Deutsch
English
ItalianoUpdated 24.02.2023
Austria's largest spring and traditional costume festival is going into the next round. From 4 to 7 May, the colourful Gauder Fest will once again take place in Zell am Ziller. This year, a picture by the Schwaz artist Susanne Liner adorns the annually changing motif. She was inspired by the Jungtrachtler:innen.
The Gauder Fest has been held in Zell am Ziller for almost 600 years - since 2014 it has been a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage site. In order to do additional justice to a cultural claim, every year a Tyrolean artist designs a motif for the Gauder Fest subject. Martin Lechner, Managing Director of Zillertal Bier, sees this as an enrichment of the centuries-old tradition: "The artist's motif represents the uniqueness of the Gauder Fest anew each time. We started this initiative with the changing subjects in order to illustrate the different perspectives of the artists in relation to the Gauder Fest. The changing characteristics of the images have already created an exciting collection of works on the Gauder Fest." For Karl C. Berger, interim managing director of the Tyrolean Provincial Museums, the premises of the Tyrolean Provincial Museums are an ideal location for the unveiling of the subject: "It is always a highlight to present the Gauder Fest subject in the Tyrolean Provincial Museums and to offer the artists an appropriate stage."
Gauder Fest Sujet: between tradition and the future
The artists are inspired by the multifaceted festivities and create their own works. This year, the artist Susanne Liner from Schwaz chose a traditional costume motif and thus a characteristic element of the Gauder Fest. In front of a mighty mountain landscape above and an abstract urban house façade below, the three-quarter portrait of a girl in original Zillertal traditional costume - the "Zeller Lisa" - challenges the viewer:inside somewhat. "On the one hand, the girl expresses the Gauder Fest's long-rooted awareness of its homeland, but on the other hand, her challenging gaze also tells of the responsibility for the future to consciously handle the resources of our homeland for future generations," says Liner.
Günther Dankl, an expert on the Tyrolean art scene and former curator at the Landesmuseum, also recognises the balancing act between tradition and modernity in the work: "With the Gauder Fest, those responsible not only have an affinity to tradition in mind, but also the coming generations. The artist expresses this beautifully with her work." For Oswald Gredler, representative of the Landestrachtenverband, the "Tag der Trachtler Jugend" (Day of the Trachtler Youth) is a highlight of the Gauder Saturday: "The Jungtrachtler:innen (Young Trachtlers) make a significant contribution to ensuring that the unique tradition of the Gauder Fest continues in the future. The fact that this fact is now depicted on the motif in this beautiful way shows the high value of the Jungtrachtler:innen."
Gauder Fest as a visitor magnet
"Every year we welcome about 30,000 visitors to the Gauder Fest and record almost 6,000 overnight stays in the region. We expect this to happen again this year. Those who are interested should not wait too long, because experience shows that tickets for the popular Gauder Fest sell out quickly," says Christian Daum, Managing Director of the Zell-Gerlos Tourist Association. Robert Pramstrahler, Mayor of Zell am Ziller, also expects the event to be successful: "We are expecting a large number of visitors again. The visitors can look forward to a varied programme. We cordially invite everyone to experience the Gauder Fest. Especially the years 2020 and 2021 have shown us how valuable it is to bring people together and have a good time together."
For more information on Gauder Fest: www.gauderfest.at
Please send press accreditations for the Gauder Fest to nemanja.sever@pro.media.