Parallel Vienna is an exciting, slightly-grungy art event that describes itself as a hybrid between, “art fair, exhibition, gallery and studio.” Where are all those other hip catch phrases like, “performance space”, “evolving project,” we wonder?
The Parallel team has moved on from last year’s successful setting of the “Alte Post,” to another run down, abandoned building – the “Alte Sigmund Freud University,” and we wait to check it out over the coming days. And we’re especially looking forward to checking out what creative things the following exhibitors have cooked up:
Here are our top 5 Parallel-picks:
Sissa Micheli
Check out Sissa’s work, here.
Artist, Sissa Micheli (Galerie Bäckerstraße 4) created a socio-critical, site-specific video intervention, using interior and exterior shots of this years’ Parallel location to inspire discussion about urban planning challenges, such as the lack of living-space Vs. luxury real estate projects. The originally South-Tyrolean based, and now Viennese by choice, artist is also a highlight of the other current exhibition showing in Vienna: “Past Present Future” (…of women in the art scene.) currently showing at the ARCC.art open space parallel (no pun intended) to Parallel (until September 30).
Where: Room 601 / 6th floor
Eva Beresin and Moussa Kone
Check out Eva’s work, here.
Check out Moussa’s work, here.
Eva Beresin and Moussa Kone (Charim Galerie) both deserve attention – the latter because of her very powerful political punch, yet enticingly beautiful, ink drawings. Meanwhile, Eva Beresin contributed one of our favourite pieces at last year’s Parallel (“Chai Wekajam”) so we’re already excited for Charims’ space 2017.
Where: Room 401 / 4th floor
Gabriele Chiari
Check out Gabriele’s work, here.
We suspect that perhaps Gabriele Chiari (Galerie Bernard Jordan, Paris) was inspired by Freuds’ colleague, Hermann Rohrschach, as her beautiful water color paintings have you interpreting wildly and your (unconscious) mind wandering far and wide. Be sure to bring Sigmunds’ dream interpretation book to self-analyse potential daydreams after having indulged in Gabrieles’ works. BOOM! (your mind after staring at Gabriele’s work for more than 5 minutes).
Where: Room 511 / 5th floor
Stefan Bidner
As if managing this years’ hybrid event wasn’t enough, artistic director and co-founder of Parallel Vienna, Stefan Bidner, has also whipped up and curated, Boys don’t cry for the Wiener Art Foundation. To us, presenting only male artists seems like a provocative move in a field that, well, already presents mostly male artists. (We on the other hand do believe that the future is female) However, Bidner must have his reason, we assume.
Where: E08 / Ground floor
Birgit Graschopf
Check out Birgit’s work, here.
Finally, Birgit Graschopf and her “Nocturnal cycle,” curated by Georgia Holz (ARCC.art, Vienna), will draw out attention, as she playfully mixes various photography techniques, as well as materials, to create her “night visions”.
Where: Haunted mansion No. 707 / 7th floor
We also recommend… If you’re not really into art after all but still want to claim that “you’ve been there, done that”, we can recommend the legendary Parallel Vienna opening and/or closing party. Yep, those artists still know how to throw a party.
You can find the details for the opening party, here, while you can find all the hard deers’ on the closing party, here.
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