Sven Sachsalber

Sven Sachsalber

Wilhalm (Curon), 2012

Ed. 1/1 + 1 A.P

Video Projection (16:9), 24 hours

Courtesy Museion Foundation. Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Bolzano

Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio - Bolzano Collection

Sven Sachsalber, a prolific artist with an enigmatic presence in the art world, died in Vienna on December 10, 2020, from heart failure due to left ventricular hypertrophy. Sachsalber was born in Silandro, Italy, in 1987. He leaves behind his mother, Priska Sachsalber, and his beloved, Andra Ursuţa.

On May 8 (Sachsalber’s birthday), Ramiken will exhibit “Wilhalm (Curon),” a 24 hour video work documenting a performance by Sachsalber.

For a full day and night, Sachsalber rowed a coffin around the medieval bell tower of the romanesque Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria, the last visible vestige of the submerged town of Curon. In 1950, against the wishes of the villagers living in Curon, a dam was built and two lakes, Lake Resia and Lake Curon, were combined to form a new artificial lake, flooding Curon and displacing all of its residents.