EuRegio-Symposium
1999 in Oberndorf / Laufen
Salzburg-Austria, Bayern-Germany
"shell & shell"
Rosa Valado, artist from NewYork, created two rooms, in
the shape of shells, which are situated opposite on the shores of the
river Salzach in Oberndorf and Laufen.
This artwork is at the same time a place for social
meetings.
An artwork that is walkable and recordable, comparable with places like
cave, house and tent, which always invited humans to stay. Children who
loved to play in these rooms during they were built are the living proof
for the charm and attraction of those rooms.
In this case art is a materialistic reality, developing
from a process of communication. This starts with the cooperation of the
company StahlForm and the artist, where Valado was allowed to have her
workingplace for 3 weeks, and ends with public events and spontaneous
actions. The project of Rosa Valado is basically subject of a general
daily process of life and the communication of humans. This includes
incompleteness and disagreement. That means in this case that Rosa Valado
has layed down only a cell instead of the second shell as a symbol that
the appointment between Oberndorf and Laufen still is in a growing process
and just like in real life this takes time. Therefore the artwork of the
artist has to be understood as "work in progress" – a stimulus
for a beginning organic growth period.
The opening of "shell&shell" was done on
July 29th, 99 by the president of EuRegio Salzburg and the
mayor of Traunstein, Berchtesgadener Land, Mr Matthias Hemetsberger. He
expressed the function of EuRegio for the understanding and actions not
only in the economical segment but also in the cultural and art segment.
The mayors Mr. Andreas Kienzl, Oberndorf and Ludwig Herzog, Laufen
welcomed all with very warmhearted words.
A numerous of people used the invitation of the art-
initiative KNIE and took the opportunity to use the "shells" as
center for one week of intensive events, including the river Salzach which
parts Oberndorf and Laufen, with their cross-border actions.
On Saturday, 31 August 99, the Gosauer artist Paul Jaeg
was starting a telecommunication project in one of the locations. He
placed himself on the shore in Oberndorf with his painting material and
Christa Gallert-Zirzow from Trostberg placed herself on the shore in
Laufen with her painting material. 60 minutes they were given instructions
via mobile phone. Same instructions for everyone but different results –
as different as the artists are. This was an action that caused a lot of
excitement on both sides, the artists and the spectators.
Another art-project in regard to the project
"Shell" was presented the same day in the evening by a group
named ERNAS. Via a tape placed in the center of the shell and laying on
the ground they mediated a sound-picture. The transparent shell was a
place for meditative listening.
On Sunday a painted model (painted by Ingeborg Anders in
the shell) was walking up and down between Oberndorf and Laufen. Project:
"body - a basis for painting". During that time the
"Kulturring Eggelsberg" invited spectators to take part at a
writing action: " the pillar-the sign-the script".
It was just like a party with open grill-fire in the
shell when Paul Stadler was presenting his catalogue presentation on
Monday. He brought a stand with peaty soil with him and invited grown ups
and children to dig up their own catalogue.
With a lot of power and joke the newly founded group
"ache 700" from the paper-manufacturing company in Lengfelden
introduced itself on Tuesday. With parts of paper drying racks they made a
performance and produced a small "ache700". A video complemented
the impression of their work.
On Wednesday artists from Laufen and Oberdorf used the
shell as exhibition center and showed their works and in the evening there
was an art-discussion between the visitors of Gustav Bauer's CD-first
presentation. He installed boxes on both shores of the Salzach and you
were able to hear metric exact parted cuts of voices.
There was a tight program on Thursday. Thomas Stadler
introduced his in New York done work "Brown bag". Basically this
is about the behavior of the Americans, which are forced to hide their
beer/wine-bottles in brown paper bags as alcohol is forbidden in official
locations.
Peter Reutterer was reading from his latest book
"Lokalaugenschein". After it got dark Raimund Kirchweger
projected his voice-picture-show "Feuer" onto the shell. As it
is transparent it was the ideal media for projections.
The closing of the week was an art auction, conducted
professional and competent by Robert Messie and accompanied by the
performance of the Oberndorfer Triangel Chorus. All actions have been
filmed by Ismene Grillich and once again the Salzburger composer Martin
Köb proved that he is unreplaceable in being the house-musician of the
"Kunstinitiative KNIE".
Ulrike Guggenberger
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