Gudrun Hardiman-Pollross, Cultural Counselor of the Austrian Cultural Forum Beijing Photo: Chen Tao/GT

In an exclusive interview with the Global Times, Gudrun Hardiman-Pollross, Cultural Counselor of the Austrian Cultural Forum Beijing, shared her insights on Austrian and Chinese cultures in painting, music, and traditional festivals, highlighting the importance for diplomats to understand other cultures.

The Embassy of the Republic of Austria in China opened The Golden Age Gustav Klimt Digital Art Exhibition in Beijing in mid-July. Cultural Counselor Hardiman-Pollross told the Global Times that the exhibition continues the profound cultural friendship between China and Austria. It is not only a grand art event, but also a bridge connecting Chinese and Austrian cultures.

Gustav Klimt, a visionary Austrian painter, began with the academic realism, painting murals, and creating architectural decorations in Vienna. His "Golden Phase" in the early 1900s is iconic. He used gold leaf, intricate patterns, and erotic symbolism to create masterpieces such as The Kiss and Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. 

Hardiman-Pollross introduced more background of the artist. She said that Klimt's works were very provocative. "People said 'you can't do this.' It was really controversial and was criticized that it was a little bit too open. It still shows the freedom of art and the expression of art. A hundred years later we find it a wonderful art."

Klimt's style is just so unique that Hardiman-Pollross thinks his style is just very distinguishable. "Almost everybody would recognize it. Hopefully, people might have the opportunity to see the original as well. In Vienna, several museums showcase Klimt's paintings, thus it is the main home for Klimt," she said. 

Through this exhibition, Hardiman-Pollross finds it a very good way for people to be aware of the beauty of the art in Austria. 

Moreover, the Embassy of the Republic of Austria in China has been hosting a slew of events in cultural exchanges in the forms of concerts and social networking activities. 

From Hardiman-Pollross' point of view, culture is the least controversial way of expressing how people think about what the civil society is doing and how people live. Culture is a very good way of communication. "People can talk openly with artists, can admire the art and it doesn't matter where the artist is from. Sometimes people don't understand the art, which is perfectly normal," said the cultural counselor. 

Hardiman-Pollross recalled her own experience with Chinese culture as a diplomat. "When I came to China, I couldn't understand Chinese art or the music." It sounded to her as though Chinese music was very different from Western classical music. 

"You have to get used to it. You have to learn to listen to it, but it is very important to understand the culture of the other country," she noted. 

For her, music is another type of language. "If you think about it, music is possibly the universal language. You don't need words for it. You listen to it and just dive into the sounds and let yourself become immersed in the sound of the music."

Painting is similar, to Hardiman-Pollross, as a universal language. "One picture says more than a thousand words," she explained. "It doesn't matter whether it's a painting, photography, or installation, but you can immediately imagine something. Good artists transport what one would like to say in such a message. You don't need words for that."

Cultural Counselor Hardiman-Pollross started her first tenure in China in 2010 to 2015 and kicked off her second in September 2024. 

"I had a wonderful time and experience in China. I'm very happy to be back in China. It's the first time in my entire career that I've come back to any country for a second time," she told the Global Times. 

"China attracts me. I like the culture, I like the people, and I like the language," said Hardiman-Pollross, who is learning Chinese characters. "I'm trying to read the characters as much as I can but it's very challenging," she said. Even so, she is trying her best to learn the language. 

When she came to office during her first term in 2010, at a book launch, Hardiman-Pollross still remembers its title - If we say the same, do we mean the same.

As a diplomat, she always remembers how important it is to try to understand how the other people think, and understand what they mean, not what they say. 

"If you don't understand other cultures and accept the diversity, it is very difficult," she noted. 

So far, Hardiman-Pollross has lived in Beijing for a combined total of six years. She is impressed by Sichuan Opera, shadow puppetry, and the way tradition is maintained, such as how Chinese people observe the Qingming Festival and wedding ceremonies in North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.