Peter Noever, designer, curator-at-large for art, architecture and media. From 1986 to 2011, he was Artistic Director and CEO of the MAK (Austrian Museum for Applied Arts / Contemporary Art), Vienna / Los Angeles. He implemented a radical new content and the general adaptation of the MAK, commissioning selected internationally renowned artists for artistic interventions.
My Definition Of Success | Everything and nothing.
I Am Driven By | Possibly a chronic obsession.
My Highlights | Two wonderful daughters, born in 1969 and 2012. And admittedly, I may have actually succeeded in making the seemingly impossible possible, now and again.
The Difference Between Good And Great | Passion. Conviction. And vision.
A Key Talent | Happily, there are no recipes for success. Besides which, success is relative, and I don’t think of it primarily as a determining category. Perhaps it’s more about recognizing a challenge at the right moment.
The Characteristics Of Success | There does exist something like an “improvisational instinct.” And it can be helpful when opportunities arise.
Principles I Live By | Having and keeping a dream.
Critical Skills I Develop | Passion and intellect.
How I Use My Mind | Directly(!) on the gut level. I question concepts, and I think and act in percepts.
Lessons I Have Learnt | That the important things have been and continue to be: friends, visionary friends, artist-friends.
Dealing With Doubt | I’m afraid I possess an insufficient measure of self-doubt.
Performing At My Peak | This is not something that I do.
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | The list is in constant flux, of course, in no way final, and impossible to sum up in its entirety. Nonetheless, my work and a lot of my ideas would be unthinkable without friends like Walter Pichler, Raimund Abraham, Alfons Schilling, Otto Mühl, Magdalena Jetelová, Vito Acconci, Donald Judd, Raymond Pettibon, Hans Weigand, Sergej Bugaev Afrika, David Sarkisian, Kurt Kocherscheidt, Günther Domenig, Wolf Prix, Gregor Eichinger, Eric O. Moss, Jannis Kounellis, Franz Graf, Diana Thater, Kendell Geers, Marshall Mc Luhan, Bruno Knöbel, Hans Preiner, Carlo Scarpa, Michael Rotondi, Thom Mayne, Rolf Fehlbaum, Roland Rainer, Lebbeus Woods, Paul Virilio, Franz West, Reinhard Priessnitz, Kiki Smith, James Turrell, and Bernard Rudofsky.
My Future Dreams And Ambitions | The contemporary must be fought for!
The Meaning Of Life | Perhaps life is too brief to really have a chance to discover oneself.
The Best Advice I’ve Received | This city I live in is full of good advice, much of which is potentially lethal.
Advice On Building Wealth | I wouldn’t be particularly interested in speaking with such a person.
On Inspiring Others | For me, this question hasn’t ever really come up.
I Am Inspired By | Aesthetic intelligence, competence in matters of taste, and social integrity.
