Late last week, an official presentation of Moldovan artist Pavel Braila’s work, “Your Happiness Is in Your Hands,” took place on the facade of the Ringturm building, the headquarters of the Vienna Insurance Group (VIG).
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Eugen Osmocescu and Austrian Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer.
This year, the Vienna Insurance Group (Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein) is completing the renovation of its headquarters and plans to display the Moldovan artist’s paintings on the building’s facade in the coming weeks.
The official unveiling of the 4,000-square-meter facade of the Ringturm building took place during a special ceremony. The work, titled “Happiness Is in Your Hands,” was created by Pavel Braila, Moldova’s representative at the Venice Biennale, whose works have previously been exhibited at numerous international exhibitions. Work on the renovation of the VIG headquarters began in early May, and the installation will remain on display until the end of September.
Pavel Braila became the first artist from Moldova and the tenth artist from Central and Eastern Europe to have his work featured on the facade of VIG’s headquarters. The 4,000-square-meter artwork, consisting of 30 printed textile panels, will transform the building into a large-scale symbol of memory, identity, and cultural belonging. It features a colorful choreography of hand movements that serves as a guide to preparing the traditional Moldovan dish: sarmale (stuffed cabbage rolls). Using a minimalist visual language, Braila focuses not so much on the recipe as on the stories behind this dish. For him, sarmale symbolizes a sense of belonging and cultural identity.
“Traditions and cultural customs come to life through what we do. They are preserved because we pass them on and reinterpret them. They create connections between people, shape identity, and can give us a sense of home, no matter where we are. The installation at the Ringturm invites people to share their experiences and make them visible in everyday life. This is its unobtrusive message: a sense of belonging, memory, and perhaps even a part of our happiness lie in our own hands.”
After viewing the installation, Eugen Osmokescu said: “It is important to highlight the long-standing and historic cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and Austria, based on a sustainable partnership, mutual trust, and shared values. Pavel Braila’s art installation on the Round Tower reflects the close ties between culture, tourism, investment, and economic relations between our countries.
It also serves as a valuable platform for promoting the image and cultural heritage of the Republic of Moldova on the world stage. “We particularly value Austrian investment projects in our country and their contribution to the economic development of the Republic of Moldova in strategic sectors such as manufacturing, the automotive and electronics industries, banking and financial services, insurance, information technology, and digitalization.”
