When you walk through central Vienna now you get the impression there are almost no other cultural events this year besides Gustav Klimt’s 150th birthday anniversary. Posters, postcards, sketch books, scarves, curtains, neck ties and gloves, umbrellas, cups and glasses, bottles and plates, boxes and containers on every corner are covered with his paintings. Copies of “The Kiss” even beautify toilet seats!
Originally I wanted to look at how Vienna pays tribute to this important Austrian “Wiener Jugendstil” (parallel to “Art Nouveau” in France) artist. But the growth of tacky commercialization of Klimt’s art has begun to taken center stage.
And on the other hand, you can gaze stunned at the display windows of the souvenir shops in the city, and literally face the worst of Klimt! There is even a special exhibition at the Wien Museum, where organizers are looking for the most absurd and bizarre Klimt-products. So for all you lovers of kitsch out there… I certainly think I will be there to take pictures — NOT to buy anything though.
Reuters
