On the occasion of the 2023 Richard Wagner Festival, German conceptual artist Prof. Ottmar Hörl, at the initiative of Bernd Saupe, 1st Chairman of the “Markgräfin Wilhelmine Gesellschaft e. V.” association, developed a new sculpture project for Bayreuth. The serial golden Richard Wagner figures on the lawn of the Festival Hill in Bayreuth kindly spread their arms, extend them to the audience for an embrace, warmly welcome everyone, and capture people’s hearts. The deeply human gesture of a welcoming embrace is considered a sign of mutual appreciation, joy, openness, encouragement, connection, respect, and solidarity. This gesture is universally anchored in humanity’s cultural memory. It is one of the grand gestures, as often seen in opera; one that conveys positive emotions. At the same time, it is a very everyday gesture, also understood as a sign of tolerance.
The aim is to draw attention to the fact that the Wagner city, which celebrates the world-famous composer annually with special events, is always worth a visit. Richard Wagner’s vision of welcoming all opera enthusiasts to Bayreuth is transformed through the means of visual arts into a contemporary visual language that reaches people of all generations worldwide.
YOU’RE WELCOME – RICHARD WAGNER ART INSTALLATION AT THE FESTIVAL HILL!
