Entries about museum

Photos are random, mostly photos of "photogenic" items. It can't illustrate how excellent this museum is. The exposition is so layered, intelligent, intriguing and so large that everyone can find the catch. I have seen there visitors of all kinds and ages - from toddlers to crumbling eldery, and also hiperactive schoolers, sedate middle-aged couples from working-class districts, kissing students, elegant seniors, the group filming video, and someone who slept on comfortable couch under zeppelin. Ticket is not cheap and museum is large, as I already mentioned; many people come to museum for whole day. They bring sandiches and even take a nap.

Yes, yes, it's not only about machines. It's very much about human being, and a lot about industry - I'm not a techno-frick but 100 years old print-house struck me. And I'm speechless about stunning locomotives!

Oh, my.. it's so hot in Vienna that I just looking where to hide myself.
Today 6/08 - is Andre's birthday and we had plans of hiking in the woods, but cancelled.

In the morning, a bit confused, we made additional search and thinking and we found Phantastenmuseum.
Phantastenmuseum sits in the very center - so we had a walk there (on shadow side of the street!). It's located in Palais Palffy on Josefsplatz and dedicated to fantasy art. This museum is quite new, was opened in about 2011. 150 works by 120 artists are on permanent display in the Fantasy Art Museum. The exhibition ranges from the early beginnings after the Second World War to the present day.

Just a step aside is beautiful Augustinerkirche = Augustinian Church. Its official name is St. Augustine's Church, although the Viennese always called it the Augustinian Church.

Originally built in the 14th century as the parish church of the imperial court of the Habsburgs, the harmonious Gothic interior was added in the 18th century.

There are many interesting details inside (look on photos above).
I like this sculpture composition (below) too.

All this is just near Austrian National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek), which is not only the biggest library in the country and a modern centre of competence oriented to service to the public, it also offers with the Hall of State and its museums – the Papyrus, Globe, and Esperanto Museums – permanent exhibitions and theme-oriented changing exhibitions that show the public the valuable books and objects from the ten specialised Departments of the Library.

At the afternoon, looking for AC-ned escape, we went to the cinema and seen 3D movie "Ice Age 4"- nice and funny, as usual. Happily it was original version in English, with no German translation.

And after it and little shopping (viva to the Birthday Guy!) we (Andre, my mom and me) had a nice dinner in Freiraum - very nice restaurant in Mariahilfer, I already talked about it before. BTW, Freiraum means "The Open Space" in English.
I like their food - it's is thoughtful, tasty and aesthetic.

Fresh updates from summer 2012:

Classical Sundays - there are free concerts of classical music each Sunday at 15:30. Playing violin and piano.
Very nice indeed!
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20.08.2010

As I already mentioned, I visited Vienna many times and even lived here for months. I think I know the city pretty well. But there are always something else to explore.
House of Music (Haus der Musik) is fantastic interactive museum for music-lovers. It's all about sound, you can "cook" your own music, make voices, touch instruments and listen to various noises: from Mozart (yeah.. once again) and Haydn to New York street and Turkish mountain vilage. Impressive, must for families with young children and reccomended for everybody.

HAUS DER MUSIK Betriebsges.m.b.H.
Seilerstätte 30
A-1010 Vienna
Tel. ++43-1-513 48 50
Fax ++43-1-512 03 15
Website: http://www.hdm.at/
E-Mail: [email protected]

OPENING TIMES: daily 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

MOZART MUSEUM near Stephansdom appeared no free entrance anymore.

HAYDN MUSEUM

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) spent the last twelve years of his life in this house. The most important works of the composer’s old age were created in this last residence, including the two oratorios “The Creation” (1796–1798) and “The Seasons” (1799–1801). Haydn was the most famous composer in all of Europe in the final years of his life, so, this house have seen many celebs as a visitors.

Haydn came into the world exactly at the right time. Music, before he began to write, had descended to the dead level of the commonplace, for the best days of Bach and Handel were over, and the other living composers were but pigmies by comparison. It was Haydn’s province to give music a fresh direction, and to raise up from the old foundation a new style at once pleasing and ennobling.

Exsept of being brilliant musician, Haydn made money and he was good in calculation. His last (!) letter said: "Today April 1st I sold my beautiful fortepiano for 200 ducates"
Read here abt Haydn.

VIENNA MUSEUM KARLSPLATZ

Kind of Historical museum, displays story of Vienna of all times.


I love there original sculptures from Stephansdom at the 1st floor (was photographing them last year) and Viennese Art around 1900 (Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Carl Moll, Rudolf Gerstl).

CLOCK MUSEUM aka Uhrenmuseum

I like this one very much. Beautiful building in lovely place (narrow streets and old church near, just 2 streets from Stephansdom), great collection of clocks of all sizes, shapes and origins. Mechanisms inside, tools, decorations.

I put here only few pics from this year, but year ago I couldn't stop to make more and more photos there.

Variety is wider then one could imagine.

ARSENAL
Heeresgeschichtliches Museum - museum of Military History.

Big and very impressive collection of weapon.
Building is impressive as well.

Impressive (did I already mentioned this?)
It's a real paradise for boys of all ages, but all the rest of visitors will found lot of interesting objects and information.
I loved rich decorated arms, uniform of different times and armies, lotsa historical photos, various tents, plates and pots - presenting evolution of technology not worse then Technology Museum.

It's possible take photos inside for little payment - about 2 Euro.
Don't even think to combine this museum with another one at same day, watching collection of the Arsenal, even briefly, takes few hours and you r getting overloaded after, so give a rest to your mind. You'd better stay in the yard - building and all around really worth a proper watch, even military but nice architecture. Also it's not far from the Belvedere palace, so after such smooth and informative visit inside the walls you can spend lovely time visiting Belvedere garden, especially pleasant in summer time.

PRATER MUSEUM
Address: Oswald Thomas Platz 1. (actually it's in the entrance to Prater Park, same building where planetarium)
Opened Fr-Su and holidays 10.00-13.00 and 14:00-18:00.
Small museum. Has a fascinating (at least fascinating me!) story at the background. I just been there the last Sunday (5/08/2012), will write couple of lines and update photos a bit later.

About Art Academy of Vienna
The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692. Going through long history of Emperors and court-painters, Academy became "the supreme government authority for the arts" under rule of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria in 1872. In 1907-8, young Adolf Hitler, who had come from Linz, was twice denied admission to the drawing class due to professional incompetence. He stayed in Vienna, subsisting on his orphan allowance, and tried unsuccessfully to continue his profession as an artist. Soon he had withdrawn into poverty and started selling amateur paintings, mostly watercolours, for meagre sustenance until he left Vienna for Munich in May 1913.
From here came Egon Schiele, Otto Wagner and many other famous and brilliant artists.

Gemäldegalerie: Rubens, Rembrandt and van Dyck. "Last Judgment" by Hieronymus Bosch, Francesco Guardi, Lukas Cranach, Titian ... Art collection of Academy is modest in comparation to Kunsthistoriches Museum, but when you there, your visit and your impressions feel much more personal. It's hard to explain, but the Academy has a special charm, maybe because you go to the gallery passing the classroom or due a painted ceiling - it's hard to say. Personally for me, the atmosphere of art school alone is extremely attractive.

Spent a day in Waldviertel area (next to Krems and Wahau), famous for wine-production.

There were:

Erlebnisgarten in Kittenberg,

Loisium Wine Museum in Langenlois

and nice town of Langenlois itself.

Usual for Austrian landscape, we passed: couple of Schlosses (castles) here and there in the way, wineyards, patches of emerald forest, rivers, creeks & bridges.

The road took about couple of hours of drive in each directon, but we didn't hurry anywhere; we were going in slow-motion through villages and fields of sunflowers.
Super!

I can't miss our 2012 discovery - the delicious wine Grüner Veltliner from winery Steininger

The quick shot inside the contemporary art piece in Schwarzenbergplatz (where The Soviet War Memorial, actually).
The very first days, we just arrived to Vienna.

Don't ask me why contemporary art always (?) look awful.
But Vienna is still beautiful.

... walking through Karlsplatz.

• CATS

Also in this summer I'm a cat-sitter ( and also a house - plant - what ever - sitter). I care to two lovely cats here: one is my old friend, she is aging but still beautiful cat-lady. She is a sweet and a smart one, a bit manipulative and, if she dislikes something - she does not hesitate to demonstrate it. Such a lady! The only critical trick that she used to do last year and returned to it this year as well: she awakes me at 4:30am. Constantly. Yes, at daily base :-(
I can explain: being a delicate creature, she is not able to eat big portions, so she is getting hungry fast and need to feed her frequently. I understand all causes, but it doesn't help me to feel fit during the day. What is warming my heart - she appreciates my sacrifice. Don't laugh - she knows how to show it in very clear form. She is a very smart lady.

Andre gives her "the drugs" (special "cocktail" for retired cats) and she is very enthusiastic about it. There are energising components too and we didn't know it. In our first day here she received it at late evening and she went nuts! Then we learned to give it to her after breakfast ;-)

Actually I'm suspicious about the real reason of awakes - it seem to me that she just trying to come into the bedroom, to sleep in the human bed the morning hours. She used to it. Definately I don't accept, so I'm paying off while serving for her an early breakfast. However, she eats with gusto. Where is the one - there is the second one - my heart breaks at the sight of his hungry eyes!

This another cat is relatively new in this house - he lives here only for few months. He is sleek & shiny black, handsome, playful, affectionate and avaliable for friendship. He eats ... oh God! He is just a hoover! Yeah, he is ready to join any party anytime.
Usually he begins with his food, then he is taking a break "to support with shining of the pipkin of his fellow-lady", then he returns back to his own. Their food is of a good quality and smells very well. I guess it is tasty. Actually he eats everything - the owners told me that he stole from the table and gobbled a poppyseedcake with marzipan! He considers himself a great hero and always eager for a walk. Usually his heroism is ending in the 3rd floor entryway (we live in 5th floor), then he is getting stressed and quite happy to be taken back. He already discovered that there are no pipkins in the street, but he doesn't learn and yelling near the door when he has a chance to. He is curious, energetic, funny. Such a man!

Sometimes they make races in the apartment, sweeping away everything on the fly and spinning carpets into propellers. Sometimes they are rolling into the carpet alike sushi-style. You see, it's lot of fun here.

• WEATHER

The forecast intrigues me, I'm a fan of cool weather, especially in summer. I love summer rains, but when it dry - I'm happy to rollerblade in the island. The great benefit of cloudy days - no sunblock cream needed. When it's hot - I combine skating with swimming in Danube. I make a break for swimming in this FKK beach, you have seen my reports about it before.

The first week in Vienna was terribly hot. Even when hot - it's still fresh mornings here, so early morning is my favorite time and the best time for manage anything. Dusk comes late, after 9pm, life is continuous also after 6pm - good time for a walk or what ever else.

Last days the weather switched into cool (about 18C) and even rainy! What a pleasure! As usual, I took very few of long-sleeve cloths, not believing that summer can cool down. At fact it is! :-)
I'm not really bothered, I enjoy it very much and prefer to feel a bit cool then to feel hot.

• FOOD

It's refreshing switch to a bit different eating habits. When I'm in Vienna I use to eat lot of lovely cheeses, meats and excellent bread (unfortunately for my figure). I drink lot of local wines and also French & Italian wines. Not less but even more I enjoy apricots that sold in 5 kg buckets, and wild chanterelle mushrooms, avaliable in every supermarket at season. Austrian know to prepare outstanding chanterelle gulash - to die for! We are still cooking daily at home, mostly the Mediteranean cousine, that we are used to.

• CULTURE

This year MAK ( the museum of Applied Arts art exposes lovely collection of decorative art, furniture, textil and, right now, Klimt's cartoons!) - this museum provides free admission on Tuesdays 18-22pm. Which is great possibily to see it in portions.

Here I have to make a break in my esse - because the lady-cat came for cuddling. To mention here, that I'm sitting in "her"chair, where she likes to sleep. It's the chair near the work-table in the office, where I use to work. We share it, yes.

We have many of "cultural programm" plans - mostly museums and various exhibitions, but I hope to catch the beginning of opera season in September, sure will get few concerts, may be even have opportunity for circus and/ or cinema. There are also few more places of interest that are not museums, but related to architecture or / and history and now I have my own "Only in Vienna" by Duncan J.D. Smith - my mommy purchaised it for me and I wanna use it fully.

• FASHION

Summer 2012 Viennese are dressing different. Watching them throught the years I mentioned especial elegance and hills for ladies, buttoned shirts, expensive bags and neatly pressed trousers for men and calm pastel colors for both. Summer 2012 came with bright colors, and, what is more significant - people got "stripped". Summer 2012 came with bright colors, and, what is more significant - people "stripped". Very short skirts and pantie-kind shorts, tiny T-shirts and flip-flops for girls, men are in shorts, still prefer shirts with buttons, but it can be comined with sandals or flip-flops as well. It's a big change for Vienna, which was classic and solid during ages.

But who am I for shopping advice? The variety is confusing.
Here is an enormous info-store of all kinds avaliable online, wien.info is just one of hundreds samples. The variety is confusing. Trendy, brandy, vintage, what ever styles are "waving" to you from every store-window.

DESIGUAL
This year I mentioned the very special fashion-store (chain of the stores, actually) that called Desigual. This is fashion for people who desire to be visible, to look different and to be unforgettable. It's forbidden to take photos in their stores (unfortunately, because stores interiors are outstanding designed as well), but you may peep into them in the Desigual web-site: www.desigual.com. One of Desigual stores is on Mariahilfer 57-59. Mariahilfer Straße is the paradise for shopaholic.

DIRNDL
A dirndl is a type of traditional dress worn in Germany (especially Bavaria – Liechtenstein, Austria, and South Tyrol) based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants. Despite all of the above ('s true, I swear!) - Traditional dress is always actual in Austria. To walk in the street and to ride the subway, to dress it in special occasions (alike wedding or birthday), to wear it to theatre or just going with friends to the local beerhouse. Not for demonstration or pretending and nothing to do with nationalism issue - all this is as natural as buthing naked under the sun or walking in the mountains with sticks (alpine walking) in age of 90. It's going similar way in Germany (especially Bavaria) and in Tyrol.

That's me, dressing dirndl.
Lady in blue is my dearest mom.

• THINGS 2-DO

I'm keeping the list of "have to do things" that I begun last year. There are things that I didn't complete or just discovered a while before leaving. I'll continue updating it there.

NHM - Wien Naturhistoriche is one of mirroring buildings in Ringstrasse. The second 'twin" is KHM (Kunsthistorisches Museum) - great collection of arts, one of the foremost in the world. Built in 19th cent, The Ring planning also included the project to bring together and show the vast imperial collections, so those buildings were constructed and decorated especially to serve as museums and followed the best architectural traditions of that time. Rich decorated interiors alone worth the visit and also I do like the park between those two museums, especially symmetric round fountains, benches and greenery.

I have to confess that I'm a frequent visitor in KHM (arts), but NHM is not exactly my thing - I'm not a big fun of stuffed animals. So visiting of this museum was kind of doubt, but I'm so glad that I did!

Their collection is really impressive, full, intelligent and, what I liked there, it was not "too much educational" - in the very good sense of this note. I quite hate when every object is described for visitor at the level of pre-school, especially suffering from it in art museums. I don't like to be stuffed with unnessesary information and banalities. But for those who wants to know - there are plenty of detailed information about every object & object, but it was proposed to know - not tutoring you how to see.

There are stoned shells

and stoned fish of pre-historic age.

Great collection of minerals (below)

Some of them named after birds, wearing same color.

Here is lovely exhibition of portraits (Dürer - Cranach - Holbein) that named "The Discovery of Man: the German Portrait around 1500".
I like all three of them, hard to say which one more - they all are exceptional and different from each other: perfectly clear (faces of) Durer can't be compared to Attractively-Sick portraits of Cranach and sure not to harsh models of Holbein. Anyway, taking pictures in exhibition was not allowed, so no photos here.

KHM (Kunsthistorisches Museum) itself is worth a visit of every art-lover. I have been here numerous times and I'm able to stay for half a day against any Bruegel or Lotto, usually until I arrive enormous Rubens my legs already can't support my staying and slow walk and I fall down in museum buffet for coffee or something more then it.
KHM (Kunsthistorisches Museum) exposes great collection of arts, one of the foremost in the world. But building itself worth a proper look. Built in end of 19th cent for keeping (and showing to mass!) vast imperial collection, it is the one of mirroring buildings in Ringstrasse. The second 'twin" is NHM (NaturHistorichen), and it's lovely garden between them. Especially I like fountains and benches there

.... will upload photo, if will find them...

Building is very spacious, royal, rich decorated (incl. frescoes of G.Klimt!) and well-kept and described (in numerous brochures available for free at entrance and in info-kiosks).

Here are some details of interior - sorry for poor quality.

Cafe.

Do you call it August?
Come on, it's the last summer week and supposed to be more cooler - kinda saying goodbye to the summer. Instead, it suddenly changed to crazy heath! If feels like a desert, I think it's over 40C in the sun and 34C (reported) in shadow. Nights are also warm. AC are not (not yet) popular here... maaannnn... it's too bad!
Brave and toned Austrians continue to bicycle and to make kms of nordic walk; more then this: they continue to dress elegant - it looks like they don't mind the weather and even enjoy it! Andre suffers and complains loudly. Usually I'm the one who moaning about the heath, but this time I manage... well,... it's kind of managing in conditions of toaster-oven. Ja, ja, I feel cooked! The clear benefit is warm river water. We are swimming daily. Also (we r) rollerblading almost daily - at the mornings, when it's not too hot. Once again we are living in the little apartment of my mom's: near Danube and in bridge distance from the 24km-long island, which is great for rollerblading. It would be a crime - to miss this perfect conditions, so I don't. Rollerblading gets around 2,5-3 hrs/ a day, includes swimming and some eventual sunbathing. Then return home - rush into cold shower and lunching. Afternoon can vary. Everyday we have another plan, going here and there, but at general just looking for escape into cooler place.

This small, privately run museum in the Landstraße (near my beloved Hundertwasser) opened in Vienna from 2005. There r not only the collection of Art Fakes + interesting facts and stories.
.... photos here...

You r wrong if you think you know it, it's never done.

House on Wipplinger Str - one which is just against the Altes Rathaus ( Altes Rathaus = The Old Cityhall)

This is Hohe Brucke (bruke = bridge). Ah, what a beautiful bridge! I know this area very well - it is in Mediveal part of Vienna, not far from my favorite church Maria am Gestade. But I discovered it just couple of days ago!

Am Hof is quite important square - the largest in the inner city of Vienna. History of the square goes back to the Roman era, when a garrison was built here. Then castle, built in 12th century and used as a residence of the dukes of Austria until 1220. Here is gothhic church under baroque facade (Kirche am Hof), Marian Column, with a statue of the Virgin Mary and figures of a lion, a serpent, a dragon and a basilisk (representing a fight against war, heresy, hunger and the Plague). Am Hof square is home for fire brigade (also novadays) & fire-brigade museum.

Parking carriage in somebody's private courtyard.

Unusual triangle flowerbed.

Fabrik of Imperial Linen - official supplier of linen to Imperial Family.

Sign of chimney sweep & vertical cloud.
BTW, meeting with with a chimney sweep should bring you luck!

This is very special.
The Ferstel Passage (also known as Freyung Passage), is an upscale arcade built by the Austrian architect Heinrich von Ferstel in 1860. It connects Freyung Str. with Herrengasse, coming at Herrengasse nearby to famous Cafe Central. Passage leads into small glass-covered courtyard of Ferstel Palace, with fontain in the center. Here is a Donaunixen (Danube waternymph), who holds a fish in her hand. Ferstel Palace was built for the Austro-Hungarian National Bank. Unlike other buildings of this time, the palace was named after the 27 years old architect, and not after the owners.

Three next photos (below) are taken in inner yard of Altes Rathaus (The Old City Hall). Here is Fontain of Andromeda, one of hidden jems of 1st district. Greek story says about brave Perseus who came to save Andromeda from evil animal. BTW, it happen in Jaffa (South Tel Aviv), historical stone is still there. I did couple of paintings of this place.


The second photo is a fragment: it's between Andromeda & dracoon - a while before arriving of Perseus.

But what the hell is this baroque angel is doing?

Click on the photo below - to see it large.
It's interesting one: plants near the doors are common, but tomatos are not really usual decoration - at least not in the city center.
:-)

Another interesting object is a Turkish cannonball from 1683!
(In Am Hof Square). Currently building is into the renovation and cannonball is hidden under building construction)

And finally, oh, those girls...
:-)

Sunday is a Museums Day in Munich.
All 4 museums of art (each one presents different period) in KUNSTAREAL MUNCHEN - Museum Quarter are opened at Sundays for free. Well, not exactly for free, but you pay 1 Euro for entrance. It's great oportunity to see all of fthem without taking a loan. They are located next to each other.

ALTE PINAKOTHEK
Impressive collection of 14th to 18th Century European painting.

Look at these kids - they are ligtning!

Portrait of young man by Durer

One of my favorites Renaissance painters - Filippo Lippi

Look at this portrait.
Is not... Vladimir Putin there? Only I see or you too?
:-)
And there are more and more and more - really great collection! But I afrade to make u bored, so, the last one. Yea, madonna and baby Jesus, right. But look carefully - what baby Jesus does exactly? He plays with money and it looks like he gonna ask: "Is it it??? That's all that you give???"

NEUE PINAKOTHEK

Neue Pinakothek is brilliant museum! It focuses on European Art of the 18th and 19th century (one of the world-best art museums of the 19th cent). Very nice outside, especially at summer with wide incoming steps and cute outdoor cafe near running water.

Inside the construction is simple and clean, full-oriented on expirence of visitor and give good oportunity to concentrate on art collection, which is briliant ( I know I already mentioned this)

PINAKOTHEK DER MODERNE
The Pinakothek der Moderne is a modern art museum.
Which means Contemporary Art since the 1960s.


Mmmmm... saying the truth, I'm not a big fan of this kind of art. But they also have great collection of design, architecture and graphics and keep interesting exhibitions.

Building itself is impessive piece of modern architecture - virtuose construction, open and wide spaces, much natural light. Designed by the German Architect Stephan Braunfels, the Pinakothek der Moderne was inaugurated in September 2002. Construction took 7 years. White and grey cube of facade is interrupted by large windows and highrising columns, the latter supporting the extensive canopied roof. Each of the four corners of the building, connected by a central rotunda (dedicated to a special collection) and it makes headspinning effect in the glass lobby.

Somehow it remembered me glass construction of Reichstag in Berlin. Together with the Alte Pinakothek, the Neue Pinakothek and Museum Brandhorst it is part of Munich's "Kunstareal" (the "art district").

BRANDHORST

Museum Brandhorst is a very new one - was opened in 2009. Lovely colorful building next to Pinakotek der Moderne - I took few photos there. Museum have few pieces of K. Malevich and Joan Miro, but baically Brandhorst Museum is dedicated to modern of modern art. The most famous "icon" is Andy Warhol; there are also German cubbist Kurt Schwitters; American Pop-Art artist Alex Katz (just awful!), shocking Damien Hirst, Robert Gober, Eric Fischl and others. We didnt' enter inside - could not do more then 3 museums a day, became overloaded.

Untitled (Leg) by Robert Gober, 1989-90.
Made from beeswax, cotton, wood, leather and human hair.
Ehhhhhhh.... :-( ..... I don't want to sound meaning, but contemporary art too often makes me feeling frustrated.