Salzburg Walk of Modern Art (2018)
Above: “Sphaera” by Stephan Balkenhol: Salzburg Kapitelplatz – 22 May 2018.
Salzburg is a well-known historical city in north-central Austria next to the border with Germany. For a different way of examining the city that goes beyond the history of the Habsburgs and the music of Mozart, the Walk of Modern Art allows visitors and residents to walk through parts of the city for a mix of historical and contemporary perspectives at street-level and from the cliffs above. The art pieces are placed throughout the city’s Old Town to coincide with key landmarks and sights. The city of Salzburg also provides information about the walk. UNESCO inscribed Salzburg’s Old Town as World Heritage Site in 1996.
Thankfully, there’s more to Salzburg than “The Sound of Music” (♫).
Modernity through Salzburg
Access to all of the art work below is free of admission charge, though the pieces by Boltanski and Kiefer are subject to limited opening hours.
- Marina Abramovic: Spirit of Mozart (2004)
- Stephan Balkenhol: Frau im Fels (2007)
- Stephan Balkenhol: Sphaera (2007)
- Christian Boltanski: Vanitas (2009)
- Anthony Cragg: Caldera (2008)
- Anselm Kiefer: A.E.I.O.U. (2002)
- Brigitte Kowanz: Beyond Recall (2011)
- Markus Lüpertz: Mozart – Eine Hommage (2005)
- Mario Merz: Ziffern im Wald (2003)
- Jaume Plensa: Awilda (2010)
- James Turrell: Sky-Space (2006)
- Manfred Wakolbinger: Connection (2011)
- Erwin Wurm: Gurken (2011)
Marina Abramovic
“Spirit of Mozart”, 2004

Marina Abramovic’s “Spirit of Mozart,” at northwest corner of the Staatsbrücke – 21 May 2018.

Seats to contemplate the spirit of Mozart – 21 May 2018.

That one last seat in the sky, to end the day – 21 May 2018.
Stephan Balkenhol
“Frau im Fels”, 2007

At Toscaninihof, an entrance into the cliffs leads to underground parking. Above the entrance is a sculpture by … (22 May 2018).

… by Stephan Balkenhol: “Frau im Fels” (Woman in the Rock). Photo on 22 May 2018.
Stephan Balkenhol
“Sphaera”, 2007

Stephan Balkenhol’s “Sphaera”, at Kapitelplatz facing south to the fortress – 22 May 2018.

Stephan Balkenhol’s “Sphaera”, at Kapitelplatz, facing north to the cathedral – 23 May 2018.
Christian Boltanski
“Vanitas”, 2009

Christian Boltanski’s “Vanitas”, in the choir crypt of Salzburg Cathedral (Salzburger Dom) – 22 May 2018.
Anthony Cragg
“Caldera”, 2008

Anthony Cragg’s “Caldera”, at Makartplatz – 22 May 2018.

Anthony Cragg’s “Caldera”, at Makartplatz – 22 May 2018.
Anselm Kiefer
“A.E.I.O.U.”, 2002

Building which houses Anselm Kiefer’s “A.E.I.O.U.”, in Furtwänglerpark – 22 May 2018.

Anselm Kiefer’s “A.E.I.O.U.” – 22 May 2018.
Brigitte Kowanz
“Beyond Recall”, 2011

beyond recall, by Brigitte Kowanz, at the southwest corner of Staatsbrücke – 21 May 2018.

dedicated secret: Brigitte Kowanz’s “Beyond Recall”, at the southeast corner of Staatsbrücke – 21 May 2018.

envision: Brigitte Kowanz’s “Beyond Recall”, at the northeast corner of Staatsbrücke – 21 May 2018.
Markus Lüpertz
“Mozart — Eine Hommage”, 2005

Markus Lüpertz’s “Mozart – Eine Hommage”, at Ursulinenplatz – 23 May 2018.
Mario Merz
“Ziffern im Wald”, 2003

Mario Merz’s “Ziffern im Wald”, Museum der Moderne – 23 May 2018.

Numbers in the Fibonacci sequence included in Mario Merz’s “Ziffern im Wald”, Museum der Moderne – 23 May 2018.
Jaume Plensa
“Awilda”, 2010

Jaume Plensa’s “Awilda”, in Hof Dietrichsruh (Universität Salzburg) – 22 May 2018.
James Turrell
“Sky-Space”, 2006

Outside the Museum der Moderne is James Turrell’s “Sky-Space” (right) – 23 May 2018.

Interior space to James Turrell’s “Sky-Space” – 23 May 2018.
Manfred Wakolbinger
“Connection”, 2011

Manfred Wakolbinger’s “Connection”, near Michaelstor – 21 May 2018.

Manfred Wakolbinger’s “Connection”, near Michaelstor – 21 May 2018.
Erwin Wurm
“Gurken”, 2011

Erwin Wurm’s “Gurken”, at Furtwänglerpark – 22 May 2018.

Friedrich Schiller appears a little bemused by the Gurken – 22 May 2018.
♫ As long as someone’s making money off the movie, “The Sound of Music” is an external cultural imposition about which many Austrians themselves know little or care little. I find that fascinating, especially in Salzburg. Over a period of a few weeks in Tirol, Vienna, and Salzburg, I asked Austrians along the way if they’d ever seen “Sound of Music” when they were children. Not surprisingly, most said “no”; they were more likely to have seen “Dinner for One“, a British 18-minute movie broadcast annually over the Christmas holidays in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
I made all photos above from 21 to 23 May 2018 inclusive with a Fujifilm X70 fixed-lens prime. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-bYB.
8 Responses to “Salzburg Walk of Modern Art (2018)”
[…] “Sphaera”, by Stephan Balkenhol: next to the city cathedral – 23 May 2018 (X70). […]
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I absolutely love your take on Salzburg. Fantastic photos. Thanks so much for creating a map guide to see all this great art!
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Hi and thanks, Cynthia! Salzburg was fun to explore “outside” of the usual suspects and stereotypes. I like creating guide maps, because I ask myself the question: “this newfound landmark/museum/sight about which I’m reading is very interesting, but where do I find it?” Thanks again for your kind comment and for stopping by!
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Amazing pictures. We were in Munich last year and did a day trip to Salzburg. We mostly did the Sound of Music sites, but wished we had more time to really explore the city. Hopefully we can go back soon and do some more exploring. Thanks for sharing these wonderful pictures.
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Hi and thanks, Samantha. I suspected the following, and I did an informal poll during my month in northern Austria, but did you realize most Austrians don’t know about or have never watched “The Sound of Music”? Fascinating! Thanks again for your comment and for stopping by!
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[…] • a search for Erwin Schrödinger’s grave, • a century of Vienna Modernism, • a day-trip from Vienna to Bratislava with a boat on the Danube, and • looking for modern Salzburg beyond Mozart and The Sound of Music, […]
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[…] “Sky-space” by James Turrell – next to Museum der Moderne Salzburg, 23 May 2018 (X70). […]
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[…] by a search for Mozart and for signs of modernity. I’ve already examined part of the city through its art: what more can Salzburg […]
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