A whole town transforms into a work of art

Where culture, family fun and natural beauty are among the best you will find. An extensive range of events and attractions make there something for everyone. Experience it for yourself you will be surprised at what you will find!The medieval town of Gmünd lies at the heart of the cultural centre of the region. With its wonderfully preserved buildings and a programme rich in Art and cultural events. No trip to the region is complete without a visit to Gmünd. We look forward to welcoming you!

“BERGKUNSTSOMMER GMÜND 2012”

The medieval town of Gmünd is nestled in the midst of the mountains, on the southern rim of the main chain of the Alps and is located at the intersection of two important national parks, the national park Hohe Tauern and the nationalpark Nockberge.

Last year’s cultural theme focusing on alpine art proved to be a huge success. Numerous positive reviews and compliments of our guests on the Artists’ Town’s programme, and on the diversity of the art and the various cultural events dealing with the alpine subject matter convinced us to dedicate ourselves to the themes ‘mountains’ and ‘art’ again this summer.

Due to the subject matter ‘mountains in art’ being almost inexhaustible, the Artists’ Town of Gmünd is able to present a diverse and exciting line-up of internationally and nationally renowned artists in many locations all across the historic district of Gmünd: From April until December 2012 painters, new media artists, sculptors, photographers, nature-artists and designers take their unique approach to the general theme ‘mountains’. Visitors are invited to stroll across town and from one gallery to another and experience the mountains’ appeal on the artists’ work.

MAIN SUMMER EXHIBITION BERGLUST II

The town’s major exhibition, the “StadtturmgalerieGmünd”, which is located in the medieval city tower, presents BERGLUSTII,a fascinating selection of Austrian classical alpine nature painting from three decades.

The exhibition’s core artist is the Austrian Art Nouveau painter GUSTAV JAHN (1879-1919) who during his short career reached new artistic heights in alpine nature painting. Thanks to the support of the artist’s family, the Austrian Alpine Association and the Austrian Tourist Association Gmünd is able to present a Gustav Jahn retrospective for the first time. Gustav Jahn is at the brink of getting rediscovered by museums and galleries across Austria. He was an alpine artist par excellence: A keen observer, successful alpine sportsman and a talented painter of the Austrian mountains with a unique style, who sadly died ahead of his time in a mountaineering accident in the mountains of his home country.

A second major part of the exhibition BERGLUST II is dedicated to WERNER BERGS ALPENWANDERUNG (1927-1929). It is a series of watercolor paintings by Werner Berg that were committed between 1927 and 1929. In this period the artist spent his time travelling across the mountains of Austria, aiming to find a way back to nature and to fulfill a simple life in the countryside. During his travels, Werner Berg also visited the mountains in the area of Gmünd: “Those water color paintings can be seen as the first peak of Werner Berg’s artistic career. The overwhelming density of light-fludded depictions of mountain tops and alpine river valleys reveals all the creative energy of the young artist.” (Dr.HaraldScheider, artistic bequest Werner Berg) Gmünd is proud to be the first town to ever present the entire water color series to the public.

Beside the art of Gustav Jahn and Werner Berg, BERGLUST II also presents contemporary alpine paintings by Herbert Brandl, Lisa Huber, GregorSailer and GerlindeThuma, among others.

Art education programmes for children are available.

INTERNATIONALARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE STUDIO MALTATOR

The artists of our International Artists in Residence Programme will also dedicate their 2 months stay in Gmünd to the mountains and the alpine world, creating works of art dealing with the Artists’ Town’s overall subject matter. GABRIELA NEPO-STIELDORF of Tyrol will be living and working in Gmünd in May and June, followed by the well-known Japanese nature-artist OHYA RICA, who aims at creating an art installation in a public space in transforming driftwood into a boatlike construction, reminding herself and us of the story of Saint Pancras. The Berlin-based painter THERESA BEITL will conclude the season of the Artist in Residence Studio in the months of September and October.

GALLERY GMÜND

The “GalleryGmünd“ aims at presenting young contemporary art in a historic setting. The gallery’s curator MMag. Linda Thalmann committed herself to presenting emerging young artists and their approach to the mountains. In two exhibitions the artists MARTINA SCHNEIDER, BIRGIT PETRI and KORINNA LINDINGER will show fascinating installations and paperworks, thus providing the visitors with an insight into the contemporary art scene.

PHOTO GALLERY GMÜND

Gmünd’s Photo Gallery presents the internationally recognized young photography GREGOR SAILER who – with a large format camera – committed the documentary photo series “Ladiz/Alpen“ to show human encroachment on the alpine landscape of his home county Tyrol. The photos express the artist’s calmness and accuracy and although they depict deserted areas, traces of touristic utilization of our mountain landscape remain.

The second exhibition takes us on a journey to foreign mountain landscapes: For many years, the Carinthian photographer GERT AMENITSCH has been documenting the impressive nature of Iceland.

ALTE BURG

The Old Castle presents four solo exhibitions: The Carinthian painters HANS KOTZIAN, EDWIN WIEGELE and KLAUS FROST, as well as the large scale oil paintings by ERNESTO MARCHESINI. At the same time, the small scale paintings of this Italian art professor at the Accademy of Fine Arts in Venice will be exhibited at the “GalerieMiklautz”.

GALERIE MIKLAUTZ – ALTE & NEUE KUNST

The “Miklautz-Gallery of Old and New Art” aims at providing gallery space in Gmünd for former participants of the International Artists in Residence Programme. The first exhibition shows the delightful, soft and often monochrome works by HELGA CMELKA, an artist from Lower Austria. The second exhibition is dedicated to the Venetian artist and art professor ERNESTO MARCHESINI, who presents small scale paintings from the beginning of August until the end of September.

ALTSTADTGALERIE

The “Old Town Gallery“, run by the Schumi-family,focuses the entire season on presenting the considerable oeuvre of the Carinthian artist Prof. PETER BRANDSTÄTTER. Several exhibitions from the end of March until October with oil on canvas paintings, drawings and watercolor paintings, as well as a book presentation by Mag. Manuela Maier in the end of June give an overview of Brandstätter’s artistic career.

pankratiumgmünd

The “pankratiumgmünd“ under the curatorship of Manfred Tischitz truly is a “house of amazement” and offers experiments galore to experience space and sound. On a journey through a world of visual and acoustic miracles visitors are invited to experience the entire universe of sensory perception: Everything spins, moves, flows and makes sounds. The beautifully arranged “Soundgarden” rounds off the amazing experience. Workshops and programmes for children are available. Further information at www.pankratium.at

OPEN-AIR AUSSTELLUNG KUHSTALL

A sociocultural open air exhibit awaits visitors in a rather unexpected place this summer: On the farm of the Glawischnig-Hofer-family in OberbuchbeiGmünd, the German journalist and photographer Manuela Pfann re-decorated a cowbarn’s exterior walls with a series of photographs on the life of farmhand Norbert in the Carinthianmountains. The impressive work of art with photographs and text materials is telling a story about an extraordinary life.

LODRONSCHE REITSCHULE

Students of the CHS VILLACH present their results of a project initiated by the “KulturinitiativeGmünd” and supported by the programme “culture connected” of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (BM:UKK), aiming at creating artistic merchandise products for the Artists’ Town of Gmünd.

ARTS AND CRAFT HOUSE& MALTATOR PARTERRE

From May until September the „Arts and Craft House“ and the studio located at the ground floor of the “Maltator”, one of the medieval wall towers, are offering visitors the opportunity to witness craft artists at work. Gudrun Gross and Doris Winkler enchant with domestic pottery, Peter and KarmenMelocco with jewelryand textile designs and Ruth Rindlisbacher with creative fashion design. The studio at the “Maltator” hosts craft artists Karin and Hans Klimbacher, Maria Werginz and Delia Zelloth.

HOUSE GALLERIES, STUDIOS AND SCULPTURE GARDEN

Artists who permanently live in Gmünd have opened their studios, homes and gardens to the public: Larissa Tomassetti& Frank Kropiunik invite visitors to their studio by the medieval city tower and in the “Kirchgasse” and Birgit Bachmann, Fritz Russ and Laurien Bachmann welcome you to their house gallery in the “Kirchgasse”. Don’t miss the fascinating sculpture garden with works by Fritz Russ!

EVENTS

Providing the most comprehensive cultural events schedule in Upper Carinthia, the Artists’s Town of Gmünd looks forward to welcoming you to events as diverse as concerts, cabarets, a theatre play performed in the Old Castle, contemporary dance performances and literature readings.

SUMMER ART ACADEMY

In Gmünd, visitors can not only enjoy looking at art but also practice and exercise themselves in different art techniques. The Summer Art Academy offers a wide range of art courses from May to September and attracts more and more creative minds each year. The painting classes of children especially enrich the town’s creative life. For further information please contact our office at +43 4732 2215 – 24 or via email at kultur.gmuend@aon.at

NEW!! „KULTURKINO GMÜND“ – MOVIE THEATRE

The Artist’s Town of Gmünd in collaboration with EU XXL Die Reihe and many private supporters is proud to present the recently restored and refurbished „KulturkinoGmünd“, an intimate movie theatre in a historic setting that screens a selection of precious, highly valued and successful European films. From the end of March until mid Mayand , the theatre will screen repertory cinema movies every Thursday evening.

THANK YOU! to our cooperating partners for “BERGKUNSTSOMMER 2012”:

Austrian Alpine Association, various sections and the Museum of the AAA in Innsbruck
Austrian Tourist Association
German Alpine Association, section Osnabrück
Werner Berg Museum Bleiburg
National Park Hohe Tauern
State Museum of Upper Austria
Art Gallery Magnet
Art Gallery Thomann