BACKSTAGE art exhibition in Engelberg
When you think of Engelberg, you think of outdoor sports. And above all winter sports. Many Engelberg residents, the municipality and the tourism association realise that this image is not correct. Engelberg has an attractive cultural programme, which so far has mainly been reflected in the concerts in Engelberg Abbey. The organ summer concerts and the Zwischentöne chamber music festival are a firm fixture on the event calendar for classical music fans. Engelberg is attractive at any time of year, and not just for sports enthusiasts. The current art exhibition Backstage is ideal for conveying this message.
The organising committee led by Zurich gallery owner Peter Kilchmann and curator Dorothea Strauss have put together an impressive art exhibition at 21 different locations throughout the village. Paintings, photographs, objects, sculptures, drawings, installations, sound pieces and video works are on display. 53 artists from 17 nations will be tackling highly topical issues such as climate change, sustainability and explosive socio-political developments. They touch on issues that affect each and every one of us personally: How do we find our identity in a meritocracy? How do we achieve inner balance? How can we shape the future?
Special exhibition spaces were sought and found in order to attract sporty visitors who may only have a slight affinity for art. These rooms also gave the exhibition its name: Backstage. The works of art are mainly exhibited in places that the public would not normally get to see. These include a former shoemaker's cottage, a bowling alley at the Hotel Engelberg that is no longer in use, the historic ice cellar at the Hotel Bänklialp, the attic at the Hotel Bellevue-Terminus, ‘secret’ rooms at the Hotel Terrace and a former butcher's shop.
Art is also on display in imposing old barns and stables that are now used for storage, for example in Ochsenmatt Gadä not far from Engelberg Abbey. Art can also be seen in the Pfisterhuesli on the Pfistermatte, in the Hotel Kempinski Palace Engelberg, in the Kurpark, in the Dorfstrasse, in the Hotel Hoheneck, in the pavilion of the Engelberg Ski Lodge, in the Fondue Gädeli of the Hotel St. Josefshaus (monastery inns), in the Viktoria Gärtli and in the centrally located Tal Museum. And one work even takes the audience to the ‘end of the world’. The various locations invite visitors to take a tour of the entire village. And of course it is important to make it clear that not every sportsperson is a culture vulture and not every person with an affinity for art is unathletic.
Backstage Engelberg is a declaration of love - to the community of Engelberg, to the importance of our nature and to the unique power of art. The exhibition is open from Thursday to Sunday from 1p.m. to 5 or 6 p.m.
