The crucial elements of salt and water have been determining factors throughout the entire region from the beginning of recorded history until the present day. As a result, the central primary exhibit of the 2024 European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl Salzkammergut Region is dedicated to these thematic areas with objects, film and photo works as well as installation in conjunction with salt and water; also seen metaphorically as the “salt of life” and in reference to the motto of the European Capital of Culture“ Culture is the new salt”. The art projects concerning the topic of water deal with the urgent problems of the disappearing glaciers and the increasing scarcity of water worldwide. The content of the exhibition will be accompanied by the conference Water is the Gold of the Future with international experts.
Without the rich supply of wood in the Salzkammergut region, the extraction of salt would not be possible. As a result, the topic areas of salt and water will be complemented with (historical) contributions about wood.
