That was Culture 2024!

Banished from Steffl and “pudernackert” in Ischl

"Powder Dancer" Doris Uhlich; from bottom left: Ai Weiwei, Gottfried Helnwein, Stefan Bachmann, Deleila Piasko and Philipp Hochmair

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Oskar C. Neubauer, Karl Schöndorfer, Hans Klaus Techt,. Stefan Bachmann, Helmut Fohringer, Karl Schöndorfer)

It all began in the freezing cold: the Viennese artist Doris Uhlich captivated the whole nation in 2024. Her powder dance opened a cultural capital that transcended the borders of the federal states. At the Burgtheater, on the other hand, Stefan Bachmann took up his duties - and immediately struck a chord with the audience. We bring scandals, highlights and dream couples back before the curtain and choose a head of the year.

At first there was no yodeling, but then there was: 1000 yodelers and a powder dance opened the Salzkammergut 2024 Capital of Culture.

23 municipalities in the federal states of Styria and Upper Austria took part. The banner city remained Bad Ischl, where Ai Weiwei drank a tea that he didn't like, as we reported.

But the Chinese star artist was so enthusiastic about the Kaiserpark that he made a magnificent exhibition of his work possible here. With 58,868 visitors, it became the crowd-puller of the Capital of Culture. The show curated by the Lentos Museum in Linz on Nazi-looted art, "The Journey of Images", was on display in Linz, Lauffen and Bad Aussee, attracting 50,000 visitors. Bill Fontana's "Silent Echoes", a sound installation between the "Notre Dame" in Paris and the Dachstein ice caves, which was also heard live in Graz, Linz and the Museumsquartier Vienna, had the widest geographical reach. Unique!

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Quote of the year: I hope all the dogs don't pee on it.

Stardirigent Riccardo Muti sinniert anlässlich der Enthüllung eines Marmor-Quaders, der seinen Namen trägt, vor Giuseppe Verdis Villa Sant’ Agata.

Doris Uhlich is our "Head of the Year"
Freezing cold in the park and heat in the heads: many will never forget the powder dance on January 21: Men and women of different ages and skin colors, including wheelchair dancers, unleashed a nude performance, the Viennese choreographer Doris Uhlich danced along herself.

Powder dance in Bad Ischl: January 21, 2024

(Bild: Wolfgang Spitzbart)

The powder dance sparked weeks of excitement and heated debate on social media: Some found it courageous, others repulsive. Many still remember it today. Uhlich's summary: "It has remained a strong positive response. The powder dance embodied cosmopolitanism, a broader concept of beauty and also generated empathy."

And it was the first time she was "really out of the cultural bubble". Ultimately, the powder dance was a fearless plea for the freedom of art, which rightly earned her the Austrian Art Award 2024.

Cultural splinters that shaped the year
New Burg boss
Stefan Bachmann (58) succeeded Kušej as director of the Burgtheater in August. He landed two hits with Bernhard's "Holzfällen", read by Nicholas Ofczarek, and the "Schachnovelle" adapted by Nils Strunk.

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Quote of the year: This whole diversity and queer thing is starting to get on my nerves because it's taken so terribly seriously.

Schauspieler Robert Meyer über den Ruf nach mehr Diversität auf den Theaterbühnen

Before the end
The end for the internationally renowned Vienna Art Forum! Bank Austria/UniCredit suddenly announced the closure of the Kunstforum's director Ingried Brugger. Despite record revenues, they want to save 10 million.

NEST opening
An opera house especially for children, teenagers, young adults and families - this is now available in Vienna with the Nest ("New State Opera"), housed in the Künstlerhaus. Around 100 events are already planned for the first season - opening with Nesterval's "Götterdämmerung", among others.

From Steffl to Gmunden
During Lent, Gottfried Helnwein covered the sanctuary of the Vienna Steffl with a replica of the Shroud of Turin - but his Christ was upside down. He made a splash with subsequent works for Easter week. He then showed the scandalous shroud - a child with Christ's wounds - at his exhibition in Gmunden.

Scandal in Linz
Brucknerhaus loses its leadership and is conducted by a woman for the first time - on an interim basis
Scandals overshadowed the Linz event company LIVA with the Brucknerhaus: Dietmar Kerschbaum was dismissed as artistic director in July due to compliance violations, among other things. A chat affair in connection with his appointment brought down Mayor Klaus Luger and the employment relationship with the commercial director was terminated. Concert manager Johanna Möslinger is currently the interim artistic director. A new management duo is being sought through an advertisement.

Salzburg's "Jedermann"
The loves and deaths of a new dream couple
"Jedermann" Philipp Hochmair and "Buhlschaft" Deleila Piasko were convincing as a new dream couple on Salzburg's Domplatz. Robert Carsen's production caused a new boom, with tickets already sold out at the beginning of July.