SATURDAY, JULY 6
COFFEE WITH FRIENDS
J, who we know from Vancouver but lives in Vienna, and her friend who was visiting her from Vancouver, met us for a coffee at Cafe Europa. J is a light spirit, and we loved seeing her. Little was revealed about “the real Vienna” but we all swapped travel stories and dreams for the future.
Meeting another Vancouverite brought our Vancouver lives back to us, triggering a range of emotions. We are both dreading our return. Chloe is nervous about starting college; and I don’t want to go back to a place I have found difficult on many levels. At the same time, we are beginning to think of parts of our lives in Vancouver that we miss — privacy, independence, our belongings, the cat. J said that for her it took leaving Vienna to appreciate it. We are hoping for the same.
MUMOK
After coffee, we headed to the MUMOK in Museum Quarter. The MUMOK is a contemporary museum amongst the many large museums that cover two squares. A sort of “battle of the marching bands” was taking place in the main square, the giant statue of Franz Joseph on his throne watching. The battle, or exchange, continued all day, along sidewalks and into gardens. But in this particular square, one band played on one side; another on the other, trading turns. Everyone was in traditional dress.
The MUMOK was disappointing. Five floors, two devoted to a show titled Vertigo, that leaned Esher-ward without Esher. We liked one piece from 1750 (the earliest on exhibit, most of the show was contemporary). It was a flat, abstract, watercolor painting reflected into a metal cylinder that brought it into focus, transforming the abstract lines and objects into figures.
Another floor was devoted to an artist interested in architecture in various contexts. Pretentious and boring. One floor had a Ukrainian artist, who we were most interested in seeing. His work commented on the effects of history destroyed (images from the Soviet era) on the present day (the recent war). Unfortunately, the idea was more compelling than the implementation.
But…there was a pattern and ornamentation show, and it was quite fun. The works on show, from the much overlooked 1970s, were mostly by New York City artists. The show explained why there was a return in the 1970s to pattern and ornamentation, to make room for more inclusivity in the art world through less high art. I thought of Lynn Schnurnberger’s work, subtle and complicated weaves and paintings of cut out and pasted dots. Her work breaches minimalism and patterning, but this small show helped me understand how this mostly overlooked movement allowed room for artists like her, for women.
WEINER SCHNITZEL
After our museum visit, we returned to the film festival food garden, and finally, finally, I ate some weiner schnitzel with potato salad. Yum!
LIVING REMOTELY
Tired, we returned early to the apartment, and both napped. I think we are dealing with a strange collision of realities. To begin an adventure is all about energy and enthusiasm, but to end one is the opposite. Now we are placing our feet again squarely in the squares of reality.
Why can’t this way of living be a reality?
J’s friend works remotely as an administrator for a school in Japan and for a quarter to half of the year she travels. She has just been in Italy for the last month. Many people live like this now. I’ve thought about concepts of home a lot — in the context of my life, and how often I have moved — but living remotely and moving from country to country within a year takes it to a new level.
