How it all began.
Bruckner's Visions
Review of the exhibition at St Florian Monastery
In thinking of Anton Bruckner, his masses and symphonies from the second half of his life come to mind. The Augustinian Canons‘ Monastery of St Florian played a decisive role in his long personal and artistic development up to these top performances. He spent a total of 13 formative years, first as a choirboy, later as a teacher and provisional monastery organist, in an environment characterised by an enlightened Catholicism that was open to the sciences and social life. There, in a place of the world, the young son of the village teacher searched tenaciously and also full of conflict for his identity as an artist.
In the monastery
The monastery’s archive contains a large number of documents that shed light on this crucial phase of life with all its opportunities and risks. For the first time, they have now been displayed comprehensively in an exhibition, commented on and communicated through audio stations and a documentary film. The older Bruckner literature has left us with a minefield of prejudices and misinterpretations. There was talk of the ‘mystical twilight’ of the monastery. The theme of ‘Bruckner and St Florian’ was illustrated in a new way in the interior of the monastery.
Pavillions
A special experience for visitors was offered in the inner courtyard of St Florian Monastery. Several monumental and globally unique Anton Bruckner pavilions designed by the Linz-based design studio MARCH GUT were set up here. These invited visitors to experience Bruckner’s dreams and visions through multimedia presentations. The first offered the opportunity to listen to the world’s largest archive with more than 4000 Bruckner recordings. In the next Bruckner pavilion, passages from Bruckner’s life story were read aloud, and in the last one, visitors could watch artistic films, including several commissioned works that focussed on Bruckner and his work. Visitors took the opportunity to actively intervene in the programme themselves in order to visualise specific content.
Educational programme
For all those wishing to get to know the composer where his career began, the exhibition How it all began. Bruckner’s Visions at St Florian Monastery provided the ideal opportunity. Biographical details and newly discovered documents were presented in the varied exhibition of the OÖ KulturEXPO. The secrets behind them could be uncovered as part of individually bookable educational programmes for all age groups. The special guided tours with the Artistic Director of the OÖ KulturEXPO, Norbert Trawöger, were a particular highlight.
Family Sunday
Every Sunday, a Super Culture Family Sunday was organised at the monastery! Both young people and adults were able to express their creativity and immerse themselves in the world of St. Florian Monastery and the famous composer Anton Bruckner. Together with the cultural education team of the OÖ KulturEXPO Anton Bruckner 2024, children and their accompanying adults took part in numerous themed workshops and special highlight tours through the exhibition.
