Fighting stereotypes and finding your voice: Internship at the Kunsthistorisches Museum
Kateryna Kinsel is an art critic and art historian from Ukraine who moved to Vienna with her family due to the full-scale Russian invasion.
In winter, Kateryna started her internship at the Art History Museum in Vienna. The internship is a result of a cooperation between the Artists Solidarity Program Europe (ASoP Europe) supported by the Austrian Foreign Ministry, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, and Office Ukraine. We talked with Kateryna to learn more about her life and her experience at the prominent Austrian museum.
Kateryna, please tell us more about your background.
Before the full-scale invasion, I lived in Kyiv. I worked as a corporate lawyer for 15 years, but according to the statistics, a certain number of lawyers later switch to the art field, and I was one of them. After two of my daughters were born, I decided to systematize thousands of paintings and hundreds of books in my head and get a proper art education. In 2021 I graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Kyiv with a master’s diploma, considering an interesting art opportunity to start my new profession. But the war of Russia against Ukraine destroyed all my plans.
How do you find Vienna in terms of your artistic interest?
Vienna is a dream place for an art historian. It was an advantage to find a feeling of security right in this city. From the very first days, I immersed myself in everything related to art in Vienna, visiting every possible museum and exhibition, but also participating in volunteer projects for Ukrainian refugees. I developed lectures on the brightest periods of Ukrainian art for women supported by the non-profit organization “Domivka”. I gave several guided tours through Albertina for Ukrainian scholars cooperating with WU. I started giving lectures on art for Ukrainian students. All these volunteer activities allowed me to share my knowledge and passion for art, but also kept me mentally alive.
Later I started giving guided tours in Belvedere, Secession, Albertina and other art institutions. Currently, I’m working as an art historian teacher with the Free People School. My students are lucky to learn from the original works of the best European and American artists. On the other hand, it is a challenge for me to explain that Markus Lüpertz or Fernand Léger are cool and why. Of course, I would like to mention the exhibition “In the Eye of the Storm” at Belvedere. I am grateful to Belvedere and all the people involved for organizing this comprehensive exhibition, as well as I was very happy to see how many Ukrainians were eager to learn about Ukrainian modernism.
How did you learn about the internship at KHM, and what are you doing there?
I applied for an ASoP Europe grant with an internship at the KHM through Office Ukraine, sent my CV and cover letter, and finally received a letter from the KHM congratulating me on winning the internship. The goal of the internship was to translate the KHM audio guides from English into Ukrainian, as the current audio guides cover only a limited number of artworks. My first meeting with Dr. Helga Rabl-Stadler and Mr. Mraz running the ASoP Europe Program commissioned by the Austrian Foreign Ministry was indeed friendly and supportive. Then I met the KHM team, which was also kind. Alexander Smith and David Schreier from the KHM’s audio-guide department have been very helpful during my translation work.
So far, I have completed the translation of all the audio guides, including those for the Gemäldegalerie, the Kunstkammer, and the Egyptian, Greek, and Asian collections. The final stage of the internship is the voice-over, I hope it will be finished soon and Ukrainians will enjoy visiting the KHM much more.
What is important to you in this project?
There are two main significant aspects for me related to this project. First is a coming-soon possibility for Ukrainians to hear about the best art works of the KHM in their own language. Second, but not less important, by making this project the KHM and Austria demonstrate the empathy to Ukrainians which is very important to feel in these dark times. Of course, I grew up as a professional due to this internship, which totally thrills me.
What are the differences between museums here in Austria and Ukraine?
The main difference is the size of the collections. Austria, as a part of the Roman and later Austrian Empire and the capital of the Habsburg dynasty, has collected and keeps an enormous number of the best works of art from all over the world. The history of Ukraine shows that Ukrainian art started from the 12th century till now was and is being looted or destroyed. The same destiny had the priceless collections of Ukrainian art patrons like Tereshchenko or Khanenko. Today’s war has deprived Ukraine of even more of its cultural heritage: the Crimean museums and museums in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Kherson Art Museum, the Kuindzhi and Skovoroda Museums, the Maria Prymachenko Museum, and many-many others have been appropriated, looted, or destroyed by Russians. My wish for Ukraine to get back all the looted cultural property to its museums started from mosaics of St. Michael`s Golden-Domed Monastery and ancient icons from the 11th and 12th centuries. I dream about Ukrainians who will enjoy and study the art history in the museums of Kyiv and their hometowns.
Did you have any stereotypes about Austria before coming here?
The main stereotype is that Austrians are arrogant and unfriendly. This is not true, at least I do not see these traits as common. On the contrary, Austrians whom I met during these two years are very open and helpful, and I am very grateful for that.
