Workshop Experiences
Working for weeks, even months, in the plaster hall – welding steel, flexing tubes, wielding the oxygen cutter, lifing metal, polishing surfaces, etc. in the company of colleagues, each with a different background – now that's a great experience! It means taking part not only in the collective working process, but also in the creative activity of each of the other participants. The one thing that unites them all is the steel. The artists come here only to work with steel as an artistic medium. They all have their own individual ways of working the steel, any they all have only steel on their minds.

One of the first things you learn when working with the heavy steel parts at the plaster hall is that you could never do it on your own. With a little help fro their colleagues, however, the artists are able to transcend their own limitations and bring to life visions that otherwise would have been lost to the world. Still, everyone works in accordance with their own principles and ideas, being fully in charge of their work from the initial concept to the actual production. The physical proximity in this most inspiring working atmosphere encourages artists to work all the more vigorously and intensely. The premises of the industry complex provide ideal conditions for such intense creative activity, as workshop participants are virtually cut off from civilization and its conveniences. With no libraries or urban institutions to distract them, the artists are working in a kind of self-imposed isolation. This, of course, requires certain sacrifices on their part. Come evening, the artists, although satisfied with their work, are usually thoroughly exhausted. As the workshop progresses, certain regular patterns of alternating working phases and mealtime breaks emerge. The breaks, apart from providing the necessary physical refreshment, are welcomed as a valuale opportunity to engage in discussions and the exchange of experiences. On the whole, working together like that spells personal enrichment on many levels. Participants appreciate the workshops also because they are held during the summer, and who wouldn't prefer that to working at a stuffy atelier during wintertime? Outside the plaster hall the artists can enjoy the natural surroundings that stretch towards the Salzach river, seeking inspiration at the scrapyard or enhancing their knowledge of steel art by observing the sculptures in the outdoor gallery.