For information only - not an official document

UNIS/VIC/176
25 February 2011

New Art Tours Start at Vienna International Centre

VIENNA, 25 February (UN Information Service) - For the first time the Vienna International Centre is opening its doors with a special programme for art lovers from around the world. From 1st March works of art by famous artists can be seen as a part of an Arts Tour around the UN headquarters in Vienna. Masterpieces by Hundertwasser, Nitsch, Hrdlicka and many other renowned artists can now be seen as a part of the tour.

The UN arts collection was started by a donation from Austria worth an estimated one and a half million euros at the time. Over the years the collection has grown significantly as Member States have donated sculptures and paintings of their own important artists on various occasions.

The collection today represents a unique international art collection with works from artists from more than 40 countries. Inside one of the buildings there is a working Moroccan fountain. Iraq has donated a replica of the Hamurrabi code and a small plough sculpted out of material from a dismantled nuclear device was donated by South Africa to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to symbolize their commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The Plaza in front of the Vienna International Centre hosts a Japanese peace bell, while staff and visitors are greeted by four philosophers from Iran in the Chartagi (Scholars Pavilion). The United Nations is indeed expressing its mission and values through art making it a very different experience than a visit to an art gallery.

Representatives of the media are invited to attend an inaugural Art Tour on March 9 th at 2 p.m..

For more information on arts tours see the Visitors Service web page, call +43 (0)1 26060 3328 or email tours@unvienna.org. Tours start at Checkpoint One at the Visitors Service Counter.

 

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For further information contact:

Andraž Melanšek
Chief of Visitors Service, UNIS Vienna
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-3348
Email: andraz.melansek@unvienna.org

www.unis.unvienna.org