Opening of the new Austrian Cultural Forum
20 December 2023
Alexander Schallenberg, Austrian Federal Minister for European and International Affairs and South African Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa opened the new Austrian Cultural Forum at a reception in Pretoria hosted by Austrian Ambassador to South Africa Romana Königsbrun.
An MOU was also signed between Ministers Schallenberg and Kodwa to deepen cultural and scientific cooperation.
“I am pleased that our worldwide network of cultural forums has become one node richer. The opening of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Pretoria is a sign of our appreciation and another milestone in the relations between Austria and South Africa,” said Minister Schallenberg.
“Austria is everything about soft power. We don’t have nuclear weapons, we don’t impose our will on anybody. We consider ourselves as a cultural world power." Schallenberg said that this new cultural forum will be of the future and will focus on, amongst others, artificial intelligence and digital transformation.
Minister Zizi Kodwa said, “The signing of an MOU in culture between our two countries and the opening of the Austria Cultural Forum signals the most important shift in our relations. Cultural relations are at the core of who we are as a people. Cultural relations define and affirm our common humanity and our interconnectedness in the world.”
The cultural interaction ‘Imagine Moments’ by Austrian-South African artist Marcus Neustetter in collaboration with Xolisile Bongwana and Micca Manganye highlighted the collaboration between the two countries.
"The drawing of lines on a map define territories and borders, but once they are fragmented and rearranged they become intersections of cultures, disciplines and diverse media. To me they represent both complex human encounters and moments of new collaborative expression. Imagine Moments is an attempt to reveal these encounters and discover the new languages and perspectives. It is live, unrehearsed and raw and its process is as important as the vision it creates. I offer this work as an artistic contribution to the vision of the future Kulturforum shaped by local dialogue, relevance and impact," explained Marcus Neustetter about the drawings and interactive light installation.
TDS
South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, welcomed the growing overall trade between South Africa and Austria and the rising tourism numbers from the landlocked country in central Europe.
“We appreciate the valuable contribution that Austrian companies are making in South Africa, particularly in job creation, skills development and technology transfer,” she said at a joint media briefing with her Austrian counterpart, Minister Alexander Schallenberg, in Pretoria.
Pandor took the time to thank Schallenberg for honouring his invitation to come to South Africa for the meeting and engagements aimed at solidifying relations between the two countries.
South Africa’s bilateral relations with Austria, according to the Minister, are sound and on an upward trajectory.
This was evident when South Africa successfully hosted the third meeting of the South Africa-Austria Bilateral Consultations in Pretoria in 2022, after a two-year hiatus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During our deliberations today, we discussed the status of our bilateral cooperation as well as regional developments on the continent, current international developments and our robust cooperation in the multilateral arena.”
The South Africa-Austria bilateral cooperation includes renewable energy; wastewater treatment, recycling and organic agriculture; innovation and digitalisation; and environmental technologies.
Schallenberg and his delegation also engaged with South African business in a Business Forum arranged by the Department of Trade, Investment and Competition.
Austria, according to Pandor, is renowned for its vocational training and South Africa is keen to engage the Austrian government on the possibilities of establishing an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of vocational training.
“South Africa appreciates Austria’s global standing, reputation, and advanced technological capability in the renewable energy space, which makes Austria a natural partner for South Africa.
– SAnews.gov.za