UNIS/MA/346
21 June 2024
VIENNA, 21 June (UN Information Service) – The biggest mural in Vienna is being inaugurated at a special ceremony at the Vienna International Centre with representatives of the Host Country, City of Vienna, 22nd municipal district, the United Nations and the Calle Libre Street Art Festival as well as the artist himself. A tactile information board courtesy of Zero Project and partners will also be unveiled which will make the artwork accessible for people with disabilities.
Over the last three weeks one of the towers of the UN building has been transformed into a work of art by the Australian artist Fintan Magee. The street art is in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Summit of the Future. It is also part of the events to mark the 45th anniversary of the Vienna International Centre which opened in 1979.
The landmark art project has the backing of the heads of the main Vienna-based UN organizations, the UN Office at Vienna/UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNOV/UNODC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), as well as the City of Vienna, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Labour and Economy.
The project is supported by the 22nd municipal district as well as the Australian embassy in Vienna. A crane was supplied pro-bono by Austrian company and Global Compact Network Austria participant, Palfinger to transport the artist and his assistant to the top of the tower. Other private sector support to the Calle Libre Street Art Festival came from Murexin, Superbude Hotel, Warda Network, Obsidian Holding, Strabag Kunstforum and others. The Global Compact Network Austria is also behind the project.
The mural is a symbol for the fulfillment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and in particular goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions. The design by Fintan Magee was the clear favourite selected by a panel.
The artwork will be made barrier-free for everyone with the installation of two tactile information boards, provided by Zero Project with support from VrVis and others. One will be outside the VIC and a second board inside the building.
The 50 metre high and 20 metre wide tower is close to the main entrance of the VIC and the street art will be seen by tens of thousands of people every day.
The public are encouraged to take photos and videos of the painting and share them on social media using the hashtags #UNOCityStreetArt #UNVienna and #callelibre.
More information on our website.
Please register for the event by writing to press.vienna[at]un.org
* *** *
For further information please contact:
Martin Nesirky
Director, UN Information Service Vienna
Mobile: (+43) 699-1459-5676
Email: martin.nesirky[at]un.org
or
Jakob Kattner,
Artistic Director of the Project, Calle Libre Street Art Festival
Mobile: (+43) 676 81 45 40 01
Email: office[at]callelibre.at
"Together, we can make 2025 a new beginning. Not as a world divided. But as nations united. " — António Guterres
The UN Convention against Cybercrime aims to prevent and combat cybercrime more efficiently and effectively, including by strengthening international cooperation and by providing technical assistance and capacity-building support, particularly for developing countries.
I welcome the landmark adoption of a new international convention on cybercrime by the United Nations General Assembly. This remarkable step represents the first UN international legal instrument on crime-related issues in over 20 years, and it comes at exactly the right time.
"On this International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, I call on countries to heed the lessons of past health emergencies to help prepare for the next." — António Guterres
