Big Mutter

"Big Mutter", a sculpture by Austrian artist Erwin Wurm is currently located in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral. There are more of his sculptures inside the cathedral (which is temporarily closed because of the pandemia), and Wurm even created the lenten cloth.

Yellow Fog

"Yellow Fog" is a light installation by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson on the facade of the headquarter of Austria's leading electricty company, located in the very city center. Every day at dusk for one hour a yellow fog rises up the facade every three minutes for a duration of 40 seconds. (Photo from the archive, taken in February 2020)

If you want to revisit Eliasson's exhibition of some years ago, please click here, here, here, here, here and here.

As Long as...

The main building of the Academy of Fine Arts is currently closed for reconstruction. On the scaffolding you can see an art installation by Austrian artist Katharina Cibulka. The feminist statement refers to the fact that for centuries women haven't been able to gain ground as artists in the fine arts. The Academy of Fine Arts has more female than male students and it is the only university in Austria with a completely female rectorship. 

Vision

It is already the 10th time that the Ringturm has gotten wrapped with an artwork during summertime. This year the work "Vision" by Serbian artist Mihael Milunović was chosen. When the Ringturm was inaugurated in 1955, it was Austria's first tall office building and a milestone of so called moderate modern architecture. The edifice houses the headquarters of an insurace group.

The Golden Bucephalus #2

Here's another view of Andje Pietrzyk's sculpture "The Golden Bucephalus" in Michaelerplatz. Click here to see the first photo once again.

The Golden Bucephalus #1

This bronze sculpture by Polish born Austrian artist Andje Pietrzyk is currently located in the very city center. It is a monument to Bucepahlos, the legendary war horse of Alexander the Great. 

Domestic Landscape

The institution "KÖR Kunst im öffentlichen Raum" (Public Art Vienna) is committed to breathing new life into Vienna's public space with permanent or temporary art projects. The newest project is located in the very city center: "Domestic Landscape 2.0" by Franco-Portuguese artist Didier Fiúza Faustino. The installed urban furniture made of blue-painted steel invites those passing by to see this public space as open for their own personal use.

Chubby Women

From August 1 to August 10, the  "Chubby Women" sculptures by Chinese artist Xu Hongfei were on show in the main courtyard of the MuseumsQuartier. Hongfei has been touring the world with his sculptures since 2013.

Unburdened

The Ringturm houses the headquarters of an insurance company and for the ninth time in 2016 it is wrapped with an over-sized artwork during the summer months. The monumental art installation "Unburdened" by Czech painter Ivan Exner shows a boy standing on a hill flying kites.

Art in Public Space

In November 2013 the French artist Honet (*1972) created the permanent installation "Totem Modern" on 14 columns along the subway line 2 in the second district. The minimalist figures visually refer to the superheroes of the 1970s and - according to the press release - transform the columns into "cult objects"....

Summer Pleasures

In the past seven years it has become a tradition that the Ringturm, which houses the headquarters of an insurance company, gets wrapped with an over-sized artwork during the summer months. This year the work "Sommerfreuden" (Summer Pleasures) by Croatian visual artist Tanja Deman was chosen for the wrapping. This photo shows only a detail - with the current heatwave I would like to jump in a swimming pool to cool off a little like this woman. If you want to see the whole wrapping please click here.

Pick a Poem

According to the idea that art has to be present in the public space, the author Helmut Seethaler has been writing poems on scraps of paper and sticking them on lamp posts in Vienna's main streets, on building site fences, on trees in parks and on the walls of subway stations since 1973. He was reported for damage to property thousands of times until in 1998 finally the Supreme Court classified his activity as "art" and therefore as "worthy of protection".

Waiting For Money

This golden cylinder on Graben is a temporary installation by Austrian artist Axel Stockburger - "Quantitative Easing (for the street)". With this art project Stockburger wants to point out the financial and banking crisis. "Quantitative easing" is a strategy in an extreme crisis of confidence in which banks restrict their function as lenders and become barriers within their own ecosystem. In order to prevent a collapse of the money circuit, central banks buy financial assets at the public expense and thus introduce new money into the ailing financial system. The golden cylinder represents the “central bank,” which randomly distributes euro coins in the street. When I passed by yesterday evening unfortunately the cylinder didn't distribute any money, there were only these three men watching and waiting...

A Piece of Brazil in Vienna

The Brazilian street artist Speto has covered 10 pillars  along the subway line 2 in the second district with a homage ("3 Brothers") to the Villas Bôas brothers and the narrative cultures of Brazil’s indigenous population. As pioneers, Leonardo, Orlando and Cláudio Villas Bôas took part in an extensive state-led expedition to colonize unexplored jungle areas in the mid-1940s. Deeply moved by their first encounters with the natives of the Amazon Basin, the three brothers became dedicated advocates of indigenous rights and environments. For their commitment, the brothers were nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Stage Set

Here's another example of art in public space: Donald Judd's sculpture "Stage Set" was created for the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts on the occasion of his exhibition at the museum in 1991. The installation was gifted to the city of Vienna in 1995, and has been located in Stadtpark since 1996.

Totem Modern

"Totem Modern" is a new permanent installation by the French artist Honet (*1972) on 14 columns along the subway line 2 in the second district. The minimalist figures visually refer to the superheroes of the 1970s and - according to the press release - transform the columns into "cult objects".

Summer Wrapping

For the traditional wrapping of the Ringturm during summertime this year the work "Ties" by the Slovak artist Dorota Sadovská was chosen. For photos of former wrappings please click here and here.

Sprayed Artwork #2

Here´s another sprayed artwork by Douglas Hoekzema - it covers the wall of an apartment building in the 2nd district.

Sprayed Artwork #1

Douglas Hoekzema - an artist from Miami, Florida - created a temporary artwork on the glass facade of the "designtower" in the 2nd district. The artwork will be on display until mid September 2013. Click here for a short making of video.

Temporary Memorial

With the installation "Faggot" on  Morzinplatz, the Austrian artist Jakob Lena Knebl presents a temporary memorial to the homosexuals, lesbians, and trans-gender persons persecuted and murdered under the Nazi regime. She deliberately relies on discriminating terms such as “schwule Sau” (faggot) or “Mannweib” (bulldagger) used disparagingly and deprecatorily in everyday language and turns herself and her body into an exhibition and projection surface.