THE OPENING NIGHT

Opening speakers
Dietmar Steiner, Director Az W
Martin Heller, Artistic Director of Linz09
Angelika Fitz, Curator
Andreas Mailath-Pokorny, Executive Councillor for Culture and Science, Vienna
Franz Dobusch, Mayor of Linz

„Klangwolke-Revival“
in cooperation with LIVA/Brucknerhaus Linz
Following the opening ceremony, we commemorate an event at the first „Linzer Klangwolke“ (concept: Haupt/Leopoldseder), held during the International Bruckner Festival 1979, that transformed the city into an experimental audio space. Almost 30 years ago the residents of Linz were asked to put their radios in the window, raising the boundaries to the dynamic acoustic space still further. Similarly, small radios are to be distributed all around the grounds of the MuseumsQuartier to everybody who wants to rekindle the original Klangwolke, in Vienna.

Distribution of radios: from 6pm on the grounds of the MQ
'Klangwolke — Revival': live on Ö1 at 7.30pm, Anton Bruckner's Symphony Nr. 8

Followed by drinks and local specialities from Upper Austria in front of the exhibition hall at the Az W (Staatsratshof close to the Volkstheater)

THE EXHIBITION
The capital of the federal state of Upper Austria, Linz, is a prototypical middle-sized town. It also occupies a position in the middle between industry and culture, between economic hotspot and natural setting, and making use of Vienna and Salzburg as major tourist destinations, the town has recently shown a remarkable talent for reinventing itself. Linz is to be European Capital of Culture in 2009. This calls for a new profile. Who can Linz learn from and what can others learn from Linz? What does Linz have in common with Madrid, Wolfsburg or Seattle? Which of its attributes are shared with Moscow, Manchester or Davos? An urban road movie — to the end of the world — is looking for the answer.

The aim pursued by the exhibition LINZ TEXAS is a daring one. „A City Relates“ alludes to individual facets and attributes of the town that link Linz to both obvious and apparently absurd aspects of other towns and cities. With this concept an emphatic and atmospheric reading is suddenly opened that goes well beyond previously known methods of representing a town. The result is an adventurous profusion of comparisons intended to refresh the view of the city of Linz and its affinities, and to inspire the imagination.

Exhibition curator: Angelika Fitz
Project coordination Az W: Katharina Ritter
Exhibition architecture: arquitectos/Heidi Pretterhofer
Exhibition design: MVD Austria/Barbara Eisenköck,
Michael Rieper und Christine Schmauszer
Assistant curator: Christina Nägele
Cooperation partner: Linz 2009 — Kulturhauptstadt Europas OrganisationsGmbH

Exhibition at the stadtmuseumgraz
LINZ TEXAS A City Relates
25.09. – 02.11.2008
Opening: Wed 24.09.2008, 7pm, at the stadtmuseumgraz

Concept: Angelika Fitz, Az W/Dietmar Steiner, Linz09/Martin Heller
Curator: Angelika Fitz
Exhibition architecture: arquitectos/Heidi Pretterhofer
Graphic design: MVD Austria/Barbara Eisenköck, Michael Rieper, Christine Schmauszer
Assistant curator: Christina Nägele
Project coordination Az W: Katharina Ritter
Project coordination Linz09: Gudrun Wallenböck

Publication: LINZ TEXAS A City Relates
© 2008 Springer-Verlag/Vienna
editors: Angelika Fitz, Martin Heller
layout: MVD Austria / Michael Rieper, Georg Skerbisch, Christine Schmauszer
available in English and German editions