Balance at the end of the year
The year 2021 is over and, like every year, I am taking stock. This time as a blog post.
First of all, I would like to thank you for the time you have invested in following my not-always-brilliant ideas and above all for the opportunity to learn from you. Many new aspects have flowed into my considerations. And in times of lockdown, the exchange of ideas online gains a new dimension anyway. Some of you provide me with good art or other topics to think about every day. Through many of you, I get to know aspects that I have not paid so much attention to before. Unfortunately, I don’t always have enough time to take part in discussions on this.
All in all, 2021 was a very good year for me. 2 areas did not cast as satisfactory: social and health. I manage to come to terms with the latter better and better. At a certain age, health problems are likely to be simply “part of the game”. In the first area, I have to make an effort. Yes, the area of travel has also been widely neglected, but it is not a very big topic.
But all other areas went very well. A topic that is not in the focus of my interests, publications, went quite satisfactorily:
– Articles about Chinese art, publication of some of my short stories from my time in China (an anthology with 2 former federal presidents, diplomats, sinologists, business people …)
(The cover pictures are by Friedrich Schiff, an Austrian painter who emigrated to Shanghai.)
– 2 further books with images of my graphics (nothing significant, earlier sketches – but of course I have been happy about that).
– Granting a certificate of honor for my services to Austrian-Chinese relations (as discussed HERE)
– Creation of a website about my art https://www.zettl.fr/ and Creation and maintenance of my blog
– noticeable progress in my areas of art, especially calligraphy, landscape painting, abstract painting, but also surrealism …
– And what made me very happy: I managed to fix 2 exhibitions for 2022. One in spring in Beijing (group exhibition in an important museum of contemporary arts) and one in autumn in Vienna (solo exhibition. I’ll post about this separately later). I had hoped to travel to Beijing to take this opportunity to meet old friends, but it will certainly not work because the exhibition takes place from March to April.
– and last but not least quite satisfactory result in my other job (trading in antiques and collectibles). But I hope to finish this next year. There is no need to keep this business going. It’s more of a habit or the fear that I’m missing something.
And what will 2022 be like? It is always difficult to make predictions, especially when it comes to the future 😊 But my general attitude is very positive. It’s going to be a good year and I wish the same to you. Cheers, 2022!
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