Interviews with First Year Students: Marc

Luiza: Did you study art before or any previous studies in Switzerland, or is this your first study? 

Marc: This is my first time studying. We have something like a pre-study course in Switzerland, which I did. That's one year where you are in art school and can just try out different things and find out whatever you would like to do in the future.

Luiza: Did you choose any specific mediums? Are you working on multimedia lately? 

Marc: Two things interest me a lot. One side is graphic work, digital and analog as well. On the other side, I liked to do installations, constructions, and bigger things. I also find it interesting to work with humour. 

Luiza: Was the Scenography program your first choice?

Marc: It was my first choice. I don't come from theater, so that is a new field for me. It's a lot of new things to learn about, which is exciting. And I also applied here for the Fine Arts program. I did not get into the application process for the fine arts program, but I got accepted for Scenography. 

Luiza: Is there anyone who inspires you? 

Marc: Yeah, sure. One of the biggest scenography artists right now who also works a lot, not just in the theater and opera, but in pop and fashion shows eventually is Es Devlin. She's one of the biggest names I know in this field, and the area of fine arts. Also, Roman Signer who is a Swiss artist, has this very humorous approach, working with often basic things or actions, and a lot of his work has a lot to do with construction. 

Luiza: The experience of arriving in Vienna, how was it for you?

Marc: It's a difficult question because it's a process that is still very much going on right now. I'm really happy to be here, but on the other side it's a lot of new things. I don't know the people yet. In Scenography, we are one big class of around 30 people, together with the ones who are in higher semesters as well, who have started maybe one or even five years ago and know each other already. We are four people new into this class, so we have to first get into this group dynamic and finding our way into that it's exciting, but it can also be a bit hard at first. It just takes patience.

Luiza: Visa-wise, you do you need something coming from Switzerland? 

Marc: I don't need anything, apart from a "Meldezettel". It's a document declaring your place of residency. After getting that organized, I went to the Swiss Embassy in Vienna, so they could know I'm here and also set things up so I can vote in Switzerland. 

Luiza: How did you hear about the Academy? 

Marc: I found a website that made it easy for me to apply, it's like a step-by-step list. What things that I need to do next and complete to make my registration here in Vienna. It's an immigration guide for Austria. I didn't know the university at all. It was just an idea to go abroad to do my studies. I thought of Germany first and then Vienna somehow came to my mind as its one of the bigger cities here in Europe, which could be interesting for me as a German speaker, it's in my comfort zone when it comes to the language. Then I just googled if they had a Scenography program, and that's how I found it. 

Luiza: Your admission exam. How was it for you to make the project and the experience?

Marc: I already had been taken in Zurich, so that took some pressure away from it. I could just come here and enjoy my stay. It was my first insight into the school. 

Luiza: Did you do it in presence? 

Marc: Yes, I came here for three days, and worked on a project in the studio where we are studying right now. Professors, teachers, a few former students were there. 

Luiza: Did this experience get you more into wanting to come here, like having an analysis of the atmosphere, or did you feel pressured to be in the studio space?

Marc: It wasn't a bigger pressure. I think it, was exciting actually, because it took some of the scariness away from going somewhere I've never been before and gave me a good first insight.