Unsurprisingly, Vienna is a great place to be if you like looking at chandeliers
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A weekend in Vienna could involve any number of fun and interesting things. You could wander around the UNESCO-protected 1st district and admire Stephansdom, the imposing cathedral at its heart. You could browse the shops and boutiques in Neubau, the city’s hip 7th district. Or you could stuff yourself with candy floss before making yourself sick on the fairground rides at the famous Prater.
Even though I’ve been here since 2004 and walk past these tourist sites like a native, not giving a second thought, I still love to visit the city’s world class museums – admiring the Klimts and the Kokoschkas in the Belvedere, the Egon Schieles in the Leopold Museum and whatever exhibitions come to town in the splendid Albertina.
Until recently, I was so busy staring at the works on the walls and in the display cases that I never thought to look above my head to see where the light in the room might be coming from. Then, one day, I went to see the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK)’s art nouveau collection and looked up. Josef Hoffmann’s “Cologne” chandelier (see title picture) is impressive from any angle – but the view from due south was breathtaking.
They say that creativity often involves a simple change in perspective, and I saw this now in the most literal sense: a whole new visual vista opened.
Since then, I’ve been seen standing under chandeliers in museums all over Europe: craning my neck, almost keeling over backwards, getting funny looks from museum attendants when I sit or lie on the floor: trying to get my best shot.
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Related articles (with more writing than pictures!):
Vienna’s Little Treasures – Hidden in Plain Sight (Part 1)
Vienna’s Little Treasures – Hidden in Plain Sight (Part 2)
Great Art Encounters – Electric Rider by Isolde Maria Joham
18 years living in Vienna – thoughts on a special anniversary
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All photos by the author.