An evening with authors Franzobel, and Monika Wogrolly.

Situated at almost 10,000 feet above sea level in the midst of the Austrian alps, DACHSTEIN:CULT is Europe’s highest artist-in-residence studio. For several weeks every year the Dachstein glacier is inhabited by artists and creators from all over the world. Following their tenures, the participating artists visit cultural institutions, galleries and other venues to present the work they created on top of the world.

Austrian author Franzobel, a former artist-in-residence at Dachstein:Cult, and Monika Wogrolly will give readings. The evening will also include a screening of the short film “Bergwürfelaktion 2009” by Heinz Julen.

CREATIVITY AND ALTITUDE

ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE DACHSTEIN CULTURAL PROJECT DACHSTEIN:CULT AND THE HAPPINESS REGISTRY ON THE KLEIN MATTERHORN

From the scientific point of view, a connection between creativity and altitude would at first seem to be a matter of speculation. A cultural project on the Dachstein glacier and an idea for a project on the Klein Matterhorn, however, allow the assumption of a connection between a longer stay at moderate altitude and an increase in creativity, imagination and productivity from the philosophical and psychotherapeutic points of view. The cultural project “DACHSTEIN:CULT – Europe’s highest-lying artists’ quarantine ward” has been in operation since 2004 at the upper terminal of the Dachstein aerial tramway and participating artists have described their subjective experience as follows: Their sleep was restless and shallow the first few nights but in the course of their ten- to sixteen-day stay at 2700 m asl, their feeling of wellbeing and their artistic inspiration increased. Without exception, the artists noted better concentration and artistic productivity. Those who worked in the visual arts produced more pictures in less time than they would have at their accustomed altitude; writers could concentrate better and produced texts faster. Initial adaptive problems such as restless sleep, cough, dry mouth and fatigue were replaced by an increasing sense of security and alertness, more drive and optimism. All in all, hypoxia may brighten the artist’s mood, whereby the effect of positive group dynamics and the special situation of the Alpine setting should also be taken into account. The as yet unrealized project for the world’s highest-lying happiness registry on the Klein Matterhorn in Zermatt should serve to round out thoughts as to a relationship between creativity and altitude.

Franzobel was born in 1967 in Vöcklabruck in Upper Austria. He has written numerous theater plays, novels and poems. His novels are characterized by a tension between fantastical realism, language games and Viennese folk traditions. The strange world of Franzobel is full of humor and ironic illusions to our contemporary world. Franzobel has been awarded with numerous prizes, among them in 1995 the Ingeborg Bachmann Preis, and in 2005 the Nestroy Preis. He lives in Pichlwang, Vienna and Buenos Aires. At the Austrian Cultural Forum, Franzobel will present a short prose text which he wrote during his participation at the cultural project DACHSTEIN:CULT in 2005. In this project, every year two artists are invited to spend some time at the mountain top of the Dachstein glacier, in order to get inspired by the special conditions of the extreme height, the extraordinary light as well as the lack of oxygen. Franzobel’s story “The Trip to Heaven” is based on a fatally ending trip with an alpine cable car.

Monika Wogrolly was born in 1967 in Graz and works as an author and newspaper editor as well as a psychotherapist. In 2004 she founded the DACHSTEIN:CULT project which provides artist-in-residence studios twice a year for national and international visiting artists in Europe’s highest-located cultural base. At the ACFNY, Monika Wogrolly will read excerpts from her novel “Die Oasen” which was written on the Dachstein glacier to a large extent. Her literary style is known for linguistic reductionism, able to depict interpersonal relationships through protocolary language.

VENUE
ACFNY