HACKING STEROTYPED VIEWS

The marketing of South Tyrol and the Dolomite valleys is primarily driven by visually stunning, high-impact imagery. As a result, the Dolomites have become an international visual brand. A clear example of this is the recent case of Seceda, where thousands of tourists queue up to capture photos that are identical to one another and, in turn, exact replicas of the shot displayed by Tim Cook during the iPhone 15 presentation. But is it possible to de-stereotype our vision of the landscape by introducing elements of disruption that stimulate critical thinking and deeper reflections on the Alpine environment and humanity´s impact on it? Can contemporary art play a role in this process? We discuss these questions with Doris Ghetta (founder and director of Biennale Gherdëina); Elide Mussner (consultant in sustainable tourism and co-spokesperson of Verdi Grüne Vërc); and Michael Moling (founder and president of SMACH, Alta Badia).

Doris Ghetta is a gallerist, founder of the Galleria Doris Ghetta, and founder of the Biennale Gherdëina, which she established in 2008. For over twenty years, she has been promoting dialogue—supporting international art projects—between contemporary art, the alpine landscape, and Ladin culture.
Michael Moling is a designer and founder of Studio Puls. He co-founded the SMACH Biennale in 2011. Over the years, SMACH’s activities have diversified: it organizes screenings, meetings, and concerts, and this autumn, it will launch a series of artist residencies in historic farmhouses across the region.
Elide Musser is the co-spokesperson for the Verdi Grüne Vërc. Since 2020, she has been working as a business consultant, promoting a conscious and proactive approach towards building socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable business practices and ways of working.
Stefano Riba is a cultural producer, educator, and project-installation manager. He has organized numerous art projects focusing on inner and alpine areas in Piedmont, Val d’Aosta, Trentino and South Tyrol. He is Head of Installation at Ar/Ge Kunst since 2016.