STUDIO – THE CASTLE
In 2021, I had the opportunity to set up my art studio at an altitude of 850 meters, in the 1,000-year-old Burg Altpernstein, high in the Austrian Alps. I felt a deep sense of joy and gratitude. Although I had known the castle since childhood, I gradually began to discover more about its history. It was first documented in 1160 and again in 1207, and underwent a major transformation in the 16th century. The castle chapel is also an important pilgrimage site. Over the centuries, the castle has served as an administrative building and as a place where generations of people have come together.
I was particularly moved by the story of the castle’s preservation in the 20th century. Its restoration was supported by the Catholic Youth and involved many people and generations, from near and far. The renovation work at the beginning of the 21st century forms another important chapter in its history. It was carried out by the Institute for Social Competence and the Leeb family. This led me to a simple realization: without all those people who cared for and maintained the castle over the decades, I would not be able to work here today. The art historian Angelika Doppelbauer describes this circumstance in her speech for the exhibition LICHTUNGEN II at Stift Seitenstetten as follows:
“The artist experiences herself embedded in the stream of history, in which every person is carried along and always building on what came before.”
The idea for the EREMITAGE-project emerged from a sense of gratitude to those who were here before me, and from an appreciation of those who are here today. It was also born from a sense of responsibility toward those who will come after me.
In other words: It is not “my” place, “my” studio. It is a place of retreat for me, where I write and paint. A place of silence.
However, under the stewardship of ISK, the castle is still a castle for children and young people. At times, as many as 150 children fill the castle on school trips and excursions. So, the castle is anything but a quiet place.
Up here, it is lively. There is laughter, play, hiking, and celebrations of birthdays and weddings. The castle is a place of the vibrant “WE.”
The EREMITAGE-project is an ongoing initiative with different areas of focus and activities that explore and foster togetherness. Since 2021, it has included the program AUSSICHTEN – movement despite every-thing, an ongoing cultural education program that brings people together through music, lectures, silent walks, painting improvisations, and open studio days with invited artists.
My heartfelt thanks go to all the contributing artists and to the many art-loving guests who have helped make this place what it is.
Over time, the vibrant “WE” of the castle began to find its way into my artistic practice. Encounters became experiences, experiences became impulses, and impulses became shared works.
FARBEBEKENNEN 