The Salzburg Festival Summer 2025, according to the organizers, recorded more than 270,000 visitors. A central component was the art installation 'Secret Garden' by the Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. It was on display on Residenzplatz in Salzburg from July to the end of August. The project of the Foundation for Art and Culture was created in cooperation with Global Neighbours and was financed by the Walter Smerling Foundation for Art and Culture.
The installation consisted of five-
to twelve-meter-tall female heads, weighing between 30 and 40 tons. Each work consisted of twelve segments stacked on top of one another, which were precisely assembled on site.
Logistical Execution
The logistics company Hasenkamp transported the individual parts directly from Plensa's studio in Barcelona to Salzburg. For the transport, 16 trucks with trailers were used, according to the company. On site, around 20 art logistics experts were in operation. A specialized Hasenkamp team from Cologne, Munich and
Vienna took over the assembly on Residenzplatz.
The final assembly took seven days. In the process, those involved had to compensate for unevenness in the historic cobblestones, take into account static requirements for wind loads of up to 260 kilometers per hour, and coordinate the procedures in the public space.
Hans-Ewald Schneider, CEO of the Hasenkamp Group, adds: “What makes this project especially significant for me is the European dimension. Specialists from Spain, Austria and Germany have
worked here hand in hand to turn Jaume Plensa's vision into reality. This powerfully shows that logistical top performances are always a team effort — shaped by experience, precision, and a passion for art.”
Completion of the Installation
With the dismantling at the end of August, an extraordinary chapter of the Salzburg Festival Summer came to an end. The monumental heads remain, however, as a striking reminder of the connection between art, space and European cooperation. (av)
