Bill Fontana. SILENT ECHOES: DACHSTEIN

Water flows in two directions: toward each other and into each other. Using recordings from the glacial river on the Dachstein, sound and media artist Bill Fontana created in 2024 a visual reflection on the element that constitutes not only 70 percent of the human body but also 70 percent of our planet. Nothing embodies the cycle of the elements—and of life itself—more than water. Its states of aggregation have been thrown out of fragile balance by the rapid warming of the Earth in recent years. The graceful flow of water in Bill Fontana’s work is therefore both a warning and a factual record of a changing era.

In autumn 2025, the project will be reactivated as part of several thematic focuses on the subject of water.

The reactivation of the project on the BIX media façade creates a public space for reflection, inviting visitors to contemplate change, responsibility, and sustainability. At the same time, the project draws attention to the pressing climate crisis and the fragility of our natural and cultural foundations. By connecting culture and environment, Silent Echoes offers a moment to engage with our present and reflect on our responsibility for the future.

Curator Wolfgang Schlag described the project as a powerful statement on cultural fragility and global environmental responsibility, resonating both locally and across Europe, and emphasizing the deep connection between cultural heritage and ecological future.

A production of the European Capital of Culture Bad Ischl – Salzkammergut 2024, in cooperation with IRCAM, Centre Pompidou, OÖ KulturEXPO Anton Bruckner 2024, Ars Electronica Festival, Goiserer Musiktage, Kunstradio Ö1, MuseumsQuartier Vienna, and Kunsthaus Graz. Thanks to OÖ Seilbahnholding GmbH and Planai-Hochwurzen-Bahnen GmbH.