Ringturm celebrates Moldovan joie de vivre Sarmale and happiness in your own hands: Moldova's Biennale representative, artist Pavel Brăila, is the designer of this year's Ringturm wrapping, "Your Happiness is in Your Own Hands". Work on the facade of the Ringturm is now under way, and in just a few weeks the building will be transformed into a 4,000m2 canvas showcasing contemporary art from Moldova.

Titled "Your Happiness is in Your Own Hands", this year's artistic wrapping is the work of Moldovan performance artist Pavel Brăila, who is also representing his home country at the 2026 Biennale in Venice. For the 18th time, the headquarters of CEE's leading insurance group, the Vienna Insurance Group (VIG), is being wrapped with an artistic covering – made up of 30 printed netting sheets, each around three metres wide and up to 63 metres long.

"The Ringturm wrapping serves as a beacon that symbolizes our commitment to international support for the arts, as well as our dedication to bringing countries together, strengthening networks and working across borders. Through the medium of art in public spaces, this year's artistic covering acts as a visual bridge between Vienna and Chișinău, and underlines just how closely knit our international group is," explained Robert Lasshofer, Chair of the Managing Board of Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, the main shareholder of the Vienna Insurance Group (VIG).

20 years of the artistic wrapping of the Ringturm

In addition to its wide-ranging support for social initiatives, Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein is committed to promoting cross-border cultural exchange. Championing a range of art projects and supporting young artists are key objectives for VIG’s main shareholder. The company’s flagship cultural project, the artistic covering of the Ringturm is a high-profile symbol of this philosophy. Since 2006, the landmark office building has also regularly taken on the role of a widely visible canvas for contemporary art.

Having previously focused exclusively on works by Austrian artists, in 2012, the invitation to design the artistic covering was opened to include artists from the countries where the Vienna Insurance Group operates. Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein’s Ringturm wrapping sends out a vivid statement in favor of cultural exchange with Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. Pavel Brăila is the tenth artist from the CEE region to be commissioned for the artistic covering of the Ringturm.

Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) is the leading insurance group in the entire Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. More than 50 insurance companies and pension funds in 30 countries form a Group with a long-standing tradition, strong brands and close customer relations. Around 30,000 employees in VIG take care of the day-today needs of more than 33 million customers. VIG shares have been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1994, on the Prague Stock Exchange since 2008 and on the Budapest Stock Exchange since 2022. VIG Group has an A+ rating with positive outlook by the internationally recognised rating agency Standard & Poor’s. VIG cooperates closely with the Erste Group, the largest retail bank in Central and Eastern Europe.