Austrian Arts, Music Attract Koreans
By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
Austrian Ambassador Wilhelm Donko is simply unable to recall, or count, all the art-related functions he's attended over the past four years.
``It is (just) too many,'' Donko said in an interview with The Korea Times at the Seoul Arts Center last Thursday, where he proudly presented Gustav Klimt, an 20th-century Austrian painter.
In 2007, Donko presented the life of Austrian composer Mozart to a Korean audience during celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of his birth. He was Austria's representative at Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens' exhibition earlier this year. And he also invites the Vienna Boys' Choir to his residence every time they come to Korea to perform.
As for Klimt, Ambassador Donko extended invites to those in the Korean diplomatic community and media, and spokes of his pleasure at being able to bring the exhibition to Seoul..
``It seems to me that he (Klimt) is very high on the agenda for Koreans,'' he said, recalling numerous occasions when Korean friends have asked about when the Klimt exhibition could be shown here.
Klimt's ideas and style were new during his era, surprising and shocking to some audiences given his extensive works that involve female nudity.
The ambassador gave a quite honest interpretation of Klimt's body of work.
``The time was right for him," said Donko. ``He wouldn't be as successful if it were in the 21st century. Because it was a time when photo started to become important, and when the whole society wouldn't focus on paintings any longer, his approach was different. What he did was a revolution.''
He explained that ``Portrait of a Lady," which he said was his favorite among Klimt's works, was commissioned by the wife of a wealthy jewelry businessman.
Saying that the piece is now worth more than $20 million, Donko jokingly quipped to the male diplomats in attendance: ``It might be a good idea to have your wives' painting done."
Donko said he was rather amazed by the popularity of Klimt in Korea.
``When I came here for the first time several years ago (at the airport), I saw a Korean Air bus with a Klimt painting,'' a sign to him that Austrian paintings had penetrated the lives of Korean people.
And he says he easily encounters people who want to talk about the painter. ``(In a taxi), when I say I am from Austria, (drivers) begins to talk about Austrian artists, musicians and Klimt.''
He said he recognises that what Korean people know and like about Austria goes beyond artists.
Austria, especially Vienna, is where the hearts of music lovers ― classical music in particular ― and museum goers, reside, with its great collections of artifacts, concert halls and opera houses.
Of course, it can claim renowned names in the world of art ― on lips of many around the world ― as its sons: Besides Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele bore Austrian roots. As for music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Johann Strauss Jr., Johannes Brahms and Arnold Schonberg can be claimed by Austria.
Then comes the question of what has made Austrian musicians and artists so prominent.
Ambassador Donko said the answer lies in a combination of elements.
``First of all, Austria, located at the center of the European continent, has grown to become the center of culture. The reason is because we are in the center of Europe. We are at the crossroads of many cultures,'' he said. That is why he presented the exhibition of Rubens, a Belgian painter, and will present an Egyptian exhibition that will open in Seoul next month, where the majority of the items will actually come from a museum in Vienna. ``You can see culture and music that's not from Austria,'' he said.
Education in music and art is another reason for Austrian creativity, yet it can't explain everything, Donk continued.
``In the time when the classical musicians were delivering their works, the level of their education wasn't even comparable. So it couldn't exclusively be that (education).''
Despite being a lover of classical music and art, he doesn't seem to create either himself.
Asked who his favorite painter was, he was hesitant to give one name, so went with a favorite composer, saying that ``This year is a year of Haydn, so my favorite is Haydn,'' in reference to 2009 being the 200th anniversary of Haydn's death.
The embassy plans a small exhibition, which starts today at the Korea Foundation Cultural Center, displaying 40 personal belongings of Haydn until March 30.
Donko, who will end his tenure in Korea late this summer, said he was enormously pleased to receive a warm reception from the Korean people.
``I am very grateful that Korean people have shown so much interest in Austria. On so many occasions, I was overwhelmed by the interest.''
And he didn't miss the opportunity to invite all Koreans to the Klimt exhibition ― believed to be the biggest in Asia in scale and a once-in-a-life-time experience.