Transport of the ship „Grünberg“ from the Traunsee/Gmunden to the river „Große Mühl”

May 2005
Gmunden/Station Neufelden

The „Grünberg“ (23 metres long and approx. 32 tons heavy) is a passenger ship that had been transported from the Traunsee (160 kilometres) to the banks of the river “Große Mühl” within the large scale project “All in the same boat” and then “landed” there. This landed boat then was supposed to be loaded with the “luggage of our culture”, resembling a cultural ark and being used as permanent installation. Between the poles of European cultures, poor and rich, young and the old, water and land, a world of different personal realities should be created and installed. .
The ship became the museum-like cargo hold of cultural goods and everyday objects from different European worlds together with their personal stories. On a formal level, the ship works like a stock of used parts. The origin and personal meaning of the objects is being recorded and transported for the visitors. The material for this work was formed of 50 passengers, young people and adults from Romania and Austria. They contributed and came for one week to Austria with their “cultural luggage”. Just as if they would leave their home forever, they packed their bags and took their luggage together with their stories on board. Over the course of one week the meaning of these brought along objects was being discussed. .

The 23 metres long „Günberg“ originally drove on the “Starnbergersee” until Visconti bought it for the film “Ludwig II.” It was then rebuilt to a fake paddle steamer. Helmut Berger and Romy Schneider worked as actors on this boat. After that the company “Traunseeschifffahrt” bought the boat and used it as excursion ship and then for transporting wood. Joachim Eckl brought it to the “Große Mühl” within the Stifter year 2005 to “land” it on the banks of this river. Just like the “derailment” the “landing” is a monumental installation, where the power of the moment matters.

Both are real-time sculptures: The power of the moment is the basic notion. In this moment everything changes into a new situation of reality. The whole (pre) history is mirrored in this moment. One single glance is not enough to find out and understand. You have to listen into these powerful installations like listening into a piece of music to be able to grasp and use them. You are obliged to empathize and think about the forces that made the ship and the railway “land” here and been provided with the terms “landing – derailment”. They are recognized as pieces of art and work as inspiration and impulse of consciousness for the visitors of “Die Station”.