Beer and Art? Why not, Welcome to Bavaria!  the world’s Beer capital and home of amazing architecture! As we continue with our trip to the Romantic & Historical roads of Bavaria, after Regensburg and Walhalla, our next stop was the quaint town of Abensberg.

Have you heard about Hunderwasser?

If you love Architecture, then I am sure that the name Hundertwasser rings a bell. He is one of the most successful painters of the 20th century. The famous and legendary Artist/ Architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser made it possible when He conceived from his amazing talent the birth of Abensberg’s famous landmark of Kuchlbauer World of Beer  : the Kuchlbauer Tower.

The  Kuchlbauer Turm ( Kuchlbauer Tower) originally a 70 metre-high tower, planned  by Hunderwasser for Leonhard Salleck, the owner of the Brewery, but the tower of this height could not be built. After his death, his plans became the inspiration  for his long-standing Draftsman, Peter Pelikan who re-designed and planned the present tower. One look from these structures will tell you that they are crazy, and yet amazing work of art , a Beer Art Tower, architectural project which has becomes Abensberg’s most famous landmark as of today. It’s no wonder that this tower has been incorporated into Abensberg’s town logo giving it a distinct sense of obligation and responsibility. It’s not just a tower of Brewery, it is a symbol of legacy, a pride of Bavaria, and a tourist’s magnet.

A tribute to Bavaria and its breweries, the tower symbolizes all the elements of beer and the art of brewing from which the region of Bavaria is world-famous for. Beer and Art  is a perfect combination, actually a great design concept to create something that art enthusiasts called “Masterpiece“and truly a work of Art. This is how I describe this place when I saw the Kunst Haus and see some of the works of Hundertwasser. If you want to know the tower’s conceptual meanings and symbolism, look into this. The Kuchlbauer Tower is also the place for Abensberg’s Christmas Market and attracting tourists from different parts of the world during Christmas season.

The KunstHaus Abensberg

Beside the Kuchlbauer Tower stands another beautiful work of Art —- the KunstHaus. A beautiful gallery and art museum that was designed and built by Peter Pelikan, a long-standing friend and Draftsman of Hundertwasser and the one who completed this project.  He worked closely with Hundertwasser and this structure reflects  the Artist’s famous dictum : “Beauty is a Panacea” ( or Schönheit ist ein Allheilmittel). It houses a souvenir shop, where one can buy the famous beer from the Brewery, an art museum which pays tribute to Hundertwasser’s life, paintings and artworks done all over the world. There is a multi-media room at the basement where shows his  life and teachings about Art, architecture, nature and life in general. This place is amazing and even though there are many stairs, my daughter loved to follow the colorful patterns in the floor, the models, and the old oven used by the Artist in his home in the province in Austria. Even the bathrooms are super colorful and I am sure that I am not the only one who couldn’t resist to take photos of it. Every corner has a fun, colorful detail and lovely patterns.

For Hundertwasser, art was not to be limited by any framework. An artist’s work should have an effect on all areas of life, be it on clothing or, through articles for everyday use, on daily life. Hundertwasser also created many objects intended to express his quest for beauty and for variety in all areas of life, but also his concern and commitment for the environment and for nature.

A Beer Garden with a View

The tour ended with the visit to the Beer garten just beside the Tower. Included in the fees is a Beer and a Pretzel. How cozy it is to drink beer while we admire the tower behind us. It’s like a page in a fairy tale book. I was even thinking that I am in another world when I looked at the tower. We spent some time admiring the fascinating details of the tower and my daughter busied herself from the play areas in the Biergarten.

Even before seeing this place, I was already inspired by Hundertwasser’s works and detailed approach in painting. I love his natural approach and technique. His style is very original, aesthetically appealing, and always amazed me. I reflect that Hundertwasser wanted to restore beauty and romanticism to their place in everyday life.

I have painted a piece inspired by one of his works and learning more about his life and seeing this place for real makes me realize that even from his early days, his sense of unusual sense of color and form is very dominant. A true artist by heart which made a wide contribution to many parts of the world. I love everything about Mosaic painting and detailed paintings so I am really happy to visit this place. I am looking forward to see more of Hundertwasser’s work and I hope to visit them someday.

For now, I  will continue to do my passion, to paint from my heart.

So you see, Beer and Art are two prominent things in life, but art is eternal.

What can you say about Hunderwasser’s work and the Kuchlbauer Tower?

Is it too crazy? or larger than life?

If you love to see more of my personal artworks, make sure you check out my Instagram Page and  follow JustbluedutchArt’s facebook page. I want to thank those people who continuously appreciates my artwork, and supporting me as an artist and buying my paintings.

Until then, thank you for reading friends, see you in my next travel stories!