22 July 2023

Land art in Ramsau am Dachstein, Styria: Sustainable sculptures by international artists on the Rittisberg summit hike

Yesterday, the project 'Landart Rittisberg - Ramsau am Dachstein 2023' released images of sculptures that have been created by international artists at an altitude of approximately 1500 meters in Styria. The artworks, which are made of materials from the region, are installed along the summit hike of the family destination Rittisberg to raise awareness for the environment. Their materials represent the forests and the stones of the Dachstein. Through the hands of the artists, the materials are transformed into objects with a message - they are given a 'voice'. The first artist to create an installation was the German PhD mineralogist and educator Frank Nordiek. His giant larch funnel with the name 'Sometimes I Have To Listen Carefully' seems to call on visitors to the mountains to listen to the sounds of nature.

It's announced that from next week (24 July), the finished installations 'Sometimes I Have To Listen Carefully' by Frank Nordiek , 'Shelter' by Karin von der Molen from the Netherlands and 'Escape Route' by Cornelia Konrads from Germany will be on display. The fourth artist in the project is Jette Mellgren from Denmark. She will start her art installation made of willows on Monday, 24 July. Rittisberg guests can follow the process of creation live on site. The natural materials for the art installations will be returned to nature after a few years. In the press release, Manfred Engelhardt, the Rittisbahn operator, states that this project is intended to take a pioneering role in the sustainable design of tourist-developed mountain summits. He aims to demonstrate how a balance can be struck between preserving natural spaces and providing a fulfilling tourist experience without encroaching on valuable open areas.

Image: The giant larch funnel 'Sometimes I Have To Listen Carefully' by Frank Nordiek is part of the art project on the Rittisberg, Ramsau am Dachstein in the Austrian federal state Styria. Photo: © Hans-Peter Steiner.