Magic Carpets 2024
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
A story told by strong women
Artists: Lindsey Nicholson (UK, AT), Charlotte Ostritsch (SWE), Jessie Pitt (AU, AT)
Curated by: Danijela Oberofer Tonkovic
Hosted by: openspace.innsbruck
Mountains have always symbolised divinity, the unattainable, protection, and the unknown, embodying the heights of human ambition. They stand as imposing obstacles – demanding both courage and reverence – as well as knowledge and imagination. In this sense, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough invites multiple interpretations. On one level, the project reflects a physical ascent – a literal journey through rugged landscapes where climbing is both a personal and collective experience. On another level, it serves as an exploration of the natural sciences, investigating the urgent threats facing mountain ecosystems and the environmental impact of climate change.
Three female artists engaged in this residency were tasked with creating works that bridge these two realms: the tangible and the symbolic, the individual and the collective. Their work interrogated the relationship between human limitations and the natural world – raising vital questions about sustainability, resilience, presence, and interconnectedness. Through their explorations, they crafted a dialogue that connects the arts and sciences – highlighting the ways in which both fields inform and inspire one another.
At its core, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough explores the connection between humans and nature, both physically and metaphorically. Through the lens of female experience, the artists created space for diverse interpretations of their shared journey into the natural world. This residency strengthened the inclusion of women in the arts and sciences – offering new perspectives and approaches to the pressing environmental issues of our time.
The Artists: Challenging Boundaries, Creating Connections, Giving Horizons
The residency began in June with Swedish artist and curator Charlotte Ostritsch, whose work is grounded in site-specific, performative actions. These actions often transform into temporary installations that explore care for places, value creation, and the relationships between objects and environments. Charlotte’s interest in knowledge creation and the creative process lies at the heart of her practice.
As part of a long-term collaboration with the local cultural institution Kunstraum Innsbruck, Charlotte led a Summer School course titled Measuring Time by Walking, which encouraged participants to care for materials in both indoor and outdoor settings. Through the process of creating cyanotype photograms, the group documented and reflected on the space around them. This experience set the stage for Charlotte’s next venture – the Girls on Ice expedition, a local project that merges art, science, and environmental activism.
As Charlotte explains, “Life and creation grow out of blissful pleasure. Creation is possible everywhere, as life itself is creation. Through just being alive, we are always creating something – even if we are unaware. Art happens when we are consciously creating.”
Following Charlotte, artist and scientist Lindsey Nicholson joined the residency in the summer. Lindsey’s practice examines the intersection of scientific inquiry and artistic expression – aiming to create social meaning through her work. As an Assistant Professor at the University of Innsbruck and co-founder of Girls on Ice, Lindsey is deeply committed to mentoring young women – encouraging them to engage with both science and art.
Lindsey believes in the power of mentorship to tackle inequality and broaden opportunities: “Girls on Ice allows me to share my experiences in the mountains with young women and support them in realising their potential.” Through each expedition, participants engage both scientifically and artistically with the environment – fostering empowerment, curiosity, and learning.
The final artist featured in this year’s project is Jessie Pitt, an Australian-born artist living in Tyrol, whose landscape-based work draws deep inspiration from nature and mountainous terrains. Jessie’s Glacier Series documents the loss of glaciers in the Alps – many of which no longer exist in the state she captures in her art and heart. Her creative practice emphasises the interconnectedness of all things – with water as a central theme in its frozen and liquid states.
“As humans, we are not separate from nature – we are part of it,” Jessie reflects. “My work is a reminder of this connection. Water is life. The loss of the world’s glaciers has far-reaching consequences that affect both the natural world and humanity. Everything is connected.”
The Expedition: Girls on Ice
The Girls on Ice expedition was an eight-day transformative journey through the Tyrolean mountains, led by the three artists and supported by scientists, instructors, and mountain guides. Over the course of the expedition, nine young women explored the glacier environment – navigating crevasses, climbing ice, swimming in alpine lakes, and disconnecting from the digital world to reconnect with nature and themselves.
The expedition was not only a physical journey but also an opportunity for deep intellectual engagement. Participants and the whole expedition team slept in tents – spending time alone and together as a group of women from all around the world – cooking, learning, living the wildness, experiencing the power of nature, the power of themselves, and the power of the group. They received introductions to glacier science, practised mountain rescue techniques, and measured water temperatures in various locations. One of the most memorable activities for many was swimming in the ice-cold glacial lake – a symbolic act of embracing fear and transformation and feeling the sense of sisterhood.
At the end of the expedition, the group held a presentation at the Geological Collection of the University of Innsbruck. Here, participants shared their artistic responses to the landscape and their experiences, as well as the scientific data they had collected. The exhibition featured not only mountaineering equipment but also striking drawings, watercolours, and experimental scientific results. A sense of gratitude, pride, and connection was felt in the space. The artists – at the same time the instructors of this undertaking – helped the young women curate these exhibitions to convey their experiences to visitors in an inspiring and playful way.
Every year, the association organises a special expedition designed to engage girls, young women, and FLINTA* – offering them a safe and inspiring space in an otherwise often male-dominated discipline. What makes this expedition special is the fact that it is organised and carried out exclusively by women for women – the aim being to provide this opportunity to those who might otherwise have few chances for such tours.
Final Artist-in-Residency Group Exhibition at Openspace
The culmination of the residency was the exhibition Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, held in October. The three artists – Charlotte Ostritsch, Lindsey Nicholson, and Jessie Pitt – translated their glacier expedition experiences into a diverse array of artworks, including drawings, photos, video works, and performative in-situ installations.
Through these works, the artists engaged with socio-political and ecological themes – merging artistic and scientific perspectives to create a compelling narrative about our changing world. The exhibition served as a reflection on the urgency of addressing climate change, the interdependence of all life, and the power of coexistence and collective action.
openspace.innsbruck once again offered a safe space for artistic experimentation and exchange – for the collection, expansion, and cultivation of multiple perspectives, as well as critical reflection and action. It was a space where connection and creation happened in their most beautiful essence.
This residency underscored the transformative potential of exchange – through collaboration, reflection, and mutual support, we open new avenues for understanding and creation. The process was intense and enriching, filled with moments of self-discovery and collective growth.
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough was a big project – and it was a privilege to develop, witness, and participate in. It was an opportunity to work alongside powerful, visionary women who dared to dream, embrace fear, and inspire one another to create art that fosters change. Through their work, they invite us to confront the mountains before us – not as obstacles, but as invitations to reach beyond.
The news that Magic Carpets is moving forward with a new four-year cycle deeply resonates with my personal perspective on this year’s project title. It reflects both my initial experience and the evolving dialogue around the platform itself here in Innsbruck. When I first embarked on this project, I found myself explaining to colleagues and platform leaders not only the immense strength and brilliance of Innsbruck but also the need for exchange. The breathtaking mountains that surround us should not be seen as barriers – but rather as horizons and points of connection.
In this spirit, I wish you all a fulfilling end to this wonderful and challenging year of 2024 – and a bright new beginning for the Magic Carpets cycle, with fresh horizons ahead.
Danijela
*FLINTA refers to Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Non-binary, Trans, and Agender individuals.
Curatorial text by Danijela Oberofer Tonkovic