The curator and collector Gerald Matt is an elegant figure – and without him, Viennese society would be much more boring. A conversation about true beauty, the dandy as an ideal and what goes with a good life.
Interviewed by
Christian Mayer
The culture manager, moderator and doctorate in law Gerald Matt, 64, welcomes visitors to his office in the sixth district of Vienna, not far from the major museums. Opera music plays in the background, countless works of art and portraits from Marlene Dietrich to Lenin hang on the walls, as well as a black shark and other curiosities; Mountains of books pile up on the floor in front of the desk. One notices immediately: this is the domicile of a collector who has too many interests to be able to commit himself – in Vienna Matt is also known for his elegant to extravagant appearances. His famous tie collection with 4000 individual pieces, which is in his private apartment, inspired the two authors Monika Helfer and Michael Köhlmeier to write a book: “The Life of Ties” (Brandstätter Verlag). Reason enough to talk to the man without whom Viennese society would be much more boring.