In putting on an exhibition in the Foyer of the Haus für Mozart and on the Gallery of the Karl-Böhm-Saal, our aim is to give insights into the creative process behind Intolleranza 1960, document the noisy protests of the world premiere, and show the working methods of the composer and his artistic partner Emilio Vedova. The two Venetian artists enjoyed a long friendship, which was also reflected in their creative output. Vedova designed the set for Intolleranza 1960 and the ‘barca’ for the world premiere of Prometeo, while Luigi Nono dedicated his first electronic composition, Omaggio a Vedova, to his friend and was also inspired by Emilio Vedova’s visual art in his Guai ai gelidi mostri. The close ties between the Salzburg Festival and the visual arts have endured for as long as the Festival itself. Oskar Kokoschka, Fritz Wotruba, Jean Tinguely, Jörg Immendorff, Robert Longo, Alfred Hrdlicka, Daniel Richter, Jonathan Meese and William Kentridge: as stage or costume designers, all these figures turned Festival productions into a Gesamtkunstwerk. The involvement of the most important visual artists of their time with the ephemeral ‘great world theatre’ in Salzburg runs like a red thread through the history of the Festival. In addition, many of them created permanent works for the Festival’s venues. In recent years, there was an even stronger focus on the visual arts through regular exhibitions closely related to the programme of the Salzburg Festival. Since 2007, the Festival has selected and invited artists whose work chimes with the dramaturgical direction of the programming. Our special thanks this year go to all those who shared their artistic insights into the creative context of Intolleranza 1960: Nuria Schoenberg Nono, the Archivio Luigi Nono, the Fondazione Emilio e Annabianca Vedova, and particularly to Thaddaeus Ropac — without his huge personal commitment, this exhibition could not have happened. For our centenary, we look forward to writing another chapter in the history of this exciting bond between the visual and dramatic arts.
Helga Rabl-Stadler, Markus Hinterhäuser, Lukas Crepaz
Board of Directors of the Salzburg Festival