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Gastein is once again transformed into a unique cultural hotspot. At the largest art festival in the Alps, interested visitors can admire large and small works made of snow and ice. The extraordinary sculptures can be admired in the ski res orts Dorfgastein, Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein.
The artists' studios are outdoors - in the winter fairy-tale landscape of Gastein.
ART ON SNOW 2026 invites you to experience the Gastein Valley in a very special way from January 31 to February 6. Under this year's motto "Comic & Co", artists will once again unleash their creativity and create fantastic comic worlds out of snow and ice.
Batman, probably the most famous hero from Gotham City, is one of the few superheroes without superpowers. Behind the mask is the billionaire Bruce Wayne, who relies on years of training, discipline and technology instead of superhuman abilities. You meet him in a frosty snapshot at Spiegelsee on the Fulseck.
Wherever Batman appears, his greatest adversary, the Joker, is rarely far away. A single glance between the two is enough to freeze the air. Anyone passing by should stop for a moment longer. After all, you never know who will make the next move in this ice-cold duel.
LOCATION: FULSECK - SPIEGELSEE
ARTIST: DANIEL RAUCH & TEAM
COMPLETION: 2.2.2026
Anyone who knows Tom and Jerry expects wild hunting and flying tufts of fur. But at Fulseck, the two were caught in a rarely peaceful moment: Under a parasol, presumably borrowed without further ado from the rider's hut, they lie on the white snowy beach and enjoy a break from the eternal chaos. It seems like one of those rare episodes in which Tom and Jerry decide to get together for five minutes - before everything escalates again.
How long will the calm last? Knowing the two of them, probably not too long.
LOCATION: FULSECK - REITERHÜTTE
ARTISTS: PETER BUKOVICS & HANS PETER PIBERGER
PRODUCTION: Start ART ON SNOW
The Silver Surfer roared into the world of Marvel and the Fantastic Four in 1966. A mighty hero who went by the name of Norrin Radd and came from the planet Zenn-La. As the herald of Galactus, he surfed across colorful comic pages and through distant galaxies and now glides through the snow around the Schlossalm. The sculpture looks as if it is about to set off on its next intergalactic powder run at any moment.
LOCATION: SCHLOSSALM MOUNTAIN STATION
ARTIST: KLAUS GRUNENBERG
PRODUCTION: Start ART ON SNOW
Who would be better suited to the wintry world of Bad Hofgastein than the son of a frost giant? Loki, the legendary god of cunning - sometimes harmlessly playful, sometimes clearly evil. The son of Laufey was adopted by Odin. He has hated his half-brother Thor since childhood - and in the Marvel universe, he is even the reason why the Avengers were formed.
As a master of illusions and shape-shifting, Loki can take on any form. At ART ON SNOW, he appears as an impressive sculpture at the summit station of the Weitmoserlift - as if he had been caught in the middle of another dramatic performance.
LOCATION: WEITMOSERLIFT - MOUNTAIN STATION
ARTIST: DANIEL RAUCH & TEAM
COMPLETION: 2 & 3.2.2026
What should Thor definitely not be without? His winged helmet and the magical hammer Mjölnir. The God of Thunder's two accessories tell his story, from battles in Asgard to missions alongside the Avengers. Mjölnir, which can only be worn by the worthy, and Thor's distinctive helmet stand for his immense strength and indomitable will (not to say stubbornness). At ART ON SNOW, you will encounter them as a sculpture at the Kaserebenbahn summit station.
Just a hammer throw away is Loki's sculpture at the Weitmosel lift - an arrangement that is not entirely coincidental. After all, Thor prefers to keep an eye on his brother. You never know.
LOCATION: KASEREBENBAHN - SUMMIT STATION
ARTIST: GÜNTHER KREUZER & HANS GAINSCHNIGG
PRODUCTION: Start ART ON SNOW
Spider-Man is one of the superheroes who alternates almost seamlessly between everyday life and saving the world as an Avenger. Peter Parker, who was bitten by a radioactive spider as a teenager, has possessed its strength, agility and sense of danger ever since. He can stick to walls and, of course, cast nets.
On the Stubnerkogel, he presents himself as an artistically shaped sculpture. Between the snow, wind and mountain panorama, it almost looks as if he is about to catapult himself into the next battle at any moment - not between New York's skyscrapers, but high above the Gastein Valley. So watch out - it will be gone faster than you think.
LOCATION: STUBNERKOGEL - MOUNTAIN STATION
ARTISTS: MANFRED HÖHENWARTER WITH MARTIN FANKHAUSER, MANFRED OBERMOSER AND TOBIAS HÖHENWARTER
COMPLETION: 1.2.2026
Ben Grimm, better known as The Thing, is actually made of rock - solid, robust and virtually indestructible. Cosmic radiation transformed the former pilot into a hero with rock-hard skin and immense strength. For decades, his silhouette has been one of the most unmistakable images of the Fantastic Four.
At ART ON SNOW, he appears in a completely new form: as a frosty sculpture in Sportgastein. In this ice-cold version, the melting point is a little more complicated, but it radiates the same unshakeable power. You can almost imagine how a single heavy step is enough to set a small avalanche in motion.
LOCATION: SPORTGASTEIN
ARTIST: KLAUS GRUNENBERG
COMPLETION: 1.2.2026
During the Art on Snow event, comic enthusiasts have the opportunity to win a two-night family vacation . A big social media competition will take place via the Instagram account @visitgastein.
It's easy to take part: simply post a photo or a reel with an Art on Snow sculpture, tag @visitgastein and use #ARTONSNOWCOMICS - and you're in the draw. The more entries with figures, the higher the chance of winning!
And this is what you can win: