Impressions

Vast numbers of guests flooded to a very special preview of ART&ANTIQUE last Friday. They were celebrating half a century of ART&ANTIQUE events in Hofburg, Vienna, as well as the skill which Vienna’s largest and most important art, antiques and design exhibition has for presenting, now in its 50th year. This year, 46 exhibitors presented their exhibits in the halls of Hofburg. The range on offer stretched from artefacts of antiquity to present day art.

A sacred ibis from Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs was viewed just as much as the Owl of Athena, goddess of wisdom, which looks out from an antique Attic Greek clay pot. You could calm your mind a little in front of old Buddhas before feeling another surge of emotion in front of the ancient masterpieces of Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, including his Church attendance in the spring and a “view of the Prater”. Not only did pop-art glamour radiate from Warhol’s portrait of Mao, but also from a large-format painting by Roy Lichtenstein The solo presentation with works by Johann Fruhmann appear more subtle but proved to be an impressive (re-)discovery. In particular, the Viennese fin-de-siècle masters Schiele, Klimt, Wagner and Moser took centre stage. Their works could be followed through the exhibition as a common theme, in celebration of “100 years of Viennese modernism”.

The founder of the exhibition, Gerd Hoffmann, was also delighted by the anniversary edition of the ART&ANTIQUE event. For a long time, the fate of the ART&ANTIQUE event has been determined by his daughter, Alexandra Graski-Hoffmann, and thus by the next generation. Like many of the loyal regular exhibitors, including some who have been there since our first ever exhibition, he has passed on his knowledge of art and his expertise, at least to the second generation. This combines a great deal of trade fair expertise transcending generations with exactly this knowledge of art. The best conditions for continuing the ART&ANTIQUE event in the coming years.

All images: (c) M.A.C. Hoffmann & Co GmbH/APA-Fotoservice/Hautzinger