The 9th of September 2023 was a moment when St. Gallen’s museums left their doors open late into the night. A total of 26 local cultural institutions took part in this offer and impressed the public with a wide range of art and culture.
After having moved to St. Gallen for my studies more than a year ago, I decided it was finally time to visit one or the other museum here in this town. After all, art is also vital at our beloved HSG. Don’t we walk past the so-called artworks on campus every day? However, to broaden my horizons, I had to leave the Rosenberg campus and venture into the city, where the real St. Gallen cultural life takes place. What more efficient way to do this than to join a cultural event that allows you to explore all the important museums in one night?
At the beginning of the night, around 6 p.m., few people bothered to show up. I would have expected more enthusiasts at the various locations. Gradually, more visitors came, especially to the larger museums. But some facilities remained almost empty even at a later time. However, this was not too bad for the visitors, because you were very warmly welcomed and hosts or even the artists themselves were always ready to tell you something about the different installations.
The people who showed up were very diverse and included everything from families to students, retirees, creators and admirers of art, as well as people ordinarily uninterested in culture. Everybody met at the Museum Night. It is nice to see that the cultural event is appreciated by such a broad audience. Unlike here on campus, where there is an almost convulsive attempt to focus on diversity, this succeeds seemingly effortlessly in the cultural sphere.
A highlight was undoubtedly the Senegalese dance formation SAF SAP New Generation. They did their best to get the as always uptight Swiss to dance along to their rhythms. In the end, they could hardly stop drumming; so much joy was felt by the audience. But other impressions will also remain for a long time. There were incredibly beautiful concerts. For example, there were so-called “silent concerts” in the Museum of Emptiness, organ concerts in the church St. Laurenzen or jazz played by a band to dance along in front of the art gallery Macelleria d’Arte.
I rounded off the night with my first visit to the famous Stiftsbibliothek. You were given a pillow at the entrance and could then lie down on the floor in the room and let the atmosphere sink in. In this process, time was forgotten. I spent far too long there. The frescoes on the ceiling provided an endless range of features to discover. Lying on the floor, it was possible to observe every little detail.
All in all, it was a very successful night for me, as well as for the other visitors. The museum night will certainly take place again next year. Maybe you will go there too?
