Talks / Ideas / Philosophy

The Arc of History Lecture Series: Viennese Modernism in British Exile – Austrian Émigré Designers and Artists in Britain, 1930–1950

28 Rutland Gate, London

Wed 21 Oct · 19:00

Talk

About this event

The Arc of History Lecture Series: Austria 1900 – 2020 We are excited to continue our series of lectures launched in 2024, reflecting on Austrian history, identity and creativity over a turbulent 120 year span. The lectures will be of particular interest to those who have recently acquired Austrian citizenship, or are considering applying. For new Austrian citizens: In case the event is sold out, please write an email to [email protected] to join the waiting list. Lecture 9: Viennese Modernism in British Exile: Austrian Émigré Designers and Artists in Britain, 1930–1950 By Elena Shapira After being forced to flee Austria for Britain, the Viennese modernists—designers and artists—were invited to help shape a cultural agenda that combined Austrian and British influences. Those involved included the architects Ernst Freud and Ella Briggs, the designer couples Jacques and Jacqueline Groag and Josef Berger and Margarete Berger-Hamerschlag, and the artists Oskar Kokoschka and Marie-Louise von Motesiczky. Shapira's talk opens with a passage from The Story of Furniture (1947), written and illustrated by British designer Gordon Russell and Austrian architect Jacques Groag. ‘We have discovered that people are more important than things.’ This shared ethical approach re-evaluated the relationship between identity and material possessions by placing the emphasis on people and their needs. It was an essential aspect of Viennese modernism that became more pertinent after its protagonists were forced to emigrate. Shared by Austrian émigrés and their close British colleagues, this approach, together with the influence of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories and Otto Neurath’s sociological insights, contributed to a cultural transformation within British society. Austrian designers and artists applied their knowledge of Viennese modernism to their creative work as they adapted to their new lives in Britain.