Rural areas such as the Salzkammergut are bursting with clichés: the beautiful landscape, the traditional house, blooming daffodils, lakes with clear water, dirndl dresses and lederhosen. So it’s no wonder that the queer community is met with scepticism. Anyone who looks different doesn’t belong here. Yet it would be entirely in the spirit of a forward-looking life in the countryside to support lifestyles outside of the so-called norm, also for a future tourism strategy. Haven’t rural areas always been better suited to utopias than those in cities? The original utopia was an island. So let’s imagine our future Queertopia as islands in lonely valleys, on sloping mountainsides or as floating plateaus on the lake – rural paradises where it’s worth throwing off your clothes for a short time and trying something new. At QUEERSAUNA, students from the University of Art and Design Linz will discuss the queer future of the countryside together with an expert on queer spaces and protagonists from salzkammerqueer, the local LGBTIQ* community. Come and see, feel free and go queer!
Programme and schedule:
The centrepiece of the event is the Plateau Blo floating sauna. Between 2pm and 6pm, there will be various “Sauna Talks” where participants can exchange ideas about being queer in the countryside. Birgit Hofstätter from the Salzkammerqueer project will be present as a guest. Students will present their projects, including “Uncover” by Kaya Lackner, the “remain unexplained” by Robin Renner and the “unDOCKn” project by Rebecca Strasser-Kirchweger.
A queer art market and a coffee and cake sale will round off the programme. The sale will take place on a donation basis, with the proceeds going to Salzkammerqueer at the first Pride in the Salzkammergut in Bad Ischl.
There will be a discussion area with picnic blankets both on land and on a floating platform. In addition, discussion cards will be provided to support the discussions.
Plateau Blo
Research Station, Sauna, Space for Performance and Exhibition
With PLATEAU BLO, a floating island structure consisting of several platforms moves across Lake Traunsee during the Capital of Culture year.
More about the project at salzkammergut-2024.at
