Die Akademie trauert um Alastair Mackinven (1971-2025)

Mit tiefer Trauer müssen wir den Tod von Alastair Mackinven bekannt geben. Als Professor für Kunst und Bild | Figuration war er seit Wintersemester 2022/23 Teil der Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien. Wir haben ihn als besonders  reflektierten und sensiblen Künstler sowie als empathischen und engagierten Lehrenden sehr zu schätzen gelernt und werden ihn vermissen.

Unsere aufrichtige Anteilnahme gilt seiner Familie und allen Hinterbliebenen, vor allem auch den Studierenden und Lehrenden am Institut für bildende Kunst. Wir wünschen ihnen viel Kraft in dieser traurigen Zeit!

Johan Hartle – Ingeborg Erhart – Werner Skvara 

Dear Alastair,
So sad to hear that you will not come back to the academy and that you are gone forever. There will be no more meetings with your students at Sperl in the morning, no more spontaneous portraits between 2 chosen by lottery in your class, no more reading and writing group with your expertise. All that I learned is going on in your class when recently I was part of a commission to find somebody completing your team.
I would like to express my sincere condolences to your family, your friends, your students and your team Nino and Axel at the Institute of Fine Arts and wish them much strength!
Simone Bader

Das ist eine zutiefst traurige Nachricht.

Mein aufrichtiges Mitgefühl gilt Alastairs Familie und Freunden. Für unser Institut ein großer Verlust - Ein charismatischer, engagierter und allseits geschätzter Professor, ein aufmerksamer Zuhörer und ein außergewöhnlicher Künstler hat uns verlassen. Farewell, dear Alastair.

Veronika Dirnhofer

Dear Alastair,

It is an unbearable feeling that you are no longer with us. Your witty comments on art institutions, 
your passion for teaching at the Academy and your openness have left a deep mark. 
My heartfelt condolences go out to all those who were close to you.

With love, friendship and great sadness,
We miss you immensely.

Marina Grzinic

As part of the International Office, I had the honor of working with Alastair and experiencing his extraordinary talent, openness, and ability to connect people. He not only imparted knowledge but also built bridges and enriched the dialogue between art and education.

In these difficult times, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences his family, Nino and his class, his friends, and colleagues.

Angelina Kratschanova

For having kept the doors open for me
For having cared about my present and past
my weaknesses 
For making me finally say what I want to be 
out loud
that I am an artist
For having trusted me when I myself was not capable of it
For having helped me carrying paintings in 117
For encouraging me to do whatever
For every word and every minute spent for my own good
For all the warmth
Thank you ❤️‍🔥 

Roksolana Rohovs'ka 

Just so sad and such a loss that Alastair is gone, it was so great to have him here, unfortunately far too short! 

In his artistic development from music, photography, sculpture, performance and film to painting, the focus was never on the respective medium, but always on a profound and honest examination of the elementary questions of history, art and the human existence itself. During his audition for the Figurative Painting department, however, it quickly became clear that Alistair always re-evaluated this development and ultimately the decision to paint with a sharp sense of humor and great self-reflection. After taking up his position as professor, I got to know him as an anytime friendly, polite, patient, courteous and humorous colleague, he treated the students in the department with the utmost respect, responding emphatically to their individual stories, but at the same time demanding the same commitment, the same enthusiasm for painting and art, the same standards he set for himself. “My advice is that the studio is sovereign” was the advice he once gave young artists in an interview, and the Figurative Painting department ambiguously and cryptically became the ‘Atelier der Schnecken’, a place where individual developments were given time, space and complicity. To develop what Alastair described as “good art” in the same interview: “...make something that someone has to overcome themselves to engage with.” 

I would have loved to learn more from you,
you will be missed dearly…

My deepest sympathy goes out to Alastair's family and friends,
to Nino, and the students, wishing you all strength during this difficult time!

Philip Patkowitsch

It is hard to find a person that has so much to offer on an educational and on a human level.

Sometimes in life there is this someone that you meet and every time, leaves you with the feeling that you still have so much to learn, yet they found the words to motivate and inspire you. 

Alastair was an amazing teacher. I’ve never met before him such an extraordinarily generous Professor that had a love for teaching and had a particular attention on all of his students. He was fair, kind, had so much knowledge  to offer to the painters from his class but also to others that were coming from far away to consult him. It is people like him that keep the passion of artistic creation alive.

Goodbye Alastair and thank you so much, I will miss you very much.

Sacha Grandemange