2024 - June - Vienna - Albertina

I have a dear friend who always gives me tips when I travel. Back in 2017, she wrote to me about Vienna: "My favorite city, you must see the Albertina."

Seven years later, I had not forgotten her "assignment," but I had not yet fulfilled it. This time, however, the time and opportunity were right, especially since there is currently a special exhibition of Roy Lichtenstein at the Albertina.

Now, unfortunately, I am not an art expert at all, but I do know that the Albertina is one of the most important art museums in Vienna and Europe. It was founded in 1776 by Duke Albert of Saxony-Teschen, hence the name.

The Albertina has a very large collection of graphics and prints, including Dürer's "Hare". I will discuss this work in more detail later.

But as I said, in addition to the classics, there is currently a wonderful retrospective of Roy Lichtenstein to see. The museum also has a photography exhibition by Gregory Crewdson. The pictures shown here are not everyday photographs in the original sense, but very elaborate installations. Crewdson hired entire teams for his works, including cameramen who had already worked on Hollywood films. Up to 100 people were involved in producing one series of his photos. So it is no mistake if the viewer thinks of a film scene.

But that's not all. On other floors of the Albertina, works from Monet to Picasso await, and of course the building itself, which dates back to 1776, is also very beautiful to look at.

After all these impressions and installations, you end up in the museum shop, where you can buy, among other things, a pin with a Roy Lichtenstein motif. Ironically, something that Lichtenstein himself always copied, namely advertising, is now being marketed himself.

I had a particularly interesting experience after leaving the Albertina. From the terrace you have a wonderful view, for example of the opera building. But you can also look down at a small kiosk and discover Dürer's "Hare" in green. Because of the height of the terrace, everything below, people, cars, etc., seems very small. And what can I say, I felt as if I was looking at a staged picture again and the art was simply drawn further into reality. It really was a bit surreal.

Finally, I have a nice extra tip for a work of art that maybe even my girlfriend doesn't know about: After leaving the Albertina, go to the back left. There, quite unnoticed, you will find a moving object with 12 squares. It is George Rickey's "Oblique Column of Twelve Open Squares". I loved taking photos through the squares. The gentle movements of the work of art constantly create new views, and you can basically look directly into the sky as if through a window.