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VIENNA, 28 June 2024 - The United Nations building in Vienna has taken on a very different appearance, with the painting of a giant street artwork on the side of one of the towers. The project creating the biggest mural in Vienna is in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Summit of the Future. The artwork by Australian artist Fintan Magee explores the human elements of the United Nations and the fragility of peace.
The painting is in collaboration with the Calle Libre Street Art Festival, with the backing of the Vienna-based UN organizations, the Host Country and Host City and additional support from the private sector and the Global Compact Network Austria.
The street art project is backed by 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 Host Country and the City of Vienna.
The Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, Ghada Waly, said: “We hope this artwork will be a source of inspiration for promoting sustainability, understanding and peace around the world. As we mark the 45th anniversary of the Vienna International Centre this year, we must seize this opportunity to re-invest in multilateralism and build momentum for the UN’s Summit of the Future taking place in September in New York.”
The mural will be a symbol for the fulfilment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and in particular Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.
The United Nations offices, agencies and organizations based in Vienna are all contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and helping to realize a world where everyone thrives in peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet.
In September 2024 the Summit of the Future in New York aims to bring new life into the multilateral system so that the world can deliver on the promise of the United Nations Charter and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Summit aims to adopt a Pact for the Future along with a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration for Future Generations. The work carried out by the UN organizations in Vienna is playing an essential role in this, by working to deliver a better, more peaceful, prosperous and fairer future for all.
It's mesmerizing to see Fintan Magee's artwork take shape at the United Nations in Vienna. Watch our documentary & timelapse.
Over the course of three weeks the 50 metres high and 20 metres wide tower was transformed into a work of art.
The tower is almost 1,000 square metres in size and it took approximately 210 litres of paint to cover the wall. The paint is being supplied by Calle Libre’s partners, Murexin.
The mural stands as a symbol for the fulfilment of all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Against the backdrop of conflict and crises around the world, this artwork, depicting a woman holding a white dove as a symbol of peace, is particularly dedicated to Goal 16 on ‘peace, justice and strong institutions’.
Artist Fintan Magee said: “Based on Picasso's "Child with a Dove", the work is painted with an Artico glass pattern that breaks up the figure and renders it abstract, seemingly distant. The woman in the painting is holding a white dove as a symbol of peace. The patterned glass effect depicts the human figure in the work as fragile, delicate and ephemeral.”
Mural street art is a contemporary art form which is readily accessible to a broad public. The B tower at the VIC is close to the main entrance and will be easily seen by thousands of people every day. It is expected that around 1.6 million people per month including those travelling on the U1 trains, motorists, conference participants, visitors on guided tours and staff will see it.
Calle Libre’s mission is to enrich the city of Vienna with colourful and accessible art. Over the last 10 years, Calle Libre has grown to become the largest street art festival in Central Europe.
Calle Libre is pleased to be involved in the project to transform the grey wall at the VIC into a work of publicly available street art. Calle Libre hopes that the mural at the UN will help to raise awareness of the need for a sustainably peaceful future for all and the importance of art in public spaces. It will also contribute to Vienna’s place as an international centre for contemporary art.
The Director of the Calle Libre Street Art Festival and Artistic Director of the project, Jakob Kattner, said: “In today’s world, characterized by ongoing conflicts, refugees and migration, it is more important than ever to raise awareness of the need for a sustainable and peaceful future.”
Especially in Vienna, as an international city and centre for art and culture, the effect of this work of art in public space will be particularly noticeable and an important source of inspiration for the promotion of sustainability and peace. The colourful mural is likely to become an icon of the 22nd district.
“With this monumental street artwork, we have not only made a lasting statement on the subject of peace, but at the same time created the largest mural in the city, which will have an impact on the population for many years to come,” Jakob Kattner said.
Calle Libre Street Art Festival sent eight potential artists with samples to the United Nations in Vienna. The six partners - UNOV/UNODC, IAEA, CTBTO and UNIDO, the Host Country and Host City - voted for their three favourite artists who were each then asked to submit a design for the tower itself. The partners considered the designs and a clear favourite emerged. The final design was confirmed by the heads of the four main Vienna-based UN organizations.
The top of the tower is more than 50 metres above the ground. A lifting platform was required so that the artist could reach the top. A pro-bono crane was supplied by the Austrian company and Global Compact Network Austria member, Palfinger, to transport the artist and his assistant to the top of the tower. The crane can reach 64 metres in height and the maximum weight in the cabin is 600 kg.
The Buildings Management Service (BMS) and the UN Security and Safety Service at the VIC provided assistance to the artist to paint the giant wall safely.
The Host Country and the City of Vienna are backing the project. The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of of Labour and Economy as well as the Mayor of Vienna and the city’s 22nd district municipality are supporting the street art project, as is the Australian Embassy in Vienna. From the private sector, Palfinger, a participant in Global Compact Network Austria, Murexin, Superbude Hotel, Warda Network, Obsidian Holding, Strabag Kunstforum and others are offering support to the Calle Libre Street Art Festival for the project. The Global Compact Network Austria is also behind the project.
The Zero Project is a global and research-driven initiative working for a world with zero barriers. It was founded by the Austrian non-profit Essl Foundation, a long-standing partner of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).
In 2023, together with Calle Libre, the Serbian street artist Jana Danilovic was asked to design the artwork “Inclusion ZPC23” at the Zero Project Conference at the UN in Vienna. The Essl Foundation’s Founder, Martin Essl, and his family donated a tactile board to make the artwork accessible to people with visual impairments. Inspired by inclusive art solutions of the Zero Project, the Essl Family supported barrier-free access to additional artworks, including three Calle Libre murals in Karl Farkas Park in the 7th district in Vienna.
Through the installation of the tactile boards, people with and without disabilities can enjoy the street art. A panel, for the large-format mural "Woman with Dove – Shaping Our Common Future" at the Vienna International Centre, was provided by the Essl Foundation and made by VRVis.
There was a ceremonial inauguration on Friday, 28 June with representatives of the Host Country, City of Vienna, the city’s 22nd district municipality, the United Nations and the Calle Libre Street Art Festival and other supporters. The artist was there and talked about the process of creation, the motif, its connection to the city of Vienna and its importance for the district and its residents.
The Deputy Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, Dennis Thatchaichawalit said of the artwork: “It speaks to our collective yearning for peace and justice, and to the hope that the United Nations still embodies. And it alludes to the role of women at the heart of our global aspirations for a better future. It is also a stand for the Sustainable Development Goals, and an optimistic prelude to the Summit of the Future in September.”
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.
