Bernd KOLLER, 2021 Jetzt liegt nur noch an den Spitzen der Berge Schnee_2 Jetzt liegt nur noch an den Spitzen der Berge Schnee_2

Bernd Koller’s childhood home, Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße, formed the starting point for this work. This small community in the Pinzgau region of Salzburg has a long tradition of tourism, but has largely avoided mass tourism, apart from the cross-Alpine route that traverses it. After researching old travel literature about the area, Koller set off on hikes and seeking out that route and similar motifs, sketching and taking photographs on the spot. The title of the work, “Jetzt liegt nur noch auf den Spitzen der Berge Schnee” (Now There is Only Snow on the Peaks of the Mountains), is a quote from a historical postcard he found in the Schloss Ritzensee local history museum in Saalfelden. 
Koller takes an interest in the evocative effect of words and writing, seeking to tap into this combination to encourage reflection on quotations and images. Melding both in a single piece prompts viewers on the one hand to engage with the motif per se, while on the other hand questioning the significance of the melting snow – be it due to the season or to climate change – and the accompanying changes in the landscape. Koller incorporated the handwriting of his 90-year-old grandmother into the lettering in this work, using screen printing technology to apply the quotation to the paint layer.  This can be interpreted very differently in the contemporary context: Whereas 100 years ago, scant snow cover heralded the advent of the next season, today the title of the work is more likely to be associated with the global climate impact of melting snow. This three-part work from the series of the same name recalls a collection of vedute from his childhood home, while also incorporating topical references and seeking to reflect on the interactions between nature and mass tourism.