WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift / Novacella 2024
24. APR — 29. JUN 2024 MON — SAT 10:00 — 17:00
From April to June, the WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL features light and water in nature and culture. In a decentralized exhibition project, local and international artists show art projects — during the day in the Neustift Abbey and in the evening in the city center of Brixen.
The Neustift Abbey was founded in 1142 near the episcopal city of Brixen, and ever since, Augustinian canons have lived there. Several businesses, including the Neustift Abbey winery, provide the material basis for the monastic community and the maintenance of the Abbey complex. Today, the canons are active as pastors in 25 parishes in South and East Tyrol. Eduard Fischnaller has headed the Abbey as provost since 2015.
Since the expansion of the Abbey Museum in 2020/21, the Abbey has become a production and presentation site for contemporary art. In addition to the permanent art interventions by Paul Renner in the museum’s extension, this year there will be the ABITARSI project, curated by Elisa Barison, from 18 April to 26 October, and the WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL, curated by Bettina Pelz, from 24 April to 29 June 2024.
The focus of this year’s edition is on water as an element of the natural and cultural history of South Tyrol, as well as a central theme of the present concerning the sustainable, future-oriented development of the region.
Charly Nijensohn
— Ancient Seas That Have Vanished
Site-specific Adaption charlynijensohn.org
5 Charly Nijensohn WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024 Photo Jennifer Braun (1)_2000x2000
6 Charly Nijensohn WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024 Photo Jennifer Braun (1)_2000x2000
7 Charly Nijensohn WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024 Photo Jennifer Braun (2)_2000x2000
Charly Nijensohn WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024 Photo Jennifer Braun-2112_2000x2000
1 Annika Hippler. WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024. Photo Jennifer Braun_2000x2000
2 Annika Hippler. WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024. Photo Jennifer Braun (1)_2000x2000
2 Annika Hippler. WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024. Photo Jennifer Braun (2)_2000x2000
2 Annika Hippler. WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024. Photo Jennifer Braun (3)_2000x2000
2 Annika Hippler. WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024. Photo Jennifer Braun (4)_2000x2000
2 Annika Hippler. WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024. Photo Jennifer Braun (5)_2000x2000
WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024. Photos: Jennifer Braun
— In the Neustift Abbey
For the WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL, the Neustift Abbey is presenting an exhibition program with twenty local and international artistic positions. The exhibition parkour stretches from the Castle of the Holy Angel into the museum’s exhibition, including the central cloister and the former chapter hall.
The artists shared nidus is on water and light in contemporary art. Artists who refer to light or water as environmental and climatic factors were asked to participate in the international exhibition program. Since 2022, the cooperation with the Zumtobel Collection made it possible to show selected works by renowned 20th/21st century artists.
— NOTATIONS The importance of water and light for the environment and climate
The exhibition program titled NOTATIONS explores various questions: How do artists observe environmental and climate changes? Which parameters are essential in aesthetic observation? What does artistic research mean? What does artistic engagement mean? What is changing in the arts in time of the loss of nature and climate collapse? Artists from Italy, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and the USA show how they work with material samples, set up experimental systems, or document shifts in ecologically sensitive environments.
— Based on material samples
Sara Foerster takes light samples and translates them into color fields. Dorra Hichri investigates what remains of water when it dries up. Annika Hippler records the movements of light in water in both natural and experimental environments. Camila Mejia and Eric Wälz digitize samples of local soil and organic materials.
— Experimenting in artistic laboratories
Juan Francisco Rodriguez looks at the world through a dewdrop. Jazmin Rojas Forero collects water like the plants called „the great monks“ do in the mountains of Latin America. Rosmarie Weinlich observes plants and crystals as they live and decay. Martina Dal Brollo examines plastic waste.
— Working with artistic recordings
Jakub Nepras shows urban life as a networked organic system and a biological habitat. Laurence Bonvin visited the Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland and developed an immersive, transmedia environment based on her images and sound recordings. Nicolás Rupcich has been to the Arctic Circle and is showing a selection of his recordings in a video archive. Charly Nijensohn presents projects of resistance from ecological systems in the southern hemisphere.
NOTATIONS Light and water in the history of art
Julian Hölscher seeks a dialogue with Caspar David Friedrich, who painted „The Arctic Sea“ 200 years ago, in 2024. The designer developed a 3D projection mapping for the historical painting, including a sound collage, based on records of sailors available during Caspar David Friedrich’s lifetime. Such reports and Caspar David Friedrich’s observations of the frozen Elbe inspired the painter. Julian Hölscher takes the idea of „mixed realities“ further and illustrates the historical painting with the media artistic means of the 21st century.
NEW Not only artificial light as a material for art but also daylight
Since 2017, WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL has been an exhibition project for contemporary light and media art. This year, for the first time, selected projects that use natural daylight as a reagent rather than artificial light are participating.
— The natural light spectrum is broader than what we see
UV light is part of the natural light spectrum, but — unlike for many animals — it is not visible to humans. The site-specific installation of the „solar field“ by Cazador del Sol makes UV light visible. Fluorescent pigments embedded in diaphanous acrylic glass panes begin to glow whenever UV light is present.
— The sculpture as a light object
The sculpture „Light — Space — Color“ by Heinz Mack from 2003 is a resonating body of dichroic glass. Depending on the light and viewing angle, multiple light refractions and reflections are created and change the appearance of the glass object.
— Photography as a light drawing
Sara Förster was at Neustift Abbey in March 2024 for the „Lichtbilder (Neustift)“. Onsite, she experimented with instant images. She processed the peel-apart pictures, in which the analog image develops immediately, experimenting with her hands instead of using a camera. Color and texture were determined by the type of movement when mixing the photochemical elements and the duration of exposure. Her works are material samples of the local light situation.
— The art history of light
Selected artistic positions that have shaped the art history of light from the 1950s to the present are on display at Neustift Abbey. This year, for the first time, these works can be seen not only in Castel of the Holy Angel but throughout the museum in dialog with cultural-historical sites and exhibits.
François Morellet (1926 — 2016) was a co-founder of the artist group GRAV (Group de Recherche d’Art Visuel), active in France and Latin America. The installation „Lamentable“ was already on display at Castel Sant’Angelo in 2023. „Recreation No 7“ is part of the exhibition program this year.
Heinz Mack (*1931) was a co-founder of the artist network ZERO, which has been active in Germany and Europe since the 1950s. He is represented for the first time at the WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL.
Keith Sonnier (1941 — 2020) was one of the pioneers in the USA who began translating drawings into neon light in the 1960s. He later developed a series of light rooms entitled BA—O—BA to bathe in light. One of Sonnier’s works was displayed for the first time in the Zumtobel Collection at the Castle of the Holy Angel in 2022. This year, the neon drawing „Chacahoula“ opens the museum’s exhibition tour.
Brigitte Kowanz (1957 — 2022) focused on signing and coding properties of light and used neon lines and texts. Her work „Delight“ was part of the exhibition program in 2022. Two works from 2002 can be seen at Neustift Abbey this year: The fluorescent tube-based installation „Sichtbares trifft auf Verborgenes — Augenblick auf Dauer“ and the LED-based installation „Lichtwechsel“.
Anish Kapoor (*1954) contrasts the presence and absence of light. In the selection and development of his artistic materials, light-responsive behavior in terms of refraction, reflection, and color rendering is of decisive importance. The installation „Ode to Peter“ (2003) contrasts a deep black, non-reflective screen embedded in a dynamic light frame.
MEET THE ARTISTS with all artists at their sites
25 APR 2024 2:00 PM — 4:00 PM
MEET THE CURATOR with Bettina Pelz
26 APR 2024 2:00 PM — 4:00 PM
In Cooperation with Zumtobel
FIAT LUX About the ratio of architecture, light, and art in art in sacred spaces
9 MAY 2024 4:30 PM — 7:30 PM
In collaboration with the Neustift Schülerheim
FIND YOUR WAY — Schülerheim presents WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL
16 MAY 2024 3:00 PM — 5:00 PM
For the International Day of Museums
KIDS ART LAB with Martina Dal Brollo
18 MAY 2024 10:00 AM — 5:00 PM
GUIDED TOURS
TUE — THU — SAT 2:30 — 4:00 PM
In German and Italian at the same time,
in two groups separated by language.
WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL NEUSTIFT / NOVACELLA 2024 TEAM
Artistic Direction: Bettina Pelz
Artists‘ Coordination: Veronika Pelz
Artists‘ Hospitality: Julia Niederstätter
Production Coordination: Julia Niederstätter, Aymen Gharbi
Production Team: Martin Moosburger, Franz Thaler a.o.
Communication: Barbara Prugger
Web: Julia Niederstätter
Art Mediation / Art in Dialogue: Barbara Prugger
Photo Documentation: Jennifer Braun
Video Documentation: Erik Wälz
WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL BRIXEN / NEUSTIFT 2024
Hosts: Brixen Tourismus / Brixen Cultur
Director: Werner Zanotti
Curatorial Team: Werner Zanotti, Nika Perne, Bettina Pelz
FEATURED IMAGE
Anish Kapoor (Collection Zumtobel). WATER LIGHT FESTIVAL Neustift 2024. Photo: Jennifer Braun.
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