VINSCHGAU crystalline
International Marble Symposium South Tyrol/Italy 2024 and 2026
Six sculptors from all over the world will gather in the Vinschgau Valley to create sculptures, each for themselves and together at the same time. The work material is the crystalline stone that the world appreciates and the locals are proud of: the Vinschgau marble from the quarries in Covelano and Lasa.
Two so-called “skaters” from other cultural genres such as literature, music, acting, net art or acrobatics will perform simultaneously in their own way. In the interaction of these eight artists, independent statements will emerge in independent forms of expression that will complement or contradict each other.
The Marble Symposium South Tyrol is based on the motto “Vinschgau connects”. The planned international cultural event suggests the aspiration to think globally without denying or overplaying one’s own borders. In this way, the significance of a village, or in this case of the two villages of Schlanders and Laas, as well as of the entire Vinschgau Valley, can grow, while the experienced dimensions of the world continue to dwindle. The ambivalence of the rural Vinschgau is thematised. The alpine valley, characterised by passing through and staying, becomes attractive to locals and foreigners alike thanks to the marble it has been known for centuries.
The use of marble from the Vinschgau Valley underlines the identity of the region. The international symposium becomes a festival of encounters. The aim is to involve large sections of the population. The project partners at the level of the municipalities of Silandro and Lasa, the local authorities of Lasa and Covelano, the tourist association of Silandro-Lasa, the two quarry operators in Covelano and Lasa, as well as other players such as the vocational school for stone processing, Marmorplus, Silandro Marketing and others, have placed the project on a broad and strong foundation.
The Marble Symposium South Tyrol – “Vinschgau crystalline” is intended to establish itself in the two communities of Laas and Schlanders and to give the valuable mineral treasure, the “white gold” of the Vinschgau, the importance it has long enjoyed internationally and in specialist circles.
