Capital of Culture

Ischl and Bruckner: cuddling up together once again

Directors in conversation: Elisabeth Schweeger, Capital of Culture; Norbert Trawöger, KulturEXPO.

(Bild: Spitzbart Wolfgang/Wolfgang Spitzbart)

Two large formats cuddle up once again: the Capital of Culture Salzkammergut 2024 and the KulturEXPO Anton Bruckner celebrated a closing party together in Laakirchen. Both emphasized the sustainability aspect, which lies above all in the fact that "culture was able to assert itself as a laboratory for cooperation". Tom Neuwirth also dropped by.

"You can stir up a region with art - and everyone gets to talk to each other," summarized Elisabeth Schweeger, Director of the Salzkammergut Capital of Culture.

That is the most important thing that will remain. Norbert Trawöger, Indendant of KulturEXPO Anton Bruckner, echoes this sentiment: "The two major events were laboratories for cooperation - it makes sense that we celebrate the finale together."

Tom Neuwirth, member of the Capital of Culture Committee, was also a guest at the joint finale.

(Bild: Spitzbart Wolfgang/Wolfgang Spitzbart)

For me, the Capital of Culture was: "Innovative, unifying, fun"

Tom Neuwirth aka Conchita Wurst

Everything once again in fast motion
This was celebrated on Saturday at the Alfa cultural center in Laakirchen/Steyrermühl, the motto was "Departure, Salzkammergut". Past projects - (amateur) theater, exhibitions and concerts - were revisited live in miniature formats. Tom Neuwirth aka Conchita Wurst also made an appearance. He summed up the Capital of Culture for the "Krone" with: "Innovative, unifying, fun!"

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Bruckner as a trigger figure from physics to must
Trawöger also gave an initial assessment of the KulturEXPO in the "Krone" talk: "We and Bruckner were given little credit for it - but the 'Brucknerization' of the country across the genres - from quantum physics to cider - has been a success." In addition to numerous educational offers, several new museum installations remain, including in Ansfelden, Kronstorf and Windhaag.

And "polyphony" also remains. Schweeger intervened: "We have realized the motto 'Alle Alle Kultur', which the tourism association set at the beginning of 2024." Art also offers the "opportunity to move societies forward" and perhaps not make mistakes again, she said.

Austria's third Capital of Culture
The Salzkammergut was Austria's third European Capital of Culture in 2024 after Graz in 2003 and Linz in 2009 - together with Bodø (Norway) and Tartu (Estonia) - and 23 Upper Austrian and Styrian municipalities were part of it.

Doris Uhlich's textile-free "Powder Dance" choreography heated up some minds in a way that only a few of the 300 or so projects achieve, as we reported. Among the visitor magnets of the Capital of Culture, which had a budget of 31 million euros, were the exhibition trilogy "Journey of Images" together with Lentos and the Ai Weiwei show in Bad Ischl.