Vienna Insight by Karin Sawetz, publisher Fashionoffice
12 October 2013

Have young people any strategies for building their future?

When looking at the video by the artists Lilli Thiessen and Alexander Ruthner at the Diesel Black Gold area at Viennafair (article about the opening), I would say, no. The title of the video is 'Savannah' and presents people - dressed in cool Diesel Black Gold items, hanging around in Vienna, just as they don't know what to do or without any idea where the journey of life could go. The main motif of the film is the presentation of a group on the search for their next task; the message (such as written in black letters on black ground beside the video screen): "I don't really want to today, but I have to."

At the booth, I was involved into a conversation which was inspired by the social-critical art-fashion video 'Savannah'. The conversation was not more than an extended small-talk between two people without going deep into topics like the future of youth which is perhaps too in-active, the fact that parts of our society stamp them as 'Lost Generation' and some rays of hope such as manifested recently nearby the hall of Viennafair as new architecture for the students of Vienna University of Economics and Business. The point of view of my conversation partner (is active in music and fashion, studied at the same university like I did; it was not the mentioned one) corresponded with my impression of the new campus: an inspiring area with many comfort-zones. A great place for developing new strategies for the future!

Video from the opening ceremony of the campus of WU-Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (University of Economics and Business Vienna) with light installation by Dirk Rauscher (sound by Sebastian Oberst & Andreas Buchner) on the building by architect Zaha Hadid.




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