2020
In 2020, we took you on a journey into the theatrical world of organ figurines!
Exhibition Street Scene
In the Street Scene exhibition, visitors were introduced to a huge variety of organ figurines: court dancers from the wig era, boldly dressed ‘cheerleaders’, exotically dressed gentlemen, rural nostalgia, fashions from nightlife in the 1930s and a whole lot more! Organ figurines are artisanal and often skilfully made products of their time that still attract a lot of attention. They reference times gone by and represent an ideal image or the issues of the day. For decades, they roamed from organ to organ, from street to street. Street music and the streetscape have changed over the years. The exhibition shows how this has influenced the organ figurines themselves, connecting the heritage of a hundred or more years ago to the present day.
Face to face with sculptures by Demetz
Besides being able to meet historical figures, you also came face to face with a number of contemporary wooden sculptures by international wood sculptor Peter Demetz. Demetz’s predecessors and namesakes made the most beautiful organ figurines in Ortisei, Italy, more than 100 years ago. Demetz sees himself as following this tradition although he does not create organ figurines. His art takes the form of lifelike, unpainted wooden sculptures which are placed in a theatrical setting. Where the organ figurines of Peter’s predecessors look at the visitor and seem to move, Peter’s sculptures stand still, staring into the distance, seemingly lost in contemplation. In Street Scene, visitors were able to admire the differences and similarities between the historic organ figurines and contemporary artworks by Demetz himself.
