Culture
Alice Stori Liechtenstein’s summer shows… in a 900-year-old castle
Alice Stori Liechtenstein in Schloss Hollenegg, 2022.
Image courtesy of: Alice Stori Liechtenstein, photographed by: Lipp Zahnschirm (as featured in The Design Edit)
Each year, Alice Stori Liechtenstein turns her home… a fairy tale castle in southern Austria… into a design residency program. For the past seven years, the Italian-born curator has created a sort of “contemporary creative hub” within the castle walls. The intent is to bring together a select group of multidisciplinary artists who can draw inspiration from Schloss Hollenegg’s long history.
Liechtenstein is involved in each part of the process; she says that she tries to be both (courtesy of a New York Times Style Magazine article by Tom Delavan) “nurturing and stern, encouraging them to draw on the history of the Schloss, to ‘explore all the rooms and open all the drawers,’ but not to get so lost that they don’t finish their projects.”
From the 2018 show, “Legacy.” The site-specific installation was courtesy of Belen. The Dutch duo designed “The Tasseled Throw” which (courtesy of Schloss Hollenegg for Design) “is a fresh thick textile mass to sit or lay on, which can be placed on different chairs or sofas to add warmth.”
Image courtesy of: Yatzer, photographed by: Leonhard Hilzensauer
These days, she loves the castle; however initially, Liechtenstein was completely against moving into the castle that has been in her husband’s family for two centuries. The city girl grew up in urban areas; she attending boarding school in England and university in Milan. Following graduation, Liechtenstein started curating exhibitions for Milan’s annual furniture fair. She met her husband, Alfred, while she was in graduate school in Barcelona; and her compromise was moving an hour away from the castle to Graz. However starting a family made it much more appealing to move to the castle full-time.
With 900 years of history, there was substantial restoration to consider; the couple worked hard to ensure that the castle’s history be kept intact. However the Liechtenstein’s decided that any new addition would be to their taste, meaning modern. Even with these personalizations, Liechtenstein never felt as a true owner of the house, it just was not home. It was her 2016 plan to host artists at Schloss Hollenegg… to bring the contemporary into the antique, allowing the curator to develop a “personal relationship” with her home.
From 2020’s “Walden” show, the exhibition’s purpose was to explore our relationship with nature. The theme in 2020 was appropriate as the show took place during the heart of the pandemic.
Image courtesy of: Dezeen
Since 2016, Liechtenstein’s non-profit residency program and exhibition platform has supported emerging talents. Each of the past eight summer explorations have revolved around a theme of the curator’s choosing. Prior to presenting the finished work, the selection of lucky residents are able to spend three weeks living on the castle’s premises.
The residents are invited to explore the castle’s entirety… virtually all the rooms are open to them and the artists are encouraged to find inspiration within Schloss Hollenegg’s walls. Courtesy of The New York Times, “By the time the residency concluded, they had in hand precise sketches for designs, and- thanks to Ms. Liechtenstein’s connections- contracts for production partners to help them realize their plans.”
While the residents’ wares are being produced, Liechtenstein commissions pieces from other designers to co-exist with the pieces being designed. At the culmination of three weeks, everything is presented together.
From this year’s “Ashes and Sand,” “Life and Death” by Hanna-Kaisa Korolainen, a Finnish multidisciplinary artist.
Image courtesy of: Galerie Magazine, photographed by: Lipp Zahnschrim
For Liechtenstein, the hope is that the objects or projects designed are able to reside inside the castle so seamlessly that you don’t even know when they were made. However, those same pieces also need to be able to live in different environments and settings. That can be a bit tricky with the history within the castle; however, it means that the designers need to research and educate themselves proficiently.
This past summer, “Ashes and Sand” was the theme; the exhibition celebrated the vast possibilities of glass. Designers pushed traditional glassblowing techniques in new innovative ways and directions, showcasing the large variety of products that can be made out of glass. In addition, the exhibition also scrutinized glass production in the region around Schloss Hollenegg. In addition, designers continued to educate themselves (and hopefully their audiences) on how economics and politics play a role in the emergence and popularity of glass.
From “Ashes and Sand,” Luca Gruber’s Oz lamps.
Image courtesy of: Galerie Magazine, photographed by: Lipp Zahnschrim
While some designers push traditional techniques to the brink, other designers investigate how “of-the-moment” technology comes into play. Usually closed to the public, the castle is open during this period… allowing audiences to explore and revel in the pieces.
Liechtenstein believes that for the residents, “It’s a bit like summer camp.” They are indeed the lucky few, and with these exhibitions, the castle breathes new life. Preparations for next summer’s session are already in the works and we cannot wait to hear what the chosen material will be. Thank you Liechtenstein… for sharing your 52-room abode with the world and for (courtesy of Galerie Magazine, quoted by Liechtenstein herself) “fostering a community of creatives, and we are doing it in an unusual place”
