Friedrich Zettl Fine Arts

What can a single musical note teach us about attention?

A photographic journey through doors and gates in China and Austria – from ancient temple entrances and Yunnan village doors to Viennese Jugendstil, with a few thoughts about the worlds we choose to open or close.

An eventful summer between painting, tax troubles, SEO, AI and book cover design.

There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.

This post covers two major themes from my summer.

In this post, I share one of my favorite Daoist stories: Zhuangzi's "The Death's-Head."

We see how we think.

Can you translate the "ragged time" of a contemporary piano piece into a visual language?

What happens when you go skinny-dipping in a Carinthian stream with jazz legend Don Cherry, or watch Friedrich Gulda attack an amplified clavichord with a knife and fork?

"Light as State of Being" explores the depiction of light in painting – from the academic studio through the Impressionists to my own attempt to make Ur-light and cosmic light tangible in images.

Reflecting on a 3,000 km journey through Yunnan, this article explores the fascinating contradictions between the present, high-tech innovation and ancient heritage.

This article explores the systemic collapse of our modern world, where the high art of diplomacy is being replaced by the "right of the strongest" and international institutions are systematically undermined.

I usually don’t spend time digging through dusty boxes at the flea market.

A lecture on the dot and emptiness in Chinese painting — how Daoist and Zen principles turn a single brushstroke into a universe, illustrated through Liang Kai's "Li Bai Strolling."

Yuan Yang region is home to several ethnic minority groups, predominantly the Hani (哈尼族) and the Yi (彝族).

A look at the local customs and spiritual life along the Tea Horse Road.

"South of the Clouds" is more than just a name; it describes a shift in perspective.

Moving through Lushi, Lincang, and Nakeli, we continue our journey along the Ancient Tea Horse Road.

It might sound a bit cliché, but our time in Heshun has been one adventure after another.

I recently visited Shi Dong Si, a historic Stone Cave Temple built directly into the natural rock in 1794.

Density, depth, tradition, and authenticity have shaped my understanding of China since my first visit in 1978.