8 August 2024  Since 2006, the Vienna Ringturm, a tower-like building on the Ringstrasse, which encircles the first district - hence the name - has been attracting residents and visitors to the city every late summer and fall with artworks that address socio-political issues, the zeitgeist, and people's hopes and fears. Last year, for example, Slovenian artist Vanja Bucan drew attention to climate change with 'The Wandering Icebergs'. An overview of artworks dating back to 2006 by renowned artists such as Christian Ludwig Attersee, Gottfried Helnwein, Arnulf Rainer, and Xenia Hausner can be found at https://www.wst-versicherungsverein.at/en/ringturmverhullungen-ubersicht/. In 2024, the 200th anniversary of the Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein and the company's values were the 'prompt' for the artwork 'With the Best Ingredients' by Austrian artist Johanna Kandl for the 4,000 square meter wrapping of the Ringturm. The words 'courage', 'solidarity' and 'together' appear in various fonts and languages - the languages of the countries in which the Vienna Insurance Group operates, including Hungarian, Slovakian, Polish and Turkish - on the depicted kitchen utensils such as jars, bottles and boxes. At https://www.wst-versicherungsverein.at/en/projects/artwrapping2024/, the artist describes her approach and explains that she was inspired to create the encouraging visual word rap by the 1982 song 'Keine Angst' ('No Fear') by Austropop legend Hansi Lang, whose lyrics speak of writing the words on every wall and building in the city as a call to live life. The wrapping is in progress and will be completed in about 3 to 4 weeks, depending on wind and weather, at the end of August, beginning of September. It will be on display until mid-November. Afterwards, the artworks are traditionally upcycled into bags in cooperation with social projects. Fashion.at was told in a phone call today that it's too early for further details, but it's very likely that the tradition will be continued and the bags will be available in 2025. Image: The picture shows the rendering of the artwork 'With the Best Ingredients' by Johanna Kandl for the Ringturm Wrapping of the Wiener Städtische Versicherung at the Ringstrasse, view from the Danube Canal, in Vienna. The Ringturm Wrapping by Johanna Kandl will be on view from the end of August, early September until mid-November 2024. Photo: © Johanna Kandl / Foto/Rendering: Hertha Hurnaus / Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein. |
|
|