Mozart’s Wives

Oskar Stocker  |  Luis Rivera, Mozart 2 go, Salzburg 2019

During the 2019 Mozart Week in Salzburg, the artists Oskar Stocker and Luis Rivera show another side to the musical genius in the famous Baroque hall of the restaurant St. Peter Stiftskulinarium. With an unusually critical eye, they present their perspective on this Mozart marketing event that recurs on a yearly basis. “With this interactive exhibition we celebrate Mozart as virtuoso, not fictional character,” says Stocker. The interactive part of the temporary exhibition, called Mozart 2 go, illustrates the exploitation of the cultural heritage surrounding Mozart by displaying typical popular objects related to the figure of Mozart.

“Mozart is boring. Why? Because he always fits the bill. As Mozart Week, as kitsch and confection, as a name for a college, as the artistic highlight and headline of the ‘Mozart-City Salzburg.’ His likeness appears on teacups, plates, T-shirts, and notebooks, Mozart as lettering, brand, and economic factor with global recognition. Extremely valuable, yet vapid.”
Karin Peschka, author