Open culture day

Matthias Maeder is a wood sculptor, restorer and carpenter. He has been carrying on a long-standing tradition of sculpture in his studio for over 20 years, creating sculptures in wood and works in plaster, as well as private commissions. Together with Claudia Vogel, he also develops installations and numerous exhibitions at home and abroad. Claudia Vogel has focussed primarily on the olfactory sense. The selected media are very diverse: drawing, performance, installation, etc.

Over 30 years ago, a band called Dark Soul was looking for a rehearsal room - and found a place to stay in the ARA Engelberg thanks to the efforts of locals. For decades, bands such as The Toenails, Drunken Sailors, Alberto & the Fried Bikinis, Sir Donkey's Revenge, Beatlebums and Black Market Cadillac rehearsed under Basin 4 and made themselves at home there. Come along and experience the unfiltered rehearsal room feeling of a rock band consisting of Beat Barmettler (Barmy), Christian Gosteli (Gosteli) and Thomas Infanger (Thömsy).

Dominik Brun can look back on a long and successful career as a writer. He has written radio plays, theatre plays and numerous works of prose, among other things. In 1979, he was awarded the Literature Promotion Prize of the City of Lucerne and in 2010 he received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture of Rhineland-Palatinate.

My appearances on Open Culture Day
In the lounge/bar at Hohenegg
11:00 ‘Browse’ through my previous books / Discussions about my literary work / Read short, new, entertaining texts on request, etc.
14:00 Programme as at 11:00 a.m.
14:30 Especially for children and their accompanying adults
De Riisevogu vo Ängubärg (the original)
(The creation of the Engelberg poems & stories)
15:30 Programme as at 14:30
17:00 Closing round and drinks / ‘Browse’ through my previous books / Discussions about my literary work / Reading of short, new, entertaining texts on request, etc.

Ian Clements, born in the south of England and deeply connected to Switzerland, captures fleeting moments and emotions in his works. His art evokes the feeling of a moment, captured by light and mood.

Upcycling with a difference! The iron sculptures are mainly made from rusty metal parts that are no longer used. The artist couple Maggie and Hanspeter Demario get their inspiration for the figures from their experiences and from wonderful encounters with very special people.  There is also food at this location: Roast cheese, coffee and cake. 

After completing his photographic training in the city of Zurich, Kurt Heimberg began more than 30 years of work as a factory and industrial photographer in a wide variety of fields. At  open culture day he shows visitors how an object can be designed for a digital publication by means of lighting and neutral colour adjustment through photography.

The sister work of Antonia Kiser and Ursi van Muyden. For two years, a picture or a text was created every month. A new image was created to accompany the text, and a new text was created to accompany the image. This resulted in 24 collaborative works that together make (un)sense.

At Moni's workshop, you can experience goldsmithing live, have a piece of jewellery refurbished free of charge, ask questions about individual ideas and wishes, and, of course, admire the jewellery on display.

Rosmarie Peterhans completed various courses in object design, covering both large and small figures. Many of her creations are made from papier-mâché or pulp, and the artist delights audiences with her large and small figures, decorative items and imaginative animal creatures.

During the first lockdown in 2020, Peter Roediger discovered the art of miniatures. He is passionate about building miniature worlds and objects out of wood and resin in his studio. However, his first work was created back in 2017: a Christmas wonderland that can also be marvelled at on YouTube.

In the “crazy Café Zum Hoheneck”, the artist Ruben Schneider shows his impressive Rivertable made of epoxy hard and wood.
From 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., there will be live music at the “crazy Café” downstairs in the Hotel Hoheneck.

Sheila Westera's wearable artwork was born out of her environmental awareness, when she began transforming waste found in nature into an expressive necklace several years ago. Today, her non-conformist creations continue to challenge perspectives, with each piece telling its own story - from pure beauty to works with deeper meaning. Her work is collected worldwide and will be presented this year in prestigious exhibitions in London, Venice and Florence.

Mountain landscapes and striking peaks - inspired by her own photographs, Nathalie Merkelbach is passionate about painting. With a playful, intuitive approach and a keen sense of colour nuances, she creates expressive works that can be viewed on 13 September.

Playful, colourful and full of personality - that's Nina Widmer's art. Whether caps, T-shirts, shoes, old windows, doors, pieces of furniture or even people - the artist turns them into personal works of art. 

The Engelberg artist Brigitte Gautschi opens her gallery and provides insights into her diverse artistic work. Together with Zejnepe, she presents works that tell stories, evoke emotions and invite you to linger. A lively atmosphere, personal conversations with the artist and a look behind the scenes of art await you.

Brushes and paint have been the daily companions of Antonia Langenstein for almost five years. Her work is characterised by her use of different media. She will be showing a selection of paintings on the KulTÜR open day.

Markus L'Hoste was fascinated by the Engelberg mountains from an early age, which he captures in paintings, photographs and films. He also artistically realises literary works - such as poems by the Swiss writer C. F. Meyer, who has close ties to Engelberg. Self-composed and digitally produced orchestral compositions stand alone or accompany his traditional works, but also his AI expressions.

The sister work of Antonia Kiser and Ursi van Muyden. For two years, a picture or a text was created every month. A new image was created to accompany the text, and a new text was created to accompany the image. This resulted in 24 collaborative works that together make (un)sense.

In Greth Röösli's open studio, you can try out the technique of painting with pastel chalk and learn more about the artist. The art in the stairwell inspires you to sign up for a painting course with her right away – which you can do on this day!

The Tal Museum Engelberg has been showing exhibitions on various themes relating to Engelberg for over 35 years. From June to October, ten artists from Central Switzerland present works that deal with the valley community.

Programme:
11.15 a.m.: Guided tour of the exhibition with curator 
14.30: Musical intermezzo in front of the works

Laurin Frommenwiler, a trained graphic designer, worked in this profession for several years. He was fascinated by illustration. For over 10 years, he has been passionate about pointillism dot art. He is exhibiting his pictures for the first time.

The theatre performances of the Collegiate Theatre of Engelberg Abbey School have a long tradition and are an integral part of the school year. The performances usually take place in the school's own theatre hall, which was inaugurated in 1906 with Beethoven's opera ‘Fidelio’. On this day, the theatre tradition of the house is presented and first insights into the next performance in February 2026 are given.

Access via the entrance “Pforte”.

P. Eugen Bollin, studio visit (max. 10 people):

The performing arts have been richly developed at Engelberg Abbey by outstanding artists, especially since the 20th century. Father Eugen Bollin is tirelessly active in his studio every day when he is working on a particular theme, one of which is currently the ‘Tree of Life’.

The studio is not large and there are a few steps leading up to it, without a lift. In order to experience the unique atmosphere in the studio, we have set the visiting times and the number of participants.

Meeting point at the gate, we take a maximum of 10 participants per visit:

11.00 - 11.45 a.m. Studio visit 1

11.45 - 12.20 a.m. Midday prayer by the monks

14.00 - 14.45 Studio visit 2

15.00 - 15.45 Studio visit 3

16.00 - 16.45 Studio visit 4

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Roland Limacher is showing impressive plaster replicas of fragments of the slate floors from the interior of the monastery in his studio in the Engelberg monastery's utility building. In combination with writings, he creates panels that are reminiscent of the stuccowork and gilding of the monastery and the church. He has also worked successfully as a copywriter and conceptual designer for many years and will give a five-minute reading in his studio every hour on the hour.

With the collegiate organist Alessandro Valoriani, you will experience the impressive sound of Switzerland's largest concert organ and choir organ, which is used for choral prayers and to accompany hymns at Mass, in the Engelberg monastery church. Alessandro will take you into his world of sound with explanations, anecdotes and audio samples. In the anteroom, you will learn about the history of the monastery organs during an illustrated tour.

Meeting point for tours in the anteroom of the monastery church at the following times:

11.00 - 11.45 a.m. 
11.45 a.m. - 12.20 p.m. Attunement and midday prayer by the monks
14.00 - 14.45 
15.00 - 15.45
16.00 - 16.45
4.45 - 5.45 pm Attunement and pre-evening mass