Who is your favourite Viennese poet? Josef Weinheber perhaps? Well, there’s a collective of artists/activists from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna who clandestinely altered a statue in his honour. We talk with Tatiana Kai-Browne and Eduard Freudmann about why they dressed up as art restorers and intervened on a public monument dedicated to the Austrian poet. Their intervention has caused a stir in their hometown and touches on the sensitive issue of how we commemorate the less pleasant moments in our countries’ histories. (Hint: Keep your ears peeled for an impassioned reading of Weinheber’s love poetry to der Führer.)
NOTE: Due to technical phone problematics from the devil :), we were not able to reach Ilja Sichrovsky in Sarajevo as originally planned, however, you can hear our interview with him here on the following episode of Shtetl on the Shortwave. In the meantime, check out all the great tunes by Flory Jagoda, Mor Karbasi, Riff Cohen, Vampire Weekend and God Said No: Dan Bern‘s amazing song about God, history and human nature.
Thanks for tuning in!
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