Salzburg’s “Pop-Amt” collects songs that ignite mental cinema
At the start of the summer scene 2022, the Salzburg “Pop-Amt” opened its doors for the first time on Thursday evening. In an otherwise empty shop in the old town, counter clerks will be accepting pieces of music until Monday, which trigger very personal memories in visitors. Songs that have shaped your own identity, or titles that have evoked very specific moments in life since you were young. On June 24th, the collected tracks will be presented in a final.
“Every one of us knows that. You’re sitting at a bar or in the car, you hear a certain number and suddenly it clicks. The big mental cinema starts and you take a trip back in time,” said Arthur Zgubic from the untitled artist collective, who set up the pop office. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a romantic or a tragic experience – people bring their songs to the authorities on audio media. The pop office has players for cassettes, CDs and records, otherwise a computer with internet access will help.
“We listen to the number in the office and collect the personal story, like a kind of diary entry,” explained Zgubic. As befits an office, visitors also receive a form. “You fill out this form and go to our experts, who give the sober paper some life behind it, some personal colour.” The data is treated anonymously and with the utmost discretion, insured without a title. “We are a sensitive office. We want to respond to people’s stories. Memories stuck in the body should be treated with care,” stressed counter clerk Dorit Ehlers.
To ensure that the collected soundtracks of life are not just a random series of personal impressions, we have come up with a dramaturgy without a title. After the counter closes, the officials go into seclusion for ten days and compile a top 10 list from the head cinema soundtracks, which is translated into cinematic and theatrical scenes for the final event. As well as presenting the static evaluation, there WILL also be a short lecture on why memories work so well with pop music.
Incidentally, the official mold shows itself to be accommodating. If someone wears a piece of classical music, jazz or hip-hop as a key reminder, this is not a problem either, the counter officials assured.
(SERVICE – opening hours of the “Pop Office” in the arthotel Blaue Gans, Herbert-von-Karajan-Platz 3, 5020 Salzburg: Fri., June 10 (4 p.m. – 7 p.m.), Sat., June 11 (10 a.m. – 15 p.m o’clock), Mon., June 13 (4 – 7 p.m.). Finale “Die Pop 10” in the SZENE Salzburg, Fri., June 24, 9 p.m.)