Wednesday: EsEl.at and Weisse Haus

EsEl.at
Wednesday was a very busy day indeed. I met my group in the afternoon at the Museum Quartier, where we met with Lorenz Seidler, who founded the popular website EsEl.at, that lists all the events taking place in and around Vienna's art Scene. He has also created and number of art festivals in the area. He maintains 4 databases of information, and uses animals to illustrate different kinds of events, including donkeys, poodles and owls. So many ideas were generated in speaking with him, that next years Digable will defo have some added twists based off of one conversation.

Weisse Haus
Wednesday evening, we convened at the Wiesse Haus, a network of buildings that provides artist studio spaces and some residency opportunities for both artists and Curators. We met with their resident curator as well as took some time to introduce ourselves to their artists who were alerted to our arrival and prepared their art for review by our curators.

We met a wide variety of artists in the spaces of the Wiesse Haus, and it was encouraging to see what young up and coming austrian artists were creating there. To find out more about The Weisse Haus, click on their link new.dasweissehaus.at/en

Tuesday: whirlwind of activity

We started the day at bank of Austria art forum gallery space meeting with their head curator. The displayed works were mainly the collaborations between Warhol and Basquiat.

While the curator generously lead us through the entire exhibition, Discussions ensued regarding logistics on on getting the art to and from and the role the galleries registrar came into play. They work hand in Hand with the curatorial staff to meet all timelines. 

These were mostly works we are all familiar with. This particular collection was based in the EU making for easier shipping.

Our last visit was to a local art school where students were invited to discuss their art with their classmates. We soon realized that out role as visiting curators was to provide criticism and feedback to those artists who discussed their work.

Soon curators and art students were discussing their works. Feed back come fluid and we found the student to be adventurous and open to new ideas. 

The garden area in the middle of this school was both large and full of materials used by the school.

MUMOK - Friday the 18th / Studio Visit with Four Great Artists

Friday was an incredible day where we started at the Musuem Quartier by the gift shop.
We met as a group and entered into the MUMOK, Which is their Museum of Modern Art, but in Vienna. A beautiful new building right in the heart of the museum Quartier. The stone on both the outside and inside has a resonance that allows it to carry a tone when struck with your hand.

An impressive structure where there are 6 floors, but as the skyline of Vienna desires not to be changed, the first three floors were dug into the ground, making the floors -3, -2, -1, 1, 2, 3!!!! We were met by the head Curator of the MUMOK and discussed the art scene in a very friendly and inviting manner for just under an hour. Personally, I learned how all Five curators worked together selecting and creating shows. I found the experience to be so uplifting, especially when we discussed how the shows were selected and marketed.

The Second part of our day, was supposed to be just over and hour, but we were enthralled by our host artists to the point where we stayed there for just under four hours.

We visited the artist studio of Four artists: Ovidiu Anton, Elvadin Klacar, Anna Witt and Hannes Seberling. All Artists were very passionate about their work. While I could go into explanations of each of their works, instead I will comment on how I personally was impacted by what I saw rather than what they do.

The American idea of art is heavily based on a a "Sales" quotient. While sales is important world wide, The different levels of funding from the Austrian Government enable artists to subsist and create, even when their arts are not necessarily comodifiable in the traditional sense. One can not sell a performance art piece. As the artists above one by one discussed their works, and motivations behind them, I was reminded just how much can be communicated through the actions exhibited by these Art School friends.

Specifically in America, the idea behind Grants is one of a very complicated web to navigate. Artist funding is in high demand, but difficult to procure in the American System. There are gov't entities here is Austria that assist Artists in procuring needed funds to continue their artistic practices.

please check out the below list of Artists and their practices.

www.Ovidiuanton.com
www.Elvadinklacar.net
www.Annawitt.net
www.secession.at/art/2009_zebedin_e.html

Wednesday the 16th: LANDING DAY!!!

If you would like to support my endeavors and get a full explanation of what I am working towards, please check out this link. www.about.me/rolandramos

Wednesday was the first day I joined the group to attend a 10am workshop with the Kulturkonzepte people. Kulturkonzepte is a group focused on lectures and teaching companies and institutions on how to use art to constructively figure out issues. One thing I loved was their idea of the ART INTERVENTION!!!

This is where they recommend to a company or institution to bring in an artist to assist with bridging any gaps the company might have. It also serves to solve internal issues in a constructive manner that would enable better communication. So Fun, I love this idea!!!!
For more info, please check out http://kulturkonsepte.at

We later rode as a group to the Belvedere exhibition, where a show focused on Margaret Thatcher was taking place. They have a great private collection and the theater looked promising. The art stood on its own merits and really added an edge to an already solid art community. It was a bit far out of the way, but the train ride was made smooth by my Curatorial mates, whom I was just getting to know.
For more information, please check out http://www.21erhaus.at

Instead of riding with everyone to an artist studio visit, I had to high tail it over to my hostel area in order to find my new accommodations for the foreseeable future. I had to head to Margaretenstrasse where I was looking for an address that didn't exist. After failing miserably, I made my way to my first option that I made in NJ called POPINN111, and WHOW! i think John Fathom would love loved this place.

Truly, upon first review I was nervous about the whole thing. All the first floor walls were covered in graffitti..... Albiet Nice Graffitti. I stayed in a chilled out living kinda area waiting for my room to be prepared. Once I saw the room I was staying in, WHOW!!!!! I was sold.
I had a solo room designed by artists, A great atmosphere and I was asked to play that night at the downstairs bar/restaurant. To see more about PopInn111 Click on the link.

3.5 hours later, I learned that Vienna is full of surprises....and I was asked to play again the following night. WOO-HOO!!!!

If you would like to support my endeavors and get a full explanation of what I am working towards, please check out this link. www.about.me/rolandramos

Love and Light.

Jet Lag: When your Body and Mind are not in sync regarding the correct time.

I never slept so much on planes and in waiting areas for planes, and in buses. It gpt so bad, then I slept by the terminal waiting for my plan from Brussels to |Vienna, and I woke up just as the passengers were finalizing their entry. I stood up, and fell right down. I tried a second time, and fell right down. I had not noticed that my left foot had completely fallen asleep. |totally bent my ankle in weird ways, and now I feel the pain.

Vienna is Beautiful. WATCH OUT, or you will get run over by a bike, or a tram. They are no joke, but what friendly people!

I heard my group met with local curators and underground curators already, and I hope to make some acquaintances soon before I leave, maybe we can host an underground show???

Oh What fun!!

Currency

After a great weekend festival, and an uproarious send off from the next door sports bar, the tilted kilt, I'm now on my way to the EU.

Last night in JC. Everyone came back to 479 to help put things away until my return. The "your late for your flight" test was conducted numerous time. This test involves pretending you are are late to the air port. Then grabbing your bags and heading out in a hurry. After sometime we  left to luck 7s to have a Post Digable victory lap.

Special thanks to Max Mirani for this wonderful hardshell bag. It looks beautiful and is a very compact jet set looking bag.

First post: Hanging with Rick Tierney at Basic

Hello! I am at basic haunt a cold coffee with rick. He just helped me come up with a name for this blog. Something about getting back home since I a raising money for air fare, he said. I wanted something transferable; something I could use after I come bac from Vienna and Budapest! He just showed me some vids from Digable set up. He's got two spaces already, and is ready to show more art. 

Welcome curator abroad!