The five-star hotel in the Austrian Alps honours International Women’s Day and a century of female legacy with a new rooftop sculpture by Franziska and Mercedes Welte / NONOS
Sissy, 2025, Franziska and Mercedes Welte / NONOS. Photo: Erika Laszlo Demeter / © Elizabeth Arthotel
On March 8th, 2026, International Women’s Day will mark 115 years of women’s contributions to cultural, social, and economic progress. To coincide with the occasion, Elizabeth Arthotel will present Women in Frame, a new exhibition celebrating contemporary female artists.
As part of the hotel’s wider season-long cultural programme, The Art of Legacy, it will reflect on themes of legacy, landscape, and cultural memory. It also reflects more than a century of female heritage within the Aloys family, paying tribute to the hotel’s founder, Elisabeth Aloys, through a rooftop sculpture ‘Sissy’ commission by Austrian sister duo Mercedes & Franziska Welte / NONOS.
Elisabeth Aloys, the hotel founder, and her daughter Mirjam Aloys with Sissy. Photo: Erika Laszlo Demeter, Courtesy Elizabeth Arthotel
A Female Legacy
Founded in 1976, the Elizabeth Arthotel stands as a testament to the enduring female legacy of the Aloys family in Ischgl, in the Austrian Alps.
This rich heritage spans over a century, tracing back to Annemarie Aloys in the early 1900s, through Olga Aloys mid-century, to hotel founder Elisabeth Aloys and now her daughter and the current owner, Mirjam Aloys.
Each generation has been instrumental in the region’s growth, fostering community progress and shaping Ischgl into the renowned ski destination it is today, embodying the spirit of this year’s IWD theme, “Give to Gain”.
Left: Annemarie Aloys, the heart of early family life, 1930s (Courtesy Elizabeth Arthotel)
Right: Olga and Erwin Aloys meet during the war and begin a lifelong partnership, 1940s (Courtesy Elizabeth Arthotel)
Bottom: Elisabeth & Günther Aloys, Elizabeth Arthotel. (Photo: Selina Paula Märte / © Elizabeth Arthotel)
Women in Frame
Launching on International Women’s Day, Women in Frame (8–22 March) is a powerful tribute to women whose vision reshapes both canvas and conversation. Featuring pieces from Elizabeth Arthotel’s personal art collection, work from Francesca Martí, Susana Anaya, Patricia Reinhart, Annette Goessel and Dhira Barein, this exhibition brings together distinctive contemporary voices, inviting reflection on the enduring influence and presence of women in art.
A highlight of the showcase is a new rooftop sculptural commission, Sissy, by the Austrian sister duo Mercedes & Franziska Welte / NONOS. This significant work honours the hotel’s founder, Elisabeth, affectionately titled after her nickname — itself a reference to Empress Elisabeth of Austria. Sissy places female presence directly within the Alpine landscape, connecting memory, place and contemporary expression, while reinforcing the dialogue between female artistic vision and generational legacy.
Left to Right: Annette Goessel (Courtesy Elizabeth Arthotel), Francesca Martí (Courtesy of Elizabeth Arthotel), Artist Susana Anaya at Elizabeth Arthotel (Photo: Stathis Bouzoukas / ©️ Elizabeth Arthotel)
Reflecting on the commission, International Women’s Day and the Aloys’ family female legacy, artists Mercedes & Franziska Welte / NONOS say:
“As artists, we believe that giving form to untold stories is how we honour those who came before us. In creating Sissy, we wanted to reflect the strength of female presence and the importance of remembering those whose vision continues to shape the present. By honouring legacy, we gain a deeper understanding of our future.”
Artists Franziska and Mercedes Welte / NONOS sit beside their work Sissy, Elizabeth Arthotel. (Photo: Erika Laszlo Demeter / © Elizabeth Arthotel)
A Season of Art in the Alps
Women in Frame is an important highlight of The Art of Legacy, Elizabeth Arthotel’s season-long cultural programme marking its fiftieth anniversary. Running throughout the winter season, the programme explores continuity, memory, female presence and place. It also includes Visions from the DACH Region (9–22 February 2026) and Architects of the Organic (30 March–12 April 2026), alongside a centrepiece archival photography exhibition tracing the Aloys family’s role in shaping the region and the fifty-year history of the hotel. This archival exhibition is presented at the Elizabeth Arthotel and complemented by a virtual gallery accessible via the hotel’s website.
Through The Art of Legacy, Elizabeth Arthotel continues to honour the women who shaped its history while creating space for contemporary artistic voices: The programme positions legacy not as something merely preserved, but as a dynamic entity continually evolving through art, family and place.
Elizabeth Arthotel (Courtesy of Stathis Bouzoukas / ©️ Elizabeth Arthotel)
