Artists: Heinz Aeschlimann (* 1947, Schweiz) / Judith Albert (*1969, Schweiz) / Can Altay (*1975, Türkei) / Francis Alÿs (*1959, Belgien) / Cristian Andersen (*1974, Schweiz) / Nina Meret Ates (Schweiz) / Mirko Baselgia (*1982, Schweiz) / Marc Bauer (*1975, Schweiz) / Anselm Baumann (*1958, Deutschland) / April Bey (*1987, Bahamas) / Armin Boehm (*1972, Deutschland) / Daniele Buetti (*1955, Schweiz) / Los Carpinteros (gegründet 1992, Kuba) / Maria Ceppi (*1963, Schweiz) / Danielle Creme (Israel/Schweiz) / Katalin Deér (*1965, USA/Schweiz/Deutschland) / Andriu Deplazes (*1993, Schweiz/Frankreich) / Johanna Dobrusskin (*1996, Schweiz) / Valérie Favre (*1959, Schweiz) / Clare Goodwin (*1973, England/Schweiz) / Séverin Guelpa (*1974, Schweiz) / Jürg Halter (*1980, Schweiz) / Christoph Hänsli (*1963, Schweiz) / Jochem Hendricks (*1959, Deutschland) / Leiko Ikemura (*1951, Japan) / İdil İlkin (Türkei) / Melli Ink (* 1972, Österreich/Schweiz) / Monica Ursina Jaeger (*1974, Schweiz) / Bruno Jakob (*1954, Schweiz/USA) / Christian Jankowski (*1968, Deutschland) / Sven-Åke Johansson (*1943, Schweden/Deutschland) / Renata Kaminska (*1974, Polen/Deutschland) / Sabine Kuehnle (*1968, Deutschland) / Sonia Leimer (*1977, Italien/Österreich) / Zilla Leutenegger (*1968, Schweiz) / Peter Loewy (*1951, Israel/Deutschland) / Ingeborg Lüscher (*1936, Deutschland/Schweiz) / Angela Lyn (*1955, England/Schweiz) / Fabian Marti (*1979, Schweiz/Frankreich) / Jos Näpflin (*1950, Schweiz) / Olaf Nicolai (*1962, Deutschland) / Eva Nielsen (*1982, Frankreich) / Adrian Paci (*1969, Albanien/Italien) / Yehudit Sasportas (*1969, Israel) / Grace Schwindt (*1979, Deutschland/England) / Shirana Shahbazi (*1974, Iran/Schweiz) / Annelies Štrba (*1947, Schweiz) / Una Szeemann (*1975, Schweiz) / Ebru Uygun (*1974, Türkei) / Ester Vonplon (*1980, Schweiz) / Nives Widauer (* 1965, Schweiz/Österreich) / Uwe Wittwer (*1954, Schweiz) / Ekrem Yalçındağ (*1964, Türkei/Deutschland)
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.
Whether paintings, photographs, objects, sculptures, drawings, installations, sound pieces or video works - at the invitation of Zurich curator Dorothea Strauss, 53 artists from 17 nations are exhibiting their works at 21 locations in Engelberg. Their works deal with highly topical issues such as climate change, sustainability and explosive socio-political developments, but also touch on questions 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?
21 different locations invite visitors to take a tour through the entire village, with a detour towards the "end of the world"... 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 in the Hotel Engelberg that is no longer in use, the historic ice cellar of the Hotel Bänklialp, the attic of the Hotel Bellevue-Terminus, "secret" rooms of the Hotel Terrace and a former butcher's shop.
Art is also exhibited in impressive old barns and stables that now serve as storage facilities, for example in Ochsenmatt Gadä not far from Engelberg Monastery. Art can also be seen in the Pfisterhuesli on the Pfistermatte, in the Hotel Kempinski Palace Engelberg, in the Kurpark, in Dorfstrasse, in the Hotel Hoheneck, in the pavilion of the Engelberg Ski Lodge, in the Fondue Gädeli of the Hotel St. Josefshaus (Kloster Gastbetriebe), in the Viktoria Gärtli and in the centrally located Tal Museum. And one work even takes the audience to the "end of the world". Twenty-one different locations invite visitors to take a tour of the entire village.
"The magic of the exhibition venues creates a fascinating setting," says Dorothea Strauss, a renowned curator who has already realized a large number of major international exhibitions. "Engaging with art helps us to remain curious and discover the reality beneath the surface." Many of the artworks are developed especially for the exhibition. "Especially in times of social uncertainty and unrest, it is important to create space for curiosity, a spirit of discovery, a sense of community and a desire for change. The exhibition shows in an impressive way how artists react to the reality of our time. Their works sharpen our senses for the perception of our world by stimulating intellectually and touching emotionally. The unique power of art lies precisely in waking people up and bringing them into an exchange with one another."
Engelberg becomes a place of art - and the subject of artistic research
Around twenty of the invited artists have developed new works especially for the exhibition. Here are just a few examples: Zurich-based artist Monica Ursina Jäger focuses on the relationship between man and nature with her installation Guardian Forest in Ochsenmatt Gadä. Her research into the Engelberg high valley formed the basis for a poetic exploration of the importance of protected forests. Another example is the spatial installation by internationally renowned artist Olaf Nicolai: in 1996, shoemaker Emil Waser closed the doors to his shoemaker's cottage in the middle of the village of Engelberg. Nothing has been changed there since then. Nicolai invites visitors to discover this unique time capsule with a visual and sound work. During her first visit to the Tal Museum, Zurich-based artist Zilla Leutenegger (who is represented with new works in several places in the exhibition) noticed a spindle wheel. This gave rise to the work The Spinner: through the gap in the slightly open door you can only see the shadow of a turning spindle wheel. Fairy tales, fantasy, legends and our own curiosity: Leutenegger unites very different resonance spaces in this poetic installation.
The theme of the Backstage Engelberg exhibition inspired the Istanbul artist Ebru Uygun to create a new series of paintings: Using a special folding technique, she creates paintings with numerous layers over an extended period of time - compact worlds of color that are almost magically attractive. Marseille-based artist Andriu Deplazes has studied the history of tourism in Engelberg intensively. His new group of paintings and sculptures transports the viewer into a mysterious world full of ambivalence and foreboding. The Frankfurt artist Anselm Baumann has created a fascinating object for the lobby of the Hotel Kempinski Palace that is somewhere between a vase and a sculpture.
The artist Ekrem Yalcindag, who lives in Istanbul and Düsseldorf, transforms the village street into a colorful sea with flags. In her new work "Alpine Herb Mix (The Healing Nine and The Poisonous One)", Zurich-based artist Melli Ink uses local plants such as thistles and sorrel to create a still life reminiscent of Flemish painting. And the artist Una Szeemann, who lives in Ticino and Zurich, discovered an angel made of papier-mâché in Ochsenmatt Gadä, which inspired her to create a new neon work.
Existing works also appear in a new light thanks to the specifically chosen exhibition venue: in the common room of the Hotel Hoheneck, the ongoing video work "Children's Games" by Francis Alÿs will take on a very special significance: One of his videos on display - Snow Games - was recorded by the internationally renowned artist in Engelberg in 2022. Artist Ester Vonplon once again takes the audience to the Arctic and Graubünden in atmospherically dense images in the historic ice cellar. Her melancholy pictorial journey impressively demonstrates that climate change has now arrived everywhere.
Engelberg invites you!
Backstage Engelberg was created in close cooperation with the municipality of Engelberg. It is significantly supported by the local community, Engelberg-Titlis Tourismus AG, the Canton of Obwalden, numerous foundations, local companies and personalities from Engelberg. The central aim is to invite a broad, cross-generational audience from Switzerland and abroad to this artistic journey of discovery over the two-month period. Admission is therefore free of charge.
The works of art on display teach us not to forget to be amazed and to remain open to the unexpected.
The exhibition title Backstage Engelberg alludes positively to the fact that we look beyond the surface and stand up for our fellow human beings, our environment, our earth - whether in Engelberg or anywhere else in the world: Backstage Engelberg sets a positive example for a sense of community.
Opening hours: On Thursdays and Fridays 1 - 5 p.m., on Saturdays and Sundays 1 - 6 p.m.
Exhibition Venues (Flyer PDF)
Source: Backstage Engelberg
Verein Backstage Engelberg
Zahnradstrasse 21
8005 Zürich
Switzerland
info@BackstageEngelberg.ch
https://www.backstageengelberg.ch/