For me, Vienna is a window from the UAE to Europe. This is because the cheapest tickets you may find from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah to Europe are usually the tickets to Vienna. Quite often we can easily find such tickets for as low as AED 199 – AED 359 (plus luggage, which is something you may play with smartly). For this reason, it has become a common practice for many to fly to Vienna, stay there for 1-2 days and then continue the journey on a train (or less preferrably a bus) to other European places.
Vienna – one of the greatest cities in Europe. It’s here that the Roman military camp of Vindobona once stood, where Maximus the Spanierd fought in the beginning of the “Gladiator” movie. Centuries later, the Habsburg dynasty ruled an empire that spanned half the world from this very place. Finally and even more importanlty, Vienna was the home to and the creative inspiration for such legendary figures as Mozart, Beethoven, Strauss, Klimt (you must definitely see his k, and many other renowned personalities.
It means Dana’s practice today is multifaceted, something which allows her to pull from a history of signals, references and symbols to “draw out emotions and memories we may have forgotten we had.” This often sees her working with found imagery from Ebony Magazine that “highlight[s] the idea of upward mobility and a growing Black middle class.” By utilising a language of humour and familiarity, Dana opens up “complex spaces of laughter and irony, while retaining an empathetic quality.” All this means she can communicate elaborate concepts in understated ways, drawing viewers in before opening up to them.
Below we provide you with our Top 5 reasons why we love Vienna
1. To eat in the Griechenbeisl restaraunt (one of the oldest in the world, dating back to 1447)
Whatever the project, however, the exciting part for Dana is “the way I can surprise myself with a combination of colours I have never seen before but remind me of something that I miss.” And this is exactly what she plans to continue doing, with plans for a group show in October and several artists residencies in the coming year. “Between now and then I am continuing to explore materials, ask questions and make scarfs,” she says.
Currently based in New York, a city she’s called home since graduating from the School of Visual Arts with an MFA in fine art in 2019, Dana tells us she’s simply never been interested in being anything other than an artist. “Art, and the process of making things has always been the primary way that I am able to process, and understand the world,” she explains. It was at SVA that her unique practice formed, as she explored “digital art, web, fashion, 3D design and printmaking on top of painting and drawing” during her undergrad in graphic design.
- Through her artistic practice, Johanna Tagada Hoffbeck invites positivity into everyday life
- Art duo Mazaccio & Drowilal use collage to deconstruct popular culture
- Rosanna Webster, Fon and Fa, and Parker Heyl embody the human qualities of creativity through experimentation
- Through rich and colourful symbolism, Bony Ramírez uses art to reflect on his Caribbean culture
2. Rent a Garden House near Vienna to recharge on a nature
Founded by French-Lebanese sisters Laura and Sophie Tabet, as well as Ulysse Sabbagh, in partnership with Lebanese creatives Flavie Audi and Emilie Kareh, stock will be added to the store weekly until early January. “We have been humbled by the number of people who have come forward and answered the call to help Lebanon,” says founder Laura Tabet. “In these dark times, it’s deeply heartening to witness the artistic community coming together to create a movement that is beyond politics and beyond borders.”
3. Visit the Opera – personal recommendation Mozart Oboe Concerto in C Major
Trust me – if you have not fallen in love yet with classic music and orchestra – then you just need to watch the TV Show Mozart in Jungles. It will speed up your love to classical music in geometric progression and you will quickly realise that most of the time you listen classical music rather than a modern one.
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