Carinthian Culture Foundation: Interview with Monika Kircher
With the help of its website or through cooperation with other foundations, it tries to promote the artistic and cultural sector of Carinthia. KKS sees itself as an independent and sustainable organization that tries to bring together personalities and organizations in the cultural and artistic world. The foundation places special emphasis on artistic and innovative projects with an international orientation.
Thus, it organizes publicly announced competitions and is an important institution for artists in crisis situations, such as the Corona pandemic when projects were realized even without invitations to tender.
The foundation is financed by donations from founders, sponsors and supporters. Additional funding comes from the federal and state governments.
The Carinthian Culture Foundation was founded in 2019 by Ina Maria Lerchbaumer (Managing Director of Antonina Betriebs- und Verwaltungs- GmbH and downstream companies), Monika Kircher (CEO of Infineon Technologien Austria and member of the supervisory board of various companies) and Adolf Rausch (auditor, foundation expert and Carinthia's representative at the Association for Non-Profit Foundations). Incidentally, Maria Lerchbaumer, Adolf Rausch and Monika Kircher were chosen as the "Founders of the Year 2021".
In September 2020, KKS organized its first Open Call, where people from all over Austria could submit their projects on the theme of "upheavals." Out of 159 applications, the foundation's five-member board of trustees decided to give financial support of €200,000 to four cultural projects.
The winning projects were:
- Literature and education project "flussaufwärts".
- Ingeborg Bachmann Dome
- "Slowlight- Seeking Darkness
- Theater play "We came and they needed us".
Until September 4, 2022, there will be a second Open Call, which will focus on the theme "Art. Culture. Democracy."
Since September 2021, the campaign "Setzlinge" (seedlings) has also been launched to promote the networking of artists and gallery owners from Carinthia, regardless of age. The public thus gains insight into the everyday life of art and galleries.
Monika Kircher
Monika Kircher was born on July 8, 1957 in Spittal an der Donau and studied economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration and Mexico City from 1975 to 1980, graduating as Magistra.
In 1981, she began her professional career at the Austrian Development Information Service in the management of the Regional Office for Development, and in 1988 she then worked as a freelance consultant and lecturer at the University of Klagenfurt.
In 1991 she became Vice Mayor of the City of Villach, where she was responsible for finance, economy, human resources, culture, schools, youth and women.
In April 2001, she became a member of the Management Board of Infineon Technologies Austria AG. In January 2006, she took over the management of the Infineon Villach site and since June 2007, she has been Chairman of the Management Board of Infineon Technologies Austria AG. In 2008, Monika Kircher received awards including WU Manager of the Year and an honorary doctorate from the University of Salzburg. At the beginning of 2019, Monika Kircher landed on the list of the most influential women in the top 10 in Austrian business.
In 2019, she co-founded the Carinthian Culture Foundation with Ina Maria Lerchbaumer and Adolf Rausch, where she serves as a volunteer. She sees private funding initiatives as a necessity, especially in difficult times, such as the Corona Crisis.
Have you always had a great interest in art and culture?
Monika Kircher: "My interest in music was already awakened in my parent's home, and during my studies, I also became interested in film, literature, theater, and the visual arts. Many friendships with artists have enriched my everyday life in the industry for decades, and during my time as a cultural officer of the city of Villach I was also allowed to make professional cultural policy."
What was your motivation to found KKS and how did you find your two co-founders?
Monika Kircher. "It was the right time to underline one of Carinthia's outstanding strengths: namely, to make the disproportionate number of artistic creators from all disciplines more visible, and to present Carinthia more strongly as a land of culture. Dr.Adolf Rausch was already anchored in the non-profit foundation system, we immediately pulled together, and with Mag. Ina Lerchbaumer we were able to win a great arts promoter - as a private initiative, we do not relieve public cultural funding, on the contrary! But we complement it with focal points."
Did you ever have any doubts about the success of the Carinthian Cultural Foundation?
Monika Kircher: "Private commitment and especially the foundation system are not as strong in Austria as in other European countries. Through spontaneous commitments from personalities like Hans Peter Haselsteiner, or companies like KELAG, Riedergarten, Kärntner Sparkassen Privatstiftung, we knew it would succeed - then followed hard volunteer work to act professionally."
Why exactly in Carinthia? Do they have plans to expand the foundation to other parts of Austria?
Monika Kircher: "Basically, our foundation purpose is focused on Carinthia. However, since we are the only general cultural promotion foundation in Austria so far, we are already radiating out, and - art and culture cannot be tied to provincial boundaries."
Why do you think art and culture are particularly important for people in crisis situations?
Monika Kircher: "Art and culture constantly ask essential questions, and thereby create essential values. I like to call them 'intellectual location quality'."
Have you already planned new projects for the future?
Monika Kircher: "The coming weeks and months will be characterized by the certainly again exciting and challenging judging of our 2nd call, with subsequent project contracts. In addition, we will accompany our winning projects beyond the first year, for example, the Bachmann Dome will be located at the Künstlerhaus Wien in September/October. In terms of the framework conditions, we expect legal clarification and improvement for charitable foundations in Austria soon, as well as in the area of copyright. We are very actively involved in both of these issues."
