Österreich Werbung

Hermann Nitsch is part of the new campaign "eatArtists"

nitsch museum, Mistelbach, AT

The Austrian National Tourist Office (ÖW) launches the “eatArtists” campaign featuring four culinary personalities and three culinary creative processes. Hermann Nitsch and the nitsch museum are also involved!

The Austrian National Tourist Office (ÖW) launches “eatArtists” today, a campaign that brings Austria’s art history to the plate. Four creative minds from the kitchen, pastry chef, and chocolate maker draw inspiration from Gustav Klimt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Hermann Nitsch. From the work and philosophy of these three artists, three culinary interpretations have been created specifically for the campaign. With this campaign, the ÖW aims to raise international awareness of experiences at the intersection of art, culture, and cuisine. The three campaign videos can be viewed at austria.info/eatartists.

Klimt, Mozart and Nitsch as starting points
“eatArtists” doesn’t simply copy artworks onto a plate, but rather embraces the attitudes of the three artists. Klimt rebelled against the established Viennese art world, Mozart broke away from the Salzburg court, and Nitsch, in his Orgies Mysteries Theatre, converged painting, music, and ritual. The campaign finds this courage to break with convention reflected in a generation of Austrian culinary personalities who understand tradition as a starting point, not a requirement.
For “eatArtists,” Paul Ivic, head chef of the vegetarian Viennese restaurant “TIAN,” explored the work of Hermann Nitsch, consciously focusing not on his well-known blood paintings, but on his connection to nature. “Since Nitsch’s paintings fascinate me, it was relatively easy for me to immerse myself in his work and incorporate his color palette into my cooking. The real challenge for me, however, was to do justice to what lies behind his paintings and to make precisely this world of thought tangible in my dishes,” says Ivic.

Three artists, three culinary interpretations

  • Klimt. Viennese cake artist Sophia Stolz creates edible sculptures for international fashion houses. For “eatArtists,” she translates “The Kiss” into a cake sculpture made of chocolate cake, sugar flowers, and gold ornaments.
  • Mozart. Julia Zotter, head of the Styrian chocolate manufacturer Zotter since March 2026, and Philip Rachinger from “Ois im Mühltalhof” in Neufelden take apart the Mozartkugel. It is then reassembled into a smoking sugar glass sphere with sour cherry and chocolate liver mousse.
  • Nitsch. Paul Ivic responds with three basic ingredients: egg, potato, and onion. His dish focuses on the colors and shapes of nature.

“In Austria, art and cuisine are not separate worlds: both thrive on someone questioning convention. This is precisely the approach we use to position Austria internationally as a cultural and culinary destination,” says Sandra Stichauner, Chief Marketing Officer of the Austrian National Tourist Office.

Implementation in 4 market areas 
The campaign kicks off with three hero videos for paid media advertising, filmed in Austrian cities and in the context of art and culture. These will be complemented by media partnerships with selected online and print magazines in the USA, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland. Events are planned in the USA and other culinary markets targeted by the Austrian National Tourist Office. In the first quarter of 2027, an interactive press event with media tours in Austria will take place, allowing international media representatives to experience the culinary personalities and their dishes firsthand. An extension of the campaign is also planned for 2027.

Culinary arts as a value driver for the tourism destination
The campaign is a powerful tool for positioning Austria internationally as a tourist destination. According to the Austrian National Tourist Office’s 2026 culinary study, 64 percent of US travelers have explicitly chosen their travel destination based on its cuisine, and 78 percent are willing to pay more for excellent food while on vacation. In Switzerland, cuisine plays a role for half of those surveyed when deciding on a trip to Austria, and four out of ten Swiss travelers have already dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Furthermore, food-focused travelers are more likely than average to seek cultural and excursion-related experiences – precisely the connection that “eatArtists” leverages.

Facts about the participants:
Sophia Stolz, Cake Artist, Vienna · Julia Zotter, Zotter Chocolates, Riegersburg · Philip Rachinger, “Ois im Mühltalhof”, Neufelden: two MICHELIN stars, four Gault&Millau toques, 96 Falstaff points · Paul Ivic, “TIAN”, Vienna: one MICHELIN star, four Gault&Millau toques, 96 Falstaff points

Further information on the campaign (in german): austria.info/eatartists

Text © Österreich Werbung

nitsch museum
Waldstraße 44-46
2130 Mistelbach
Austria
www.nitschmuseum.at

News