Cytara

by Karin Sawetz, publisher Fashionoffice The appearance of double meaning in context with legal rights is normally not healthy for a society but in the following case, it opens the view on the legal system from two perspectives with the almost pedagogical intention to make aware that the people are responsible for the system - and that nobody can wash his or her hands completely in innocence when an inhuman or unfair law is executed. Where I made this experience? It was last Saturday in Lower Austria at the exhibition ‘Alles was Recht ist’ at Schloss Pöggstall ( alleswasrechtist.at ). The title ‘Alles was Recht ist’ can be read from two angles: the one is in the meaning of ‘Everything about justice’ concerning court, law, punishment, imprisonment,... ; the other reading references a typical Austrian saying which expresses embarrassment about morally unfair incidents backed by law.  The exhibition is divided into 5 chapters. It begins with the law book ‘Schwabenspiegel’ fro...

'Dog Tales' series, 4th episode  ( 1st episode  -  2nd episode  - 3rd episode ) By  Fashionoffice 's publisher Karin Sawetz Marc Cabana appears in my dream like this strange creature once born nearby Vienna, in Prague. 'Golem' is the name of this creature and entered the colloquial language as expression for a dumb person.  fig.:  The image shows me at the orangery at Schloss Hof in Austria nearby the border to Slovakia. I ask him: "Are you a golem?" Marc Cabana: "I don't know the word 'golem'."  "Aren't you Viennese?" Marc Cabana: "I'm Viennese, but I've rarely contact with people whose families have Viennese or Austrian roots." "A golem is a creature by a magician (in the original story by a religious man) and acts as an extension of the creator; a sort of double or willingness servant. Expressed with IT-language: it can be a positively acting bot or it can be a sort of malwa...

'Dog Tales' series, 3rd episode  ( 1st episode  -  2nd episode ) By  Fashionoffice 's publisher Karin Sawetz "The dog only wants to play!" I said laughing to Marc Cabana* in my dream.  The scenery was very realistic and was in difference to my common dream experiences of long duration without sudden breaks or changes to other locations. Everything happened in this realistic dream at the Giardini in Venice.  *The figure Marc Cabana appeared already in the first 'Dog Tales'-episode. "But I don't want," says Marc Cabana standing at the dog cages of the German pavilion during Biennale Arte Venezia. He feels provoked by the critical fixing stare of the black watch dog. Who is the one who causes a security problem? Just as the dog would ask "Who has to be caged?" We are standing just at the entry to the pavilion and the installation by Anne Imhof has already hit the target! The dogs in the cages let Marc Cabana feel insecure and...

'Dog Tales' series, 2nd episode ( 1st episode ) By  Fashionoffice 's publisher Karin Sawetz At 'Faust', dogs in cages are the first impressions visitors get of the performance-installation by Anne Imhof at Biennale Arte Venezia 2017. At the 'Apotheosis' by Balthasar Permoser,  a figure with wings sits in front of Prince Eugene; seen at the palace Schloss Hof in Austria nearby the border of Slovakia.       fig.: The image shows me at the 'Apotheosis of Prince Eugene' at the former hunting  palace Schloss Hof, one of the properties of Prince Eugene in Austria.   I wear the skirt with print of a painting  by 'Hondecoeter' which gave this series  its title 'Dog Tales'. (At the first episode, I've introduced with a partly surrealistic text into the  new art review series).  The two examples are significant for how society changed during the last 300 years as the content of the two artworks is the same: it's...

By  Fashionoffice 's publisher Karin Sawetz During the last two decades, Fashionoffice has reported from time to time from the Biennale Arte Venezia. This year, the theme is 'Viva Arte Viva' and I try out another approach to the art experience. I pack it into a short series with the title 'Dog Tales'. Many of the associations are collected in the tradition of automatic writing where the subconsciousness, memories of dreams where situations that really happened are reworked - from solving to new-interpreting -  in a surrealistic way and hard facts of the currently running Biennale Venezia are mixed. 'Viva Arte Viva' is the motto of Biennale Arte Venezia 2017 and the supporting idea behind the new series 'Dog Tales'. fig.: Why is it entitled 'Dog Tales'? Because my currently most favorite skirt is made of a fabric with the print of a prominent painting by Hondecoeter . The name sounds in German like 'dog cur'. The decision to c...

By  Fashionoffice 's publisher Karin Sawetz Building bridges, celebrating humanity are the central messages of Easter. But who needs a weekend like the last except the contemplation and celebrations on Holy Saturday (Karsamstag) and Easter Sunday? I can't remember an Easter weekend with such an accumulation of crucial political events like in 2017. On Saturday, the whole world looked anxiously at the parade in Pyongyang, North Korea and listened bewildered the discussions about nuclear weapons in context with inter-state provocations and revenge. And then on Sunday, people who consumed global news about the election results concerning the referendum in Turkey became aware that an ambitious partner of Europe is building new bridges; bridges that lead into another direction. And in between the events in North Korea and Turkey, a bus convoy was hit by a bomb attack nearby Aleppo in Syria and killed more than 60 children - in sum more than 120 people. Horror news from Syria ...

By  Fashionoffice 's publisher Karin Sawetz Two days ago, US Americans inaugurated their new president; in four days, the Austrians will swear their new president into the responsibility to work for the country’s people. So far, the job description of both is the same. Only, such as everybody knows, that's not easy to change the behavior from one day or during several months. But their behavior was even the reason why these two presidents had received the votes.  fig.: The image was captured yesterday on the frozen lake Neusiedl nearby Vienna. After the election isn't before the election, political fight-speeches shouldn't replace proper political discourses – the last mentioned duty is what for the people are paying the presidents and their colleagues (ministers, counselors,...). And they are paying these high salaries despite many of the countries' citizens (US and Austria) are so poor that they have only the minimum of medical care - which means fo...

By  Fashionoffice 's publisher Karin Sawetz Since the last two weeks not only winter markets with mainly regional specialties have popped up all around the country; Austrian specialties are a theme after the people had become more and more concerned about the influences of other countries' politics on them and how Austrian politicians will represent national interests in today's world which has been shaken up (latest events: Brexit, Trump). The whole world is in a tightly woven net of contracts and agreements - if it's about trade or the collaboration of the military. Even Austria as relatively small country has its positions and specialties like in the case of military: Austria is neutral and follows the duty to help but doesn't join war operations.  The thoughts about the self-image of Austrians have been reinforced by the upcoming presidential election on 4 December. The two candidates can't be compared to the US candidates nor is one of them similar to ...

By Fashionoffice 's publisher Karin Sawetz Austrians see the US presidential candidates probably more often than the country's own possible next president. The campaign machinery of US presidential elections is legendary and the exploration of the strategies behind belong to educational content in communication sciences. Even profane gossip such as which US star wore Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump Halloween costumes reaches the Austrians. Keyword Halloween. Halloween is a new party occasion in Austria although this time with All Saints' Day (1st November) and All Souls' Day (2nd November) is traditionally very contemplative and quiet. Both days are contributed to thoughts about deceased family members and friends. But Austrians are flexible and added Halloween with its costume parties on 31 October to the annual calendar. fig.: The picture shows me during a walk at one of the worldwide largest cemeteries, the 'Vienna Central Cemetery' (Wiener Zentralfrie...