which is why his real name is unknown and he always wears dark sunglasses and a cap in public.

A mysterious poster in black and white 
Using black paint on various, mostly colored backgrounds, the Austrian-born artist paints characters that are reminiscent of graphic novels. In addition to large-scale murals in public spaces, he also paints on canvas and cardboard. He defines his Hahnenkamm poster "Golif" as follows: "The white paper itself is the steep slope and I let the skier plummet down it. Quick strokes and their blurring reflect the immense speed." The poster contest is organized by the "Kitzbüheler Ski Club" together with the "Bank für Tirol und Vorarlberg".