Austria
Artist: Arik Brauer
* 1929 in Vienna, † 2021
In the first years after World War II, Arik Brauer began his artistic education at the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna. His teachers were Andersen, Boeckel and Albert Paris Gütersloh. Under their influence, the group known as "Fantasic Realism" was founded, with Brauer being one of the "First Garde" - along with Ernst Fuchs, Wolfgang Hutter, Friedrich Hundertwasser, Anton Lehmden and Rudolf Hausner.
The world of the Jews, the suffering of the Jewish people and their path through the history find their strongest precipitation in the work of Brauer, which were exhibited from the 60's until the early 80's in most major museums in Europe, America and Japan. Pieces can be seen and purchased in most of the significant museums of modert art.
He taught at the Academy of Fine Art in Vienna until becoming Prof. Emeritus in 1998.
Interpretation
The blue-white colour combination refers to our hosts for this event ("Prussian-blue").
The bear's feet are standing in blue waves, symbolic of the Danube, to which the most famous waltz composed by Johann Strauß, "At the beautiful blue Danube" is dedicated. Mountains and forests can be seen close to the waves of the Danube, landscapes which make Austria famous throughout the world.
The female figure riding on the violin is to be found on the back of the bear. She symbolizes the musicality of the Austrian people and their musical inclination in general.
This same female figure feeds the bear with sweet fruit, reflecting the cultural impulse which made its way from Vienna to Berlin.
Arik Bauer
Sponsor: Botschaft von Österreich