21 January 2019

Vienna-based design company 'gabarage' upcycled 'I saw this' artwork by Gottfried Helnwein into bags

The art-bags on view on this page can't be found at the online shop of the Vienna-based design company 'gabarage' (fast checked today). The bags upcycled from Gottfried Helnwein's artwork, reminding the cruelties of war and terror, can not be bought; they can exclusively be won in a lottery.

Since 2002, the gabarage team upcycles materials into designs such as truck or advertising tarpaulin into bags, dials of old watches into jewelry, waste material from the vehicle production into furniture, or used fire hoses and parts of old office chairs into stylish swings.

The new art-bags are made of Gottfried Helnwein's giant installation 'I saw this' which was wrapped around the Ringturm over summer in Vienna. 'I saw this' was commissioned by the Vienna Insurance Group on occasion of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the First Austrian Republic and reminded the evils of terror, war, violence and repression. Now, the main shareholder of the Vienna Insurance Group (VIG), the Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, invites to join until 31 January a lottery via Facebook where 10 of in sum 444 bags can be won. More details about the special edition of 'Wrapping bags' (German 'Verhüllungstaschen') and the lottery are published at wst-versicherungsverein.at.

fig.: 'Verhüllungstaschen' ('Wrapping bags') from the limited edition of 444 pieces. The bags were upcycled by 'gabarage upcycling design' from Gottfried Helnwein's artwork 'I saw this', installed through summer 2018 at the Ringturm in Vienna. Photo: © Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein.

more culture>