An early introduction to interventa Hallstatt 2024 was offered on January 5, 2024 with a performance by 13 dancers from the dance course at the MUK (Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna), a reinterpretation of the Glöcklerlauf, which was choreographed by Esther Balfe and took place in the municipalities of Gmunden, Scharnstein, Schörfling and Hallstatt.
The performance was also showcased in Bad Ischl on January 20 as part of the official opening program of the European Capital of Culture Salzkammergut 2024.
Deeply rooted in the Salzkammergut, the Glöcklerlauf can be traced back to ancient rituals that served to drive away the dark winter season and pray for fertility and prosperity for the coming year. The Glöckler wear traditional white robes, elaborate bright caps, and brass bells, which symbolically ward off evil and offer protection for the community.
The performance in the context of interventa Hallstatt 2024 was a contemporary interpretation that was inspired by this time-honored tradition.
The 13 dancers moved dynamically in traditional costumes, filling the public space with luminous forms and unconventional bell sounds. Their costumes were inspired by the clothing worn by workers in the salt mines. Their wooden bells were created by Simone Zopf and students of the HTBLA Hallstatt and the bell sounds composed by Björn Wilker (Klangforum Wien).
The performance was accompanied by the artwork Glasschiebetür by Isabella Kohlhuber, which serves as a reference to the traditional caps worn by the Glöckler. The title Glasschiebetür (sliding glass door) has architectural connotations, while the material and the individual components of the artwork refer to its architectural application and built form. The geometric, futuristic-looking shapes are irregular and dynamic and reminiscent of the natural environment. At the same time, they establish a link between regional tradition, culture, and innovation.
The Glöcklerlauf was filmed by the video artist Annja Krautgasser.
As a harbinger of interventa Hallstatt 2024, the performative intervention visualized the architectural concerns that will be addressed in September 2024 in a theatrical and performative, traditional and innovative way
The ringing in was completed on January 20th in Bad Ischl with the phrase:
„The interventa Hallstatt 2024 is rung in!“
