THE GUIDE
Itai Margula is a Vienna-based licensed architect and freelance curator in the field of Fine Art. As a curator and art advisor for private collectors, he develops diverse exhibition formats as well as publications, artist books, and editions.
Itai studied at the Technical University Vienna, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, and the Slade School of Fine Arts London. He holds a MSc in Architecture as well as a MA in Fine Arts.
Over the course of five years, Itai deepened his knowledge of Architecture, Design and Fine Arts by conducting guidedtours in the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) and the Architekturzentrum Vienna. For the Museum of Applied Arts’ Educational Department he created several tools and a catalogue for a ‘Material Library’.
Itai's work on visible and hidden urban realities was shown 2008 at the 11th Architecture Biennale in Venice.
Since 2010, he has been working in the design office of Michael Embacher, where he was responsible for the realisation of several museum displays for permanent collections and temporary exhibitions in various international museums.
THE SCENE
Vienna’s rich cultural history still radiates its influence on contemporary art and culture, stimulating various fields of art, design, music, literature and architecture until today. Around 1900 this city was without doubt one of the most important places for groundbreaking thinkers. Just think of Otto Wagner’s approaches to urban planning, Adolf Loos’ modern understanding of design, the art and architecture which evolved from the circles of the Secessionists and the Wiener Werkstätte and that were reflected in the music of Arnold Schönberg and Gustav Mahler. This well-known history is still a fruitful starting point for different conversations and contemporary ideas.
With this history in mind, you will enjoy your exploration of Vienna’s vivid art scene even more. Besides the broad range of world class museums you will find a number of galleries, most of them concentrated in three streets: Schleifmühlgasse (4th district), Seilerstätte and Eschenbachstraße (both 1st district). All these galleries represent international and local artists, covering the present scope of contemporary art. But throughout town there are plenty of opportunities to discover younger galleries and projects representing emerging artists – such as Zeller van Almsick, Collectors Agenda, Sophie Tappeiner, Büro Weltausstellung, Das Weisse Haus, and New Joerg.
• Photo: Patrycja Domanska. STIMULI / Curator: Marlies Wirth / MAK Design Lab 2017 @ Itai Margula
THE TOURS
Itai provides guided tours in English, German, and Hebrew through museums, gallery exhibitions, off-spaces, as well as to art fairs, auctions and artist studios. He also offers tours with an emphasis on “Vienna 1900” combining various permanent exhibitions and original locations with contemporary venues. Depending on your interests and preferences it is possible to conduct a tour with a specific focus or to simply open up a wide horizon of Vienna’s landscape of art and architecture.
• Photo: Bernhard Cella at Charim Gallery 2017 @ Itai Margula
ITAI'S top 5
