137 Seeblick-Suite. Die beiden Gemälde stammen von Hubert Schmalix aus den Jahren 1990 und 1991: Er zählt zu den »Neuen Wilden« der österreichischen Szene. EVERYTHING IS HARMONIOUSLY COORDINATED SO THAT GUESTS CAN BE INSPIRED. THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME AND PASSION. niture. It enters into a dialogue with the location and has to prove itself in its intensity. The works of Carinthian pop artist Kiki Kogelnik fit in perfectly. Last year, a major exhibition at the Vienna Kunstforum made the variety of forms and innovative power of this artist, who died in 1997, accessible to a young generation. Ramsbacher has proven to have a knack for collecting. »I was never interested in what was trendy or what might increase in value,« she says: »I collected what appealed to my soul.« She used to attend art academies and travelled as far as Zagreb to see works by up-and-coming talents. ART AS JOIE DE VIVRE The collection is impressive: Xenia Hausner, Hermann Nitsch, Gunter Damisch, Markus Prachensky and the celebrated Maria Lassnig turn the hotels into habitable museums. Georg Baselitz is also represented with his powerful, archaic brushstrokes and upside-down portraits. An expressive Parsifal painting by the German painter Markus Lüpertz hangs in the hotel lobby in »Schloss Seefels«. The works of art in the castle, for example, were personally selected by Helena Ramsbacher from 6,000 works in the Haselsteiner family collection. Is there a curatorial line as to which works of art are presented in the hotels? »The pictures should radiate joie de vivre,« she says. Everything has to be harmoniously coordinated, which requires a lot of time and passion. It took her six months just to select all the artefacts for »Schloss Seefels«. She is particularly pleased when her guests − many of whom come regularly − talk to her about art and design. And leave inspired. Bright colours, bold patterns and the courage to be eclectic are booming; in this respect, Ramsbacher was ahead of her time with her creative style, which cannot be pigeonholed. The interior trend, »Dopamine Decor« is currently appealing to millions of followers on TikTok who are celebrating the new maximalism and have had enough of boring, functional interiors. »Especially in times of crisis, we need a counterbalance,« analyses trend researcher Oona Horx Strathern. There is even a scientific basis for this. »From a neurological perspective, playfulness enables us to gain new perspectives, develop more creativity and new ways of thinking. It takes us out of our routine, surprises us and shatters our expectations,« says Horx Strathern. In this respect, a visit to the extended living rooms of Helena Ramsbacher, a passionate hostess, is definitely recommended. But watch out for the tempting brioche! <
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