Culture

in Upper Austria between regional identity and international competition

Cross-border cultural co-operations, e.g. the "Landesausstellung 2004", the "Stifterjahr 2005" and the nomination of Linz as the European capital of culture 2009 proof the broad orientation of Upper Austria beyond the Region.
 

In a political and economical united Europe, the culture of regions support and promote regional identity. At the same time, today´s arts are connected through new media world-wide and seems to be interchangeable in many cases. As an example for international relevant art performance, the "Prix Ars Electronica" has drawn the attention of the international arts community to Upper Austria and especially to Linz. The topics addressed by the Ars Electronica festival have stepped beyond the narrow boundaries of arts and focus on specific aspects of the civil society with international interest, in the language of the arts.
 

One of the primary goals of cultural policy in Upper Austria is to foster and promote creativity and tolerance of each individual, just because in a society of change. Cultural policy operates beyond the daily political issues by combining activities and measures which support integration and not polarisation in society. Exceeding the boundaries between culture and education manifests itself in the expansion of the "Landesmusikschulwerk" - a network of music schools and music educational facilities with 56,000 students and a staff of 1,500 teachers. Since over 30 years, the successful accomplished Exhibitions of the Region ("Landesausstellungen") reached until 2004 altogether approximately 8 million visitors. The Landesausstellung 2004 "grenzenlos. Geschichte der Menschen am Inn" was carried out together with the city and the district of Passau. Upper Austria proved by doing this, how a successful cross-border co-operation can function within the range of European culture.
 

The Upper Austrian "Landesausstellung 2006" in the municipality of Ampflwang in the Hausruckviertel is named "coal and steam" and documents the mining industry (brown coal) and railway history in the Hausruckviertel.
 

The decentralized "Landesausstellung 2008" will deal with the topics of cultural, economical and social history in the Salzkammergut.
 

The main exhibition will be in the castle of Orth in Gmunden and will be accompanied by a numerous set of exhibitions in the region.
 

2010 the "Landesausstellung" will take place with the topics "renaissance and reformation" at the castle of Parz in Grieskirchen.
 

Culture has also become an important economic factor in Upper Austria. Around 150 million Euros are spent by the Upper Austrian people for "cultural consumption" each year, but culture is also an essential part of our self-understanding.
 

Cultural activities should be strengthened especially within a regional context to provide a positive perspective in dealing with uniformity and loss of individuality. The "Festival of the Regions" and
many impulses of contemporary culture are making concrete contributions into the right direction, connecting tradition with modern art.
 

The engagement of the international renowned conductor Dennis Russell Davies as head of the Bruckner-Orchestra and the changing of the Bruckner-Konservatory into the Anton Bruckner private university are indicators for the professional competence of our artists. In this sense, we have already exceeded regional boundaries and Upper Austria appears at a successful stage in the worldwide cultural scene. Further impulses will be gained by building a new concert hall. The nomination of Linz as European capital of culture 2009 gives the unique chance to present Linz and Upper Austria as a creative and future-oriented European cultural region.