Interview with Magda von Hanau
By Petra Berg, Founder & Creative Director of +BERYLL

Perched among the rolling hills of Lower Austria, Salon Meiselberg unfolds each summer as an intimate celebration of art, music, and connection. The private family estate of Magda von Hanau—artist, curator, and spirited host—has become a contemporary interpretation of the grand European salon: part exhibition, part performance, and wholly alive with creative energy.

Born in Brazil and shaped by years immersed in Milan’s art and fashion world, Magda von Hanau brings a distinctive blend of glamour and depth to her practice. Her background includes modeling, acting, and design—she once designed her own fashion line and drew every print by hand. Today, her creativity moves fluidly across painting, ceramics, and photography, grounded in an endless curiosity that also defines the spirit of Meiselberg itself.

For a few charged days each summer, the estate is transformed into a stage where painters, sculptors, and contemporary artists from all disciplines meet, collaborate, and inspire each other. The atmosphere is electric yet deeply human rooted in conversation, friendship, and the simple joy of creating together.

PB: For someone who has never been, how would you describe Salon Meiselberg?

MVH: It’s a crush of good things in life, where creativity meets in every form. Artists, musicians, makers. Five minutes later the bartender, who is an opera singer, is performing while mixing drinks. Energy is what matters most. Artists return year after year because of relationships and cultural exchange.

PB: What inspired you to create this space? Was there a specific moment?

MVH: When we decided to make Austria home. This had been our summer house while we lived in Miami. Moving here full-time, I asked myself how I would connect with artists in the countryside that aren’t exactly on the way to anywhere. I began with my studio and invited Alina Kunitzina and Michel Habenstein. That first salon—three years ago—went well, everyone sold. I loved making catalogs, curating, and building themes each year.

PB: You have a background across modeling, acting, and fashion. How does this feed into your practice now?

MVH: I modeled and worked in television and theater for years. I launched a resort/swim line—Magda Gomes Beachwear—drawing all the prints myself. That process drew me deeper into art. I refuse to pick a single medium: ceramics, drawing, photography. Curiosity drives it all. Why limit yourself?

PB: How do you select your collaborators for each salon?

MVH: Very organically. It begins with a theme—portraits interested me recently, in all forms, even abstract. It's a spontaneous and visceral decision; I sometimes select artists intuitively. The format is short, two to three days, but sales and exchanges keep going afterward.

PB: The salon resonates with Austria’s tradition of women-led salons. Do you see historic ties at Meiselberg?

MVH: This house was always connected to art, often through women in the family. They supported musicians, painters, and writers. Watercolors from past generations even guided our restoration of the façade. That tradition of art and patronage inspires me to continue.

PB: Do you see yourself more as an artist, host, curator, storyteller—or all of these?

MVH: All of them—and a very good karaoke singer. Above all, curiosity drives me. Once you lose curiosity, it’s over. I can be many things, why not?

PB: Which contemporary artists excite you most right now?

MVH: Chiharu Shiota—her thread installations are dramatic and sensitive; a show at the Grand Palais left me in shock. Jenny Saville, I love the beauty in her unapologetic bodies. Sarah Lucas and Katharina Grosse—for their freedom and radical gestures.

PB: What does a perfect day at Meiselberg look like for you?

MVH: Coffee, always. I am not a morning person, so best after the second cup. Sitting outside in the courtyard, then time in the studio, the vegetable garden, cooking. I love arranging flowers, cutting them fresh, making the house beautiful. Walks and hikes with my dog in the forest and, of course, ending the day in bed with my family, where we watch documentaries or an entertaining movie—the simple things are the most important.

PB: What’s next for Salon Meiselberg? Any red thread already?

MVH: I want to explore portraits across all media, even abstraction. One artist I’d love to include is Nathalie Edenburg - her long-term daily portrait project fascinates me. Overall, the salon remains by invitation only, condensed into a few days of intimacy and strong relationships.