SOILART Exposition opened: Arts and Commitment for our Soil!

Wilfing: 35,000 School Boys and Girls from Four States Create Wonderful Pieces of Art!

The current exposition at the exposition bridge at the Lower Austrian Landhaus SOILART - shows pieces of art, the roots of which reach deep down in our culture, down to the early days of mankind. The specialty is also that they have been produced using ancient techniques, but exclusively by young persons.
At the opening of this exposition, school forms from Slovakia, Hungary and Lower Austria met in St. Poelten. Lower Austrian Regional Minister for the Youth, Mag. Karl Wilfing held the opening speech. Peter DeMartin, Secretary General of the Working Community of the Danube Regions and Christian Steiner, Grad. Eng., Chairman of the European Land and Soil Alliance, participated in the event, such as a large number of project partners of the SONDAR (Soil Strategy Network in the Danube Region) EU network.

Schools in Lower Austria and its neighbouring countries Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Rebublic have committed themselves to the creative opportunities of painting and designing with soil colours, directly gained from soil, for some years under artistic supervision by Prof. Irena Racek from Sitzendorf in the Weinviertel (wine quarter).

The soil protection campaign of "Our soil - we stand upon it", initiated by Governor Dr. Erwin Proell and Regional Minister Dr. Stephan Pernkopf, forms the framework of this initiative, originating in Lower Austria, which is being implemented by the Department of Rural Development.

In some projects of territorial cooperation with neighbouring countries, subsidized by the European Union, approx. 35,000 school boys and girls from 300 schools have painted with soil colours. Hundreds of pieces of art have come into existence. A selection thereof can now be viewed until January 2nd, 2013 at the exposition bridge at the St. Poelten Landhaus.

For further information: www.soilart.eu / www.sondar.eu / www.unserboden.at

Photos © Department of Rural Development / Nadja Meister