Composer and sound artist Peter Androsch is presenting his project “Gusen Convolute” at the Ars Electronica Festival 2026 in Linz, showcasing musical works secretly written by Polish composers while imprisoned in the Gusen concentration camp. According to an interview with the Austria Press Agency (APA), Androsch and his team have re-worked these historic texts and compositions into new audio-video works, utilizing original manuscripts largely preserved at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.
Peter Androsch Brings Gusen Convolute to Ars Electronica 2026
Historical Context of the Gusen Concentration Camp
Between 1939 and 1945, at least 72,000 people were imprisoned at the Gusen camp complex in Upper Austria, and half of those detainees died. Rather than attempting a literal recreation of the original scores—which Androsch described in his APA interview as an “assumption”—the project treats the ambiguous notation as material for modern interpretation and tribute.
Exhibition and Digital Archive Plans
Androsch refers to the resulting multimedia pieces as “reflections.” Eleven of these works, alongside original manuscripts and handwritten scores, will be displayed during the festival at the Fadingerschule in Linz. By the end of 2026, 20 audio-video works are scheduled for online release. The project website also hosts original scans, additional manuscripts, and composer biographies.
The initiative is privately funded and largely sustained by volunteers. According to Androsch, this structure provides total freedom and operates under an open license that allows others to utilize the work. Future presentation plans range from traditional exhibitions and panel discussions to film screenings, with the primary goal of bringing the historical works to life rather than establishing another static museum or archive.
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