Soziale Wärme auf Mühlviertlerisch

For the project “Social Warmth in Mühlviertelese,” Anna Maria Brandstätter displays words from the Mühlviertel dialect in vinyl letter applications in public spaces of the region. The artist thereby translates and reflects on the topic of the festival in many different spaces and invites visitors as well as local residents to search for text messages via GPS. These can adorn glass facades in block lettering or can be small, hidden statements on the backs of street signs, or the bases of fountains in markets, because: Social warmth often takes place in hidden spaces and can be read through small gestures. It doesn’t happen without any effort, just like that.

In her project “Social Warmth in Mühlviertelese,” artist Anna Maria Brandstätter works with dialect as the outlook on life and selfhood of a region. It simultaneously represents the cultural heritage, local identity, and living language. For a large part of the population, it is the daily vernacular. Dialect is, in contrast to high German, a very softly accented language, resonant and melodic.

The term “social warmth” doesn’t exist in the Mühlviertel dialect, and there is no other concise expression for it. However, one can paraphrase “social warmth.” Tell a story about it. Experiences with other parts. One can find numerous words in the Mühlviertel dialect that deal with warmth, affection, nearness. There are terms that articulate the social as a prerequisite for action. A range of words and notions also stand vis-à-vis the many positive interpretations of “social warmth,” thereby stating the opposite. To approach the festival topic from all angles, one must also dedicate oneself to the flip side, which can actually be formulated in quite charming ways at times. Occasional cursing and ranting is understood when it comes from the soul and the people of the Mühlviertel. Besides, it also ultimately serves as mental hygiene.

“Social Warmth in Mühlviertelese” will be situated in all 26 municipalities of the region: in some locations, the project will leap over the district boundaries, which also function as regional borders in the Southwest, because a collective and supportive togetherness cannot stop at borders.