Young Cultural Innovator Includes Max Reinhardt Mirror in Art Installation

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Nov 04, 2017
by Salzburg Global Seminar
Young Cultural Innovator Includes Max Reinhardt Mirror in Art Installation

Annelies Senfter loans antique from Schloss Leopoldskron for Coming to See exhibition The Coming to See exhibition is taking place at the Salzburger Kunstverein until November 26 (Picture: Annelies Senfter)

Salzburg Global Fellow Annelies Senfter included a mirror that once belonged to Max Reinhardt in her first art installation.

The antique, recently acquired by Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron and Salzburg Global Seminar, was loaned to Senfter to be used in her Coming to See exhibition, which took place at the Salzburger Kunstverein between October 13 and November 26.

The installation included a collection of acorns from Schloss Leopoldskron, which were spread out in the Kabinett space. Completing the display was a photo of another antique mirror once owned by Reinhardt.

Senfter, a visual artist who lives and works in Salzburg, attended the third meeting of the Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators last year.

Describing Senfter’s work, the Salzburger Kunstverein said, “Annelies Senfter’s work is situated between photography, research, and poetic investigation, and investigating notions of memory and trauma. Her work resonates with an urge to uncover repressed subjects without stirring up negative sentiments.

“Thus this exhibition brings together these few elements, including the artist’s photographic work, to take a glance back 100 years and weigh upon not only the time caught between that moment and ours but also to weigh upon the immediacy of our collective present. Surviving through all that time is art, the great and pure mirror upon which we as a people may gaze. And if we choose not to gaze at this reflection, the reflection is still produced for others to see, nonetheless.”

Speaking to Salzburg Global, Senfter said, “This project belongs to another bigger project I started in 2014. I did a lot of research on sites in Salzburg the Nazis took away during World War Two, such as parks and gardens. I started with Schloss Leopoldskron.

“I started collecting leaves from elder trees, trees which were planted before World War Two happened – like all the trees here at Schloss Leopoldskron. I collected the leaves and then made a botanical collection…. I combined it with the story of the building.”

These stories and leaves appeared in Senfter’s Asking the Trees project, which also included leaves collected from Villa Zweig and Villa Trapp.

While continuing with this project, Senfter received an invitation from the Salzburger Kunstverein to put on an exhibition. She said, “I thought, ‘Okay, if the name of this exhibition (room) is Kabinett, maybe I should do something with a mirror. I did photographs of mirrors here because to Max Reinhardt, of course, mirrors were important. He was a theater man. Mirrors are important to create certain atmospheres.”

Ahead of the exhibition, Senfter returned to Schloss Leopoldskron to view Reinhardt’s mirrors in the Venetian Room and his former office. It was during this visit she was offered the chance to use one of Reinhardt’s former mirrors that had been recently acquired from the hotel.

The mirror is an original piece, crafted by a Berlin carpenter around the beginning of the 20th century. It previously hung at the palace nearly one hundred years ago. Carved out of coniferous, the mirror is silver- and gold-plated.

Senfter said, “I’m really thankful that the Schloss was so supportive with the mirror because I know that they just bought it this summer, and I’m taking it away for six weeks. I really appreciate that, and I’m thankful for it.”

Fellows from the fourth meeting of the Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators surprised Senfter by coming to the exhibition’s opening.

Having attended the Forum in 2016, Senfter described the experience as “breathtaking” and something which had helped her with her projects.

She said, “Very often I’ve heard of things we were talking about, like being brave, going forward, going to places you’ve never been before, doing something new – something you don’t know if it will out or not.

“Take the risk that if something is not working out, you will survive. If you never try, you will never know. This was very, very helpful if you’re working in the arts because it’s always something new. You never know what’s going to happen or you never know if it will work out. You can just say, ‘Okay, if I’m lucky, it will work out. If not, okay. This is what it is. I will do the next thing.’” 

WATCH: Annelies Senfter speaking in 2016 on developing projects in an intuitive way


Annelies Senfter took part in The Salzburg Global Forum for Young Cultural Innovators in 2016. The list of our partners for this session and further information can be found here: www.salzburgglobal.org/go/569