The Windhund pose for a farewell group foto in the MQ in Vienna

On Monday, 28th June, the Windhund musicians gathered in Vienna’s cultural quarter, the MuseumsQuartier, for a public farewell event – including their entourage, friends, family and partners of the tour, the Austrian Development Agency, Aktionsradius Augarten and Licht für die Welt. Bright sunshine, mellow breeze and three suitcases with gifts for the road…

Karl Ritter, Anne Bennent, Otto Lechner and Heidi Liedler-Frank (Austrian Development Agency) present the project

Heidi Liedler-Frank of the Austrian Development Agency briefly introduced the Windhund members and the upcoming tour in front of the “Ke Nako – Afrika jetzt” pavillon temporarily set up in the main court of the MQ. The presentation was followed by a performance by Karl Ritter, Otto Lechner and Anne Bennent, who recited from Rimbaud’s poem “Drunken Boat”. The sails are set, the suitcases packed.

Melissa Coleman with a suitcase by AugartenStadt…

... and it's contents: Gartenzwerge, gnomes for the garden, an inofficial cultural heritage of Austria

Gartenzwerge – garden gnomes – are a special chapter of Austrian everyday life. An icon of narrow-mindedness, cultivating one’s own garden, regardless of the world outside – yet, remember: it was a garden gnomewho travelled the world in the French movie “Amelie”!

An Augarten resident and Augarten-vice-mayor Alois Kinast - in the background Edith Lechner and Keba Cissokho

And, as Augarten-vice-mayor Alois Kinast confirmed in his charming speech to the audience of the Bunkerei: the roots of mankind, and thus also of the garden gnomes, are in Africa. We shall find out more about this assumption very soon….

Alois Kinasts speech was followed by a beautiful concert by Edith Lechner and Keba Cissokho from Senegal.

Thanks so much for the warm farewell!