Salzburg, Austria – Visitors to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birthplace are being greeted by hundreds of miniature gold-colored statuettes of the prolific composer. The installations mark the 270th anniversary of Mozart's birth on Jan. 27, 1756.
The Mozarteum Foundation unveiled 300 of the 50-centimeter (less than 20-inch) tall figures, designed by German artist Ottmar Hörl. The statues depict Mozart with his dog, Pimperl, a nod to the composer's known affection for canines and his family's walks in Mirabell Garden.
Hörl stated his intention was to showcase Mozart's human side, contrasting with the many existing monuments. "I didn’t want to do a monument of Mozart. There are already enough of these. But I wanted to show his human side, that he was a normal human being despite his genius," he told The Associated Press.
Initially, 400 statues were created, with 300 now on display in various locations including Mozart's former residence and several pavilions. The remaining 100 are being held in reserve due to past incidents of theft, with two gold-colored Mozarts reportedly stolen within hours of the exhibit's opening.
Linus Klumpner of the Mozarteum Foundation expressed hope that the unconventional display will pique curiosity and introduce new audiences to Mozart's music. "You come here, maybe you see the small golden heads shimmering in the sun on the horizon. And people become curious," Klumpner said. "And then a process begins which is very much in our interest. That is to bring new people in contact with Mozart."
This is not the first time Hörl's public art installations have experienced theft. He noted a similar occurrence with a collection of Richard Wagner statues in Bayreuth, Germany. "That’s just the nature of public space. That means when you work as an artist in a public space you mustn’t complain about what is happening there," Hörl commented.
The golden Mozart figures are scheduled to remain on display until Aug. 30. Those interested in acquiring a miniature Mozart can purchase one for 100 euros ($114), while supplies last.
Hörl is known for his large-scale polymer sculptures, including a 2010 installation of 10,000 plastic owls in Athens and oversized plastic replicas of Albrecht Dürer's hare in South Korea. He has previously courted controversy, as in 2009 when German prosecutors declined to investigate his golden garden gnomes giving the Hitler salute, which Hörl intended as satire against Nazi ideology.