Carinthia celebrates variety: Art installation honors 80 years of peace!

Carinthia celebrates variety: Art installation honors 80 years of peace!

Bischöfliche Residenz, Klagenfurt, Österreich - Yesterday an important event took place in Klagenfurt under the motto "The common Carinthia (he) life. History, art and culture", in which Governor Peter Kaiser, Federal Minister Claudia Plakolm and the moderators Mariј Wakounig and Peter Tropper took part. The event celebrated not only the cultural diversity of the federal state, but also the 80-year commemoration of peace and the end of the Second World War and 30 years of membership in Austria in the EU. These celebrations were accompanied by a special art installation, which reminded of the historical personalities Ernst Waldstein-Wartenberg and Valentin Inzko Senior, who contributed significantly to the agricultural groups during the diocesan's synod 1970-1972.  Click Kärnten reports that Emperor presented the role of art and culture as important bridge builders between the communities.

The art installation "Sound: Sozvočje" by Nataša Sienčnik and Wolfgang Puschnig is made up of a 2.5 meter high cube, which includes 72 colorful PVC cords. These cords embody the melodies of a German and Slovenian-speaking folk song, which Puschnig referred to as a secret Carinthian national anthem. The grandchildren of the two expressed personalities, Valentina Inzko Fink and Maximilian Waldstein-Wartenberg, reflected in emotional words about the legacy of their grandfathers and their commitment to living together in Carinthia.

art as an expression of identity

The event also included the unveiling of a further art installation by Valentin Oman in front of the concert hall in Klagenfurt. This installation consists of 14 steles that map over 800 bilingual Carinthian place names that have disappeared from public space in the past. Governor Kaiser described these steles as a strong commitment to the cultural identity and as an essential part of the bilingual culture of Carinthia. The art project is entitled "800+" and refers to a list published in 1945 in which these names are documented. On the plinths of the steles there are QR codes, through which visitors can gain access to the bilingual place names. District emphasizes that these names reflect regions that are deeply rooted in the Slovenian language and culture.

As part of the festive day, an interdisciplinary symposium entitled "Tolerance and acceptance of bilingualism in Carinthia" also took place. Diocesan bishop Josef Marketz opened the symposium and addressed the importance of bilingualism as an enriching part of Carinthian identity. Historian Marija Wakounig and diocesan archivist Peter G. Tropper illuminated various aspects of bilingualism in four informative panels, which dealt with history, cultural aspects and potential for understanding. The event took place in the episcopal residence and was framed by a musical contribution. The publication "The common Carinthia - Skupna Koroška Vol. 14" documents all contributions and is intended as an important work on bilingualism in Carinthia. Catholic Church Carinthia reports on the diverse topics and the lively participation of the scientists and interested parties.