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