Austrian art installation Cliffhanger sparks tourist selfie backlash

Since September 2020, the art collective Steinbrener-Dempf und Huber has installed Cliffhanger, an information point embedded in a rock face overlooking the Mira waterfalls in Austria. The work was commissioned by Florian Schublach, head of the Oetscher-Tormaeuer Nature Park, to critique mass tourism in the area, which draws visitors from across the country and region. The artists—sculptor Christoph Steinbrener, photographer and graphic designer Rainer Dempf, and architect Martin Huber—intend the installation to visualize the conquest of landscape and the constant pushing of civilization's boundaries, often at the expense of local residents and nature. They note that the COVID-19 pandemic has temporarily disrupted the profit-maximizing exploitation of natural resorts, and the project serves as a warning to treat the environment more sustainably. The installation has provoked strong reactions from hikers, who accuse it of ruining their views, obstructing selfie backdrops, and marring the pristine landscape. Artist Katharina Schleifer called it a sacrilege on Instagram, lamenting that the spot was once friendly before the box appeared. The work is scheduled to remain until October 2021, but its survival amid protests is uncertain.