NOT VITAL

Interview and Photography by Mart Engelen

Mart Engelen: You were born and raised here in the Lower Engadin. Why did you buy Schloss Tarasp?

Not Vital: First of all, I have seen it all my life. You can see it from practically everywhere in this part of the Engadin. I didn’t visit it much when I was young. I had been in the castle only twice during my youth because we didn’t use to go to the other side of the valley. The reason for that is that my home town, Sent, has traditionally been Protestant and the people on the other side of the valley are Catholic. So there was a big division between this part of the valley and the other.

ME: So the other part, with the castle, is Catholic and this part is Protestant?

NV: Correct. Even when I told my mother, who was 100 years old at the time and just before she passed away, that I might buy the castle, she said, “You can’t”. I said, “Why not?” “Because you’re not a Catholic.” I knew it had been for sale for many years; it was put on the market in 2005 and they tried to sell it for an enormous price at the time. Since no one was interested, the price went down significantly and then four years ago, in 2016, I was able to acquire it.

ME: It was for sale for eleven years!

NV: Indeed. It’s kind of bizarre that it took so long.

ME: But your mother said you couldn’t buy it. [smiles]

NV: Yes, that was her first reaction. But my nephew came here one day and said to me, “Listen, do you know how much the castle is being sold for?” And he told me, so I said, “Let’s go”! [smiles] It’s not only the castle, it’s also all the surrounding area. There is a park and a lake.

ME: Yes, I remember I saw your sculpture ‘Moon’ floating in the icy snow-covered lake below the castle when I passed it on my way back from Austria last year. What does Schloss Tarasp actually represent for you?

NV: It’s history. It was built in 1040 and is nearly a thousand years old … read more