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· Europe · austria · Vienna

Stage Designer Monika Pormale's Vienna Picks

Author: Monika Pormale0 COMMENTS

The crossroads of professional experience for the stage designer and artist, Monika Pormale, are found in Vienna. Currently, Monika Pormale is working with the Austrian film director, Ulrich Seidl, on the set design for a production scheduled to premier at Wiener Festwochen 2012, the European international theater and music festival. In Vienna, Monika Pormale has also created the stage design for Alvis Hermanis' (head director of Riga's JRT), productions of "A Family" ("Eine Familie"), based on the dramatic text, "August: Osage County", by T. Letts, and A. Chekhov's play, "Platonov"; both plays were shown on the small stage of Austria's most notable theater - Vienna's Burgtheater. However, in Alvis Hermanis' production of "Call of the Wild" ("Ruf der Wildnis"), Monika Pormale created the costumes, while her life partner, the Vienna-born stage designer, Rudolf Bekic, did the stage design. Unsurprisingly, the Pormale-Bekic family has spent the last year traveling from Riga to Vienna at least once a month. The artist admits that she quickly "caught" that special feeling that, quite possibly, can only be had in Vienna - the feeling that you are not just a guest in the city. Here are a few of the places in Vienna that Monika Pormale has discovered (some just recently) and fallen in love with.


Photo: Café Schwarzenberg. © dalbera

Café Schwarzenberg
The sands of time, largely unchecked, continue to wear away at the entourage of Vienna's cafes, covering them with a thick patina. Quite possibly, this may be the reason that Café Schwarzenberg, with its very tasteful face-lift, rises from the background. Of course, the bygone times are still felt - in the high ceilings, in the marble floors and columns, and in the Viennese chairs. The resilience of Viennese cafe refinement and aristocracy from the previous centuries seems to give Café Schwarzenberg an aura not unlike that of a museum.
Established in 1861, Café Schwarzenberg was the first of the Ringstrasse cafes of the time. Both then and now, Café Schwarzenberg has been a favorite of working professionals; in the mornings, informal business breakfasts continue to be held at the large, round tables. It's easy to imagine how the always well-dressed public of Café Schwarzenberg also stops by later in the day - both before and after their evenings at the opera.
Kärntner Ring 17
1010 Wien

www.cafe-schwarzenberg.at/en

 

Cafe Am Heumarkt
On the other side of Vienna's city park (Wiener Stadtpark), on the corner of Heumarkt and Johannesgasse streets, sits Cafe Am Heumarkt. Time has virutally stopped here and the cafe has been practically swallowed by obsoleteness. Those who are in-the-know will exhort this place as something unbelievable, a miracle that has, amazingly, kept its place in the city's center.
Cafe Am Heumarkt is almost always empty; you're only bound to meet a stray student or two, hidden by the high backs of the faux-leather chairs set out in the L-shaped room (the lack of music and/or radio chatter make this a good place for reading and studying).
While the waiters idly play chess at a far-off table, take a closer look at the dips and paths worn into the parquet flooring, through the thick layer of dust - underneath this all is the grandeur of a palace! Feeling slightly bothered, a waiter will soon give you some notice; quite possibly, his apron will be well-past its first freshness, with a smattering of blood from the earlier-done task of pounding Vieneese schnitzel. This will, however, not leave you with distaste, but just the feeling that you are peering through a grimy window at the strange life of others.
When at Cafe Am Heumarkt, definately try their extremely delicious Kaiserschmarrn - a thin pancake with jam and powdered sugar.
Café Heumarkt
Am Heumarkt 15
A-1030 Vienna

 


Photo: Palmenhaus. Preses foto

Palmenhaus
In 1882, an impressive orangerie was built in amongst the gardens of Hofburg Palace; in 1901, a colorful Jugendstil palm pavilion was added, designed by the architect, Friedrich Ohman. It currently houses a brasserie and cafe loved by locals and tourists alike - Palmenhaus, where small and fragile ensembles of tables and chairs have been clustered at the feet of grand, towering palm trees.
Burggarten 1
1010 Wien

www.palmenhaus.at

 


Photo: Aida. © Wikipedia

Aida
The pink signboards of the bakery/cafe Aida, established in 1883, can be seen in various places throughout Vienna. Well-loved for generations, it's pink, 60's-style budoir welcomes families with children and grandparents alike, with friendly waitresses (dressed in pink) serving pink cakes and good coffee from Central- and South America. Especially nice is the Aida by St. Stephen's Cathedral - its second floor features a wonderful view of the Old Town.
www.aida.at

 


Photo: Café Westend. © Andreas Pöschek

Café Westend
Nothing has changed for at least a hundred years at this cafe by the Wien Westbanhof railway station. The public at Café Westend is characteristcally hurried - world-travelers who have stopped for a five-minute coffee while they keep one eye on their heavy luggage, waiting until they can board their trains to westwards, earlier even to Prague, Budapest, Bucharest, Belgrade... The old and worn parqet flooring of this legendary place is impregnated with the energy of past events and chandeliers throw light on walls covered in newspaper clippings. The conscienciously collected clippings tell of the historical happenings that have emotionally binded people to this place - mafia shootings, the day when a baby was born on the premises...
Mariahilferstrasse 128
1070 Vienna

 


Photo: Satyr Filmwelt. © www.shopikon.com

Satyr Filmwelt
Satyr Filmwelt is a paradise for connoiseurs of film, a virtual utopia for students of independent film, or anyone who is interested in movies; it's an unbelievable place that will change your preconceptions about the true magnitude of noncommercial cinema. Along with an impressive collection of books on film and movie soundtracks, the DVD catalog at Satyr Filmwelt contains absolutely every film ever made outside of the commercial and conventional machine known as Hollywood - approximately 70 000 films, in total. Don't get too carried away during your shopping for Art House and experimental film gems - keep your eye on the prices - some of the more collectible films can cost upwards of 50 EUR.
Vorlaufstrasse 2
Vienna, 1010

 

Caritas
Unlike other European cities, in Vienna it is not customary to put unwanted items out on the street, which is why the Caritas team works much like the city's sanitation department, collecting all unwanted items of the citizens of Vienna in a huge, second-hand market pavilion. In a poetic sense, a cross-section of the utilitarian objects "displayed" at Caritas reveals the social landscape of the city. The inhabitants of Vienna are reflected in the unbelievable antique objects you'll find here: starting with Biedermeier and the "boring" Jugendstil (boring because there still is so much of it in Vienna), and ending with the wonderful kitchens of the 50's and 60's, coming from apartments from which the previous generation of dwellers have moved on. Even the 1980's, with their really peculiar styles of furniture are represented -- but take heed, these items are usually the first to go. With all of its decades of design miracles, Caritas is an interesting journey through time, and therefore, an attractive site to visit for people who like to immerse themselves in the memories and emotions of the past.
Am Mittersteig

 


Photo: INDIA. © www.shopikon.com

INDIA
The shelves of the textile store INDIA, next to St. Stephen's Cathedral, overflow with bolts of fantastic fabrics created in the East. You'll find wonderful, hand-made Oriental fabrics, curtains and rugs sourced from workshops in Vietmanm Cambodia etc.
The lay-out of INDIA attests to the handiwork of an interior designer and/or artist. Just like an arrangement of an exhibition, or a set design with custom-made lighting and music, INDIA brings out the uniqueness of every single fabric on display, paying special attention to particularily rare textiles.
Strobelgasse 2
A-1010 Vienna

indiawien.wordpress.com

 


Photo: Minimal Wien. © MINIMAL 2010

Minimal Wien
Minimal Wien is a toy and clothing store for children up to ten years of age. The owner of Minimal Wien is herself a mother, and when traveling the world over, she looks in the direction of the unique and high-quality. Which is why in the shelves of this store, you won't find overly-reproduced "mickey-mouses" or motley, cheap stock from Poland, which is certainly not worthy of little children. Clothing from Scandinavia and Denmark have become personal favorites of the owner.
Westbahnstraße 3
minimalwien.com

 


Photo: Naturhistorisches Museum Wien. © Wikipedia

Vienna Natural History Museum / Naturhistorisches Museum Wien
The Vienna Natural History Museum is one the world's most notable museums of natural history. Historically, it was established to house the Hapsburg Dynasty's collection. Some of its exhibits are even dated from the 18th century; for example, the insect collection was bought by Franz I from a zoologist in 1793. The museum's expositions and layout with the original glass display cases has been superbly preserved; much like an impressive jungle outside the realms of civilization, 39 exhibition rooms present practically all of the earth's flora and fauna. There used to be a section of the museum devoted to displaying the human races of the world, but it was closed a couple of years ago due to issues concerning political-correctness.
Burgring 7
1010 Vienna, Austria

www.nhm-wien.ac.at

 


Photo: Wiener Zentralfriedhof, Gräberreihe mit Kreuz. © Wikipedia

The Central Cemetery / Zentralfriedhof
Approximately 3.3 million people have been interned in the city's Central Cemetery. One could say that it is the place where the pinnacle of classical music -- in its most vibrant personas -- have been laid to rest - Johannes Brahms, Johannes Strauss, Franz Scubert, Ludwig Van Beethoven...
One part of this cemetery has receeded into complete, tree-shaded obscurity; for decades now, no one has placed any flowers here, nor had a period of quiet contemplation - this is the ancient Jewish section of the Zentralfriedhof. The time-frozen cemetery is only occassionally disturbed by a raven's caw, a footfall from a rare visitor, and a quiet city bus (No. 106) that has a few stops within the grounds. The close proximity of a huge flock of black birds creates an especially mournful tone as one takes a solitary walk, reading the interesting names engraved in tombstones deserving of a closer look.
Simmeringer Hauptstraße 230-244
Vienna 1110

 

11/2011

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