Post written by Madi Wentela
Hello, friends and family!
A few days ago, we wrapped up our Vienna adventures and headed to our next stop: the Czech Republic! As we prepared to spend the next twelve days in our new city, we reflected on the time we spent in Vienna and the art we had the opportunity to take in.
One of our first nights in Vienna, we went to the Staatsoper— the Vienna State Opera House — to see a production of Lady MacBeth von Mzensk, which was followed by a tour of the facilities the next day.
Getting to see an opera from one of the most iconic opera houses in the world was a breathtaking experience; especially as a student whose background is in live entertainment, not only for the beauty of the show itself but also for the unique experience to learn about how their show running experience differs from our own. I found it incredible that they perform at least 2 stage changeovers every day as they swap the sets both for a rehearsal in the morning and a different performance in the evening.
On top of performance art, a number of students were also able to visit the Albertina museum, where we got to view some iconic paintings and drawings from art history.
This has been one of my favorite experiences so far on this trip, as the several hours we spent in the gallery were in near silence with the other patrons as we took in the artwork and read about the painters. This was especially breathtaking for me as an artist, as I spend a significant amount of time and energy trying to communicate to my friends and family about the impact of artwork in my home community, so having the chance to be present with people who I couldn’t understand due to language barriers and who have different cultural values than me put that experience into an entirely new perspective. Visiting the Albertina was not only an enriching artistic experience for me from a technical and historical standpoint, but from a communicative and empathetic standpoint, as I had the unique experience of sharing a time and space with people I’ll never have the chance to understand as we took in the same artwork and tried to understand all the artists who came before us.
This is only a small peek into the art we’ve taken in since traveling to Europe, so be sure to stay in contact with the students you know and keep an eye on this page as well as our Instagram (@2023_prague) to keep learning about what we’re doing next!
Since leaving Vienna, we visited a small Czech town named Česky Krumlov and then made our way to Prague, where we’ll be until June 18. Stay tuned for more art and history updates!
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