Author: viennacultgram

  • An art salon in a princely collection

    An art salon in a princely collection

    In what I would call an eye-popping exhibition space with walls in blazing red, blue and green (I love it!), the Albertina Museum is showing masterpieces from the Princely Collections of the House of Liechtenstein in an exhibition titled “From Rubens to Makart“.  The Liechtenstein collections contain major works of European art spanning five centuries…

  • A symphony of lights

    A symphony of lights

    No, this is not a lamp shop.  This past weekend, I visited  a really intriguing light and sound art installation by the artist Johannes Rass in the industrial-historical ambience of the “old technology” event space at Ottakringer Brauerei.  Lumen, light, the stuff you need for life and photos.   Also, lumen, the technical measure of the…

  • Wild beasts and peasant life at the Albertina: Niko Pirosmani

    Wild beasts and peasant life at the Albertina: Niko Pirosmani

    Just before leaving for a two week trip I managed to finally go see the exhibition of paintings by the Georgian painter Niko Pirosmani at the Albertina Museum.  There is just one more day to see this exhibition of naive depictions of animals, farmlife, and battle scenes. Painting to make a living Pirosmani was born…

  • Japanesery

    Japanesery

    Before 1854 trade with Japan was confined to a Dutch monopoly and Japanese goods imported into Europe were for the most part confined to porcelain and lacquer ware. But when the 200-year-old Japanese foreign policy of Seclusion ended and trade between Japan and the West opened up, a sort of collection craze of Japanese art…

  • Enjoying a treasure trove of art on Christmas Day

    Enjoying a treasure trove of art on Christmas Day

    I don´t know why I thought I could finally go see the Monet exhibition at the Albertina or the Spitzmaus Mummy in a Coffin at the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien on Christmas Day.   Vienna is completely over-crowded with tourists over the Christmas and New Year´s holidays.  I had purchased an Albertina gift membership for hubby and…

  • Underneath it all – the long cultural history of the head scarf at Weltmuseum Wien

    Underneath it all – the long cultural history of the head scarf at Weltmuseum Wien

    Headgear doesn’t define a woman´s position, but in Austria´s (and much of Western Europe´s) current political climate, the head scarf has become a symbol-laden topic of political debate. The garment has become a veiled metaphor for something else in political rhetoric. Not coincidentally, I think, the Weltmuseum Wien now has a special exhibition, not on…

  • A masterful hand – Bruegel at the KHM Vienna

    A masterful hand – Bruegel at the KHM Vienna

    The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien is showing the largest ever comprehensive exhibition of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (sometimes spelled ’Brueghel’, and sometimes even ’Breugel’ and ’Breughel’).   On display are a whopping three quarters of all of his conserved paintings, plus almost half of his drawings and prints.  Last week I was so lucky…

  • Bodies at the Belvedere Museum

    Bodies at the Belvedere Museum

    Have you ever seen walking works of art?  Or looked underneath the layers of a famous painting?  Now you can, at the Lower Belvedere.  Instagramers Austria was invited to see and photograph two fascinating exhibitions currently on in the halls of the Belvedere Museum:  Donna Huanca – Piedra Quemada, a multi-media installation involving all your…

  • Where Obelix, Captain Kirk, and Han Solo mingle: The Vienna ComicCon 2018

    Where Obelix, Captain Kirk, and Han Solo mingle: The Vienna ComicCon 2018

    Obelix, Captain Kirk, Han Solo, Joda, Kalisi, medieval knights…  What do these characters have in common?  They all roamed around side by side and rather photogenically at the Vienna ComicCon 2018.  This dress-up and gaming event took place at Messe Wien from 17 to 18 November.  Thanks to Instagramers Austria I had the chance to…

  • In focus: old photographic views on Venice by Carlo Naya

    In focus: old photographic views on Venice by Carlo Naya

    Point and shoot, and you´ve got your beautiful view of Venice captured.  It was not always so simple.    A special goodie for Venice and photography lovers is currently on display at the Graphic Collection of the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna: This first cabinet exhibition dedicated exclusively to photography, with a small selection of…