DOI Heft:
Nr. 116 (November 1902)
DOI Artikel:Fred, Alfred W.: The International Exhibition of Decorative Art at Turin, the Austrian section
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19877#0142
Turin Exhibition
THE INTERNATIONAL EXHI- talent which is trained in these schools, leaves a
BITION OF DECORATIVE ART conspicuous blank. The readers of The Studio
AT TURIN • THE AUSTRIAN are fam^ar> through many articles, with the ten-
SECTION BY W FRED dencies of these artists—amounting, in fact, to a
distinct " Modern Austrian " style.
Austria, like many other countries, has not Austria was so exceptionally lucky as not to find
succeeded here in producing an advantageous or herself obliged to display her products in the great
even true impression of her arts and artistic manu- bazaar-like central hall of the Turin Exhibition;
factures. Many causes have contributed to this she was able to arrange them in two small build-
result. In the first place, the time that had elapsed ings erected by the architect Herr Baumann. The
since the Paris Exhibition was too short to allow opportunity was not altogether judiciously used,
of any new efforts; and in the second place, in One of the buildings, a sort of kiosk with a circular
consequence of the epidemic of exhibitions in vestibule and a white plaster facade — not too
Germany and Austria within the last few years, the tastefully decorated with black and yellow, the
careful execution of artistic products, which formerly symbolical national colours—showed some affinity
was almost always praiseworthy, has given way to with the Viennese Secessionist style of white stucco
hasty and careless work. And, so far as Austria villas with an irregular facade, and produced a not
was concerned, there -was
this year an additional
hindrance: besides all the
national shows, the Inter-
national Exhibition at
Diisseldorf and the special
Au strian Exhibition in
London had strained
every power to the utmost.
And it must at least be
said that we are accus-
tomed to see far better
results of Austrian art and
Austrian industry than
those which fill their
two sectional buildings at
Turin.
A special reason for the
failure as concerns works
of art lay in the fact that
the Viennese Secessionists,
among whom must be
reckoned most of the dis-
tinguished talents of
Austria—as Otto Wagner,
Josef Hoffmann, Kolo-
man Moser, L. Bauer,
and others — refused on
personal grounds to take
any part in the Turin Ex-
hibition. In the same
way almost all the schools
of applied art in Vienna
refused to exhibit, and
this abstention, when we
consider the remarkable
activity of the youthful room designed by witzmann
THE INTERNATIONAL EXHI- talent which is trained in these schools, leaves a
BITION OF DECORATIVE ART conspicuous blank. The readers of The Studio
AT TURIN • THE AUSTRIAN are fam^ar> through many articles, with the ten-
SECTION BY W FRED dencies of these artists—amounting, in fact, to a
distinct " Modern Austrian " style.
Austria, like many other countries, has not Austria was so exceptionally lucky as not to find
succeeded here in producing an advantageous or herself obliged to display her products in the great
even true impression of her arts and artistic manu- bazaar-like central hall of the Turin Exhibition;
factures. Many causes have contributed to this she was able to arrange them in two small build-
result. In the first place, the time that had elapsed ings erected by the architect Herr Baumann. The
since the Paris Exhibition was too short to allow opportunity was not altogether judiciously used,
of any new efforts; and in the second place, in One of the buildings, a sort of kiosk with a circular
consequence of the epidemic of exhibitions in vestibule and a white plaster facade — not too
Germany and Austria within the last few years, the tastefully decorated with black and yellow, the
careful execution of artistic products, which formerly symbolical national colours—showed some affinity
was almost always praiseworthy, has given way to with the Viennese Secessionist style of white stucco
hasty and careless work. And, so far as Austria villas with an irregular facade, and produced a not
was concerned, there -was
this year an additional
hindrance: besides all the
national shows, the Inter-
national Exhibition at
Diisseldorf and the special
Au strian Exhibition in
London had strained
every power to the utmost.
And it must at least be
said that we are accus-
tomed to see far better
results of Austrian art and
Austrian industry than
those which fill their
two sectional buildings at
Turin.
A special reason for the
failure as concerns works
of art lay in the fact that
the Viennese Secessionists,
among whom must be
reckoned most of the dis-
tinguished talents of
Austria—as Otto Wagner,
Josef Hoffmann, Kolo-
man Moser, L. Bauer,
and others — refused on
personal grounds to take
any part in the Turin Ex-
hibition. In the same
way almost all the schools
of applied art in Vienna
refused to exhibit, and
this abstention, when we
consider the remarkable
activity of the youthful room designed by witzmann