You only see what you know (Goethe)
The Kunsthaus was built in 2003 and shows exhibitions of contemporary art. Because of its remarkable architecture, it is generally known as the “Friendly Alien”. Contrary to a white cube, the interior in the form of an irregular bladder offers the possibility to enjoy bulky sculptures in an appropriate space. [German]
On a sunny spring day in 2012, I came across this sculpture in Ehrenhausen. At first view, it looked like public art portraying something fictitious. But this is wrong. It stands for a real sport with official championships: Finger pulling.
Master builder Peter Carlone built this tower in 1615. In the beginning, the name of this building referred to its function. It was called Mautturm (toll tower). After getting its unique roof in 1794, the name Schwammerlturm (mushroom tower) became common.
In this summer house formerly owned by Josef von Eggenwald (Eggenwaldsches Gartenhaus), the Peace Treaty of Leoben was signed between the Holy Roman Empire and the First French Republic on April 18th, 1797. This signing was an important event at the end of the “War of the First Coalition”. [German]
Some years ago, I saw this artwork near the Neue Galerie in Graz. The creator of this piece was Hans Hollein (1934-2014). The striking name of this work with several profound allusions: The Golden Calf (Das goldene Kalb). [German]
I am a sucker for wrought ironwork. On a walk through Graz, I discovered this image of a praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) as a decoration on a house entrance. What might have been the motivation for this work of art? [German]
Piber Castle (Schloss Piber) is a palace in the Austrian state of Styria. It stands next to the Federal Stud Piber. The stud breeds the famous Lipizzan stallions who are performing at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. [German]
Two beauties of Graz: The landmark of Graz named Uhrturm in the background and the Franciscan Church (Franziskanerkirche) in the foreground. The church is part of the oldest monastery in the city. Sometimes I walk through the hidden cloister for relaxing from the hurly-burly of the shopping streets in Graz.
This sundial on a residential building shows two depictions of the Styrian city of Bruck an der Mur. In the upper part, you can see Landskron Castle and parts of the former city walls. In the lower part, several residential buildings represent the modern Bruck an der Mur. At the bottom right, the city arms complete the presentation. [German]
An interesting detail of Graz: There are a lot of signs mentioning the string A.E.I.O.U. This was used by the Habsburg Emperor Frederick III who resided in Graz for many years. The meaning of this string is still unsolved. [German]
At the Schell Collection, also known as the Museum of Keys (Schlüsselmuseum), you can learn a lot about keys, locks, chests and jewellery boxes. Another focus is on decorative ironwork used for house signs, grave crosses, windows and doors. [German]
This house sign in Graz shows a bird standing on a combination of a star and a crescent. The combination star and crescent was already known in the Hellenistic period (4th–1st centuries BCE). The crescent represents the moon, the star represents the sun or the morning star.