An opportunity... to check out a new spot, to meet up with the Fulbright crew from Czech Republic, and to enjoy some time in the snow around the holidays... done and done. Ever since I visited Innsbruck in the summer of oh-nine, I have wanted to return to Austria... and finally, this weekend, I was able to make it to Vienna! From what I hear, there isn't a better time to visit than Christmas... the energy is high, the city is adorned with all the holiday flair, and the Christmas Market is said to be the best in all of Europe!
The highlight of the city is, without a doubt, the copious representation of world-class modern art. Vienna is the home of some of my favourite artists of all-time, most notably Gustav Klimt. Klimt, the first president of the Vienna Secession movement, created an eminent frontier between figurative and non-figurative... a model that continues to inspire artists, like myself, over a hundred years after the height of his career.
I have waited a long time to see such an incredible archive of his work... and I finally got the chance to visit the highly-revered Belvedere! The Belvedere Palace is absolutely amazing... from the architecture to the landscaped gardens to the collection, it proved to be an easy way to spend the better part of a day in Vienna. Of course, I had to purchase the combination ticket to see the new contemporary exhibition in the lower Belvedere, in addition to the classics collection in the upper Belvedere.
The upper galleries showcased breathtaking work from Klimt, Schiele, Messerschmidt, and Kokoschka... including the one-and-only Der Kuss (The Kiss). I 'accidentally' snapped a photo of (part of) the masterpiece during my ten-minute inquisition... I was amazed that I was able to view The Kiss in the company of only about four or five other people, but when I was in the Louvre a couple years ago, there was never a moment that the Mona Lisa could be seen by any less than thirty people at one time... and The Kiss is every bit as spectacular (and it's a whole lot cooler).
The lower galleries showcased temporary exhibitions by Valie Export, a leading contemporary Austrian artist... and works of Auguste Rodin, exposing his relationship with Vienna.
I also had the opportunity to visit the Albertina at a perfect time! There were exhibitions of four legendary artists: Michelangelo (The Drawings of a Genius), Picasso (Peace and Freedom), Herbert Brandl (Mountains and Landscapes Monotypes), William Kentridge (Five Themes). It was a great balance of classics and avant-garde. Although I had just seen this Kentridge collection a couple years ago in Tampa, it was good to see it again with new experience (and after I had a chance to explore his work more with my students in Studio 23). The Brandl stuff was pretty rad, and the Michelangelo work was nothing less than spectaular (as I expected). The Picasso collection wasn't nearly as impressive as the selection I saw in Copenhagen a few weeks ago, but was worthwhile anyway.
After two half-days in the museum, I was ready to spend some time outside exploring the city (although I look forward to returning to Vienna to get back to some of the museums I didn't hit in the Museum Quarter)... I met up with the Fulbright gang and enjoyed some Puncs (hot spiced boozy cider) while we fought off the Christmas crowds in the central market. I appreciate the culture and the appeal of the Christmas markets (and I do agree that this one in Vienna is awfully grand), but I still prefer the applied art markets featuring local artists making unique crafts (like the WAMP Design Market in Budapest and the Holiday Handmade Craft Fair in Denver).
On the last night in Vienna, we went to the Austian-authentic Centimeter and ate schnitzel and pork chops off a sword; it was like a medieval shish-ka-bob... righteous. Then, we hopped around a couple different bars, finally landing at this swanky little joint by our place for some evening-ending White Russians... I dig Vienna. Good thing, because it's close to 'home'... and they have a much better scene for the arts and hip concerts than Budapest... so, I'll return soon...
Oh, on the way to Vienna, I made my habitual stop-over in Budapest... and I went with my friends Matyi and István to Dürer Kert to see DJ Premier's special dedication gig to his late great partner MC Guru. The show opened with some Hungarian hip hop outfits, including the hottest disc jockey in the state: DJ Dice. And, then Primo came out and thew down the 'real hip hop' for almost two hours... highlighting his work with Guru and Gang Starr, of course... but also working in plenty of other classics he's done with Biggie, Tribe, Nas, Jay-Z, Mos-Def, etc. The jams were hot and the club was packed... a good way to kick off my weekend ramble...
A few final photos of the beautiful classic Wiener architecture...
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