This Issue’s Lucky Number NEW & APPROVED News from the region

Did You Know That... a new certification awards sustainable destinations and hotels in South Tyrol?

THE SOUTH TYROL SUSTAINABILITY LABEL is awarded to destinations and accommodation providers that are fully committed to building a world fit for future generations. They can demonstrate this by saving resources and energy, treating their employees fairly, being family-friendly, protecting our region’s cultural heritage and conserving our countryside’s biodiversity. This wide range of criteria demonstrates how sustainability is about much more than just protecting the environment. There are three levels of certification, the highest of which is indicated by a dark green seal and is internationally recognised. Applicants are certified by an independent body and must meet a list of strict criteria based on guidelines set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). Brixen/Bressanone is currently working towards the Level 3 as well as the official GSTC certificates along with its neighbouring towns Vahrn/Varna and Franzensfeste/Fortezza.

suedtirol.info/sustainable-holiday plose.org

THIS IS HOW MANY METRES the new Plose cable car will ascend when it opens in late 2023. The new gondola lift will be divided into two sections, with the Plose I cable car transporting passengers from St. Andrä/Sant’Andrea above Brixen to the middle station and the Plose II continuing on to Kreuztal/Valcroce at 2,050 metres above sea level. The modern twin cable car will replace the current gondola lift, which has been transporting hikers and skiers up the Plose mountain for almost 37 years. With its new ten-passenger gondolas, bike transport and accessible entrances and exits, it will be able to carry up to 2,400 passengers an hour, making it well-equipped to cope with the growing number of people visiting the Plose every summer.

❶ CREATIVE CONFLICT AT GALLERY 90 alexpergher.com

Art is created when opposites collide. This maxim is perhaps too simplistic to encapsulate the variety of exhibitions held at this tiny art gallery in Mühlbach, which has been run by artist Alex Pergher since 2006. A hidden gem for art lovers, the gallery exhibits paintings, drawings, sculptures and installations with real creative impact that do not shy away from topical issues such as environmental pollution and war (“The compass of the soul”, July to August 2023).

❷ VENUS, A SYMBOL OF PEACE FOR KLAUSEN

Weighing in at 12 tonnes, the gold Venus statue in Klausen was created using concrete and a unique boulder. The sculpture will remain on display in its current location at the gateway to the small artists’ town of Klausen in 2023 before moving to another city. Venus figurines date back to ancient times. This modern interpretation by Lukas Mayr – who worked as a plumber before dedicating himself to his art – reflects the artist’s own unique style, using balls and spheres, and is a harmonious, quite literally rounded, work that symbolises peace and fertility. Lukas also preserves his spherical pieces for future generations by scanning them to create digital twins – so-called NFTs – that transpose his real-life objects into the digital world.

❸ BRIXEN ART GALLERY: WHERE ART KNOWS NO BOUNDS stadtgaleriebrixen.com

Brixen art gallery’s latest design concept explores how art should occupy more space. The gallery appoints new curators every few years, and in 2023 architect Gerd Bergmeister and artist Josef Rainer have taken over the reins. In addition to using the space inside the gallery, they are exploring ways to bring art and architecture together by incorporating Brixen’s historic town centre into their plans. Each exhibition involves teams of young and more established artists. By working with other museums, students and the local community, the curators hope to showcase a fusion of different artworks whose reach extends well beyond the gallery itself.

Three Highlights for Art Lovers

Contemporary art in Mühlbach/Rio di Pusteria, Klausen/Chiusa and Brixen/Bressanone