summer.fresh.art. & art:badgastein: Art makes you see. Discover your way. How Bad Gastein became a hotspot for art in the Alps.
For 13 years, Bad Gastein has become a hotspot for contemporary art during the summer months. The mission of the sommer.frische.kunst. festival and its founder, Andrea von Goetz, is to make art experiential for visitors in special locations. In collaboration with the spectacular mountain world of the Austrian Alps and the unique architecture of Bad Gastein, the art festival became a very special adventure in the summer of 2023. Under the motto “Art makes you see. Discover your way,” the festival sent its guests on a journey: in search of art and their own personal art experience, and for the first time with an ArtHikingMap, designed and illustrated by Sebastian Meschenmoser, one of the most narrative painters of his generation. With the ArtHikingMap, 16 stations were explored – from art in the town center, over the Kaiser-Wilhelm Promenade, and all the way up to Sportgastein. There, visitors encountered, among other things, the spectacular lattice sculpture “Harps” by Olaf Holzapfel, and the installation “In the name of a day” by Kazunori Kura.
The sommer.frische.kunst. kicked off in mid-July with the opening of the exhibitions on the Kaiser-Wilhelm Promenade. Participating artists included Conny Maier (winner of “Artist of the Year” by Deutsche Bank), Andi Fischer, Dennis Buck, and Michael Günzer, who presented their exhibition concept “DORF” at the RADON PAVILION. DORF in Bad Gastein addressed the tension between periphery and center and showcased four artistic positions, clearly differing in concept and expression.
With the “Pegasus Product Power Peckerl Paradis,” the Berlin-based artist group PEGASUS PRODUCT, consisting of Gernot Seeliger, Dargelos Kersten, and Anton Peitersen, presented another performative exhibition concept in the IKE ROOM. Berlin-based painter Danni Pantel displayed the interplay of shape, color, and space and their relations to one another in a solo show at HAUS MIMI. Subsequently, Katharina Prantl exhibited her works from the series “Droplets” at HAUS MIMI. The artist Franziska Agrawal surpassed with her works the boundaries of the art and design world. Her sculpture THE PEAK, presented in Bad Gastein, was inaugurated in front of the Alpenlofts with a musical performance in collaboration with musician Stefanie Boltz. Following its great success, the second edition of art:badgastein took place in 2023. Apart from the larger art fairs in metropolises, art:badgastein chiefly aimed at facilitating a special exchange among artists, collectors, and galleries – with peace and time.
Following the art fair, six international artists moved into the power station for just under a month to work in the studios there. Inspired by the magical power of the waterfall and the imposing nature, they created artistic positions in dialogue with Bad Gastein. The closing presentation of the resident artists in August offered visitors another exciting art weekend. The Artist-in-Residence artists in 2023 were: Vanshika Agrawal, Lena Göbel, Nikola Pjevačević, Maria Szakats, Ozmo, and Edin Zenun.
For 13 years, dan pearlman has had the privilege of supporting Andrea von Goetz and Schwanenfliess and the sommer.frische.kunst. team with all communication, press, and design concerns for the art festival. In close collaboration, a magazine, invitations, posters, communication elements for social media and website, and much more are created annually.
https://artbadgastein.com
