Once again, viennacontemporary does not disappoint with its incredibly diverse programme. From September 12th to 15th, all art lovers will have a chance to explore a vast array of carefully curated exhibitions while having a chance to meet all the emerging contemporary artists.
The Contemporary Lynx team will be there to provide live updates from the event. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, where we will share a daily dose of this not-to-be-missed experience.
But before that, we bring you an overview of the most exciting events and exhibitions you might consider seeing while staying in Vienna to enjoy your cultural experience to the fullest.
viennacontemporary
Messe Wien, Halle D
Messepl. 1
1020 Vienna
This time, the most important Austrian art fair takes place at Messe Wien in Halle D, focusing primarily on emerging Central and Eastern European contemporary art. With the VCT STATEMENT exploring the theme of Energy, the carefully selected programme of top-level exhibitors aims to inspire a discussion on sustainability and art. There are two curated zones: ‘ZONE1’, dedicated to emerging artists and curated by Bruno Mokross, which includes artists with links to Austria, exploring the link between Vienna art and the city’s living conditions; and ‘CONTEXT’, a new section, curated by Pernilla Holmes, which focuses on nine artists from the late 20th century –the well-known in Austria but overlooked abroad.
![viennacontemporary, VCT STATEMENT Exhibition 2024, Veronika Hapchenko, Horses [konie], 2023, acryl and ink on canvas. Courtesy of the Artist.](https://static.contemporarylynx.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/viennacontemporary-1024x770.jpg)
Wam Special for Vienna Contemporary
Wiener Aktionismus Museum
Weihburggasse 26
1010 Vienna
Wiener Aktionismus Museum, the only international centre that permanently presents Viennese Actionism and its development, prepared special events, celebrating viennacontemporary. On September 13th, there will be a Director’s Tour with Julia Moebus-Puck, the Director of WAM, who will show you around the current museum’s exhibition ‘What is Vienna Actionism?’, delving into the significant and high-quality achievements of Austrian art.
The following day, on September 14th, the Collector’s Tour with Philipp Konzett (Co-Founder and Commercial Director of WAM) will take place. The special guided tour will present the art from the perspective of the collector, who has acquired the works and documents of the Vienna Actionism movement and will give insight into his expertise, passion, motivation, and strategies.
The tours are in German and are free of charge for holders of the Vienna Contemporary VIP Pass.
PARALLEL VIENNA
Otto-Wagner-Areal, 14.
Baumgartner Höhe 1
1140 Vienna
PARALLEL VIENNA allows the artists to engage with the audience through immersive thought-provoking installations, mixing the best of an art fair, exhibition platform and Vienna artist’s studio. Forget about the traditional booths as each exhibitor occupies their own room in a building used by the festival. From September 11th to 15th, this unique event welcomes participants by invitation only, connecting artists, curators, collectors, and all art lovers.
The full list of exhibitors and artists taking part in the 2024 edition of PARALLEL VIENNA is available on the event’s website.
Curated By
Curated By is a gallery festival with international curators. The sixteenth edition takes place between the 17th of September and the 19th of October, with the opening days on the 13-14th September. Under the theme of Untold Narratives, the programme underlines Vienna’s role as one of Europe’s most vibrant contemporary art sites. It will delve into the social practices of storytelling, exploring the core tool for the manifestation of memories – the archive.
Visiting the festival is free of charge. The full list of galleries participating is available on the Curated By website.
Belvedere 21
Arsenalstraße 1
1030 Vienna
Belvedere celebrates Kazuko Miyamoto’s work with the largest international retrospective, comprising key constructions, early paintings, drawings, photographs, and installations from around 100 exhibits from the span of five decades – from the 1960s to the 2010s. Miyamoto has pushed the boundaries of Minimal Art with her radical work defying simple attribution, often promoting the presentation of feminist and (post-)migrant art. The exhibition opens on September 12th and allows you to see Miyamoto’s incredible oeuvre till March 2nd 2025.
Once you’re in Belvedere 21, don’t forget to visit its free-of-charge sculpture garden, showcasing works by internationally renowned artists.
Viennacontemporary 2024: an interview with Francesca Gavin and Mirela Baciak.
viennacontemporary is an international art fair held annually in Vienna. It showcases a diverse range of contemporary art, featuring galleries, artists, and curators from around the world, although its focus remains on the emerging scenes of Central and Eastern Europe.
We had a chat with Francesca Gavin, the fair’s recently appointed artistic director, and Mirela Baciak, the curator of a two-part exhibition titled The Color of Energy which will be presented as part of the fair’s section focused on sociopolitical issues.
Kunsthalle Wien Museumsquartier
Museumplatz 1
1070 Vienna
Aleksandra Domanović’s work resides on the intersections of technology, history, and culture, looking at how they shape our understanding of identity and contemporary society. Visit the Kunstahalle to explore the new exhibition with sculpture, video, print, photography, and digital media created over the last eighteen years, analysing the development of practice shaped by information culture in the post-internet era. The first exhibition of Domanović’s work in Austria and the largest showcase of her work so far is also accompanied by the first monographic publication on her work.
Albertina modern
Karlsplatz 5
1010 Vienna
From September 13th, you can visit the Albertina Museum for Erwin Wurm’s retrospective for his 70th birthday. The exhibition, which is also the first comprehensive retrospective, showcases his multifaceted work of sculptures, drawings and instructions, videos and photographs of one of the most successful and best-known contemporary artists. Some of them are being presented for the first time. Wurm’s work shows the importance of constant discovery and the act of continually rethinking and redesigning what already exists within the paradoxes and absurdities of the world.
Heidi Horten Collection
Hanuschgasse 3
1010 Vienna
The From Klimt to Warhol exhibition looks at the pioneers of pop art and abstract expressionism that crossed boundaries, provoked, innovated, and inspired, bringing ‘modernism’ in one place. The rich collection – from Klimt’s ‘On Lake Attersee’ to Warhol’s Marilyns, takes the visitors on a journey within top-class art in all its diversity.
MAK – Museum of Applied Arts
Stubenring 5
1010 Vienna
The Museum of Applied Arts organises a very special exhibition you wouldn’t want to miss. It is an exhibition that is, in fact, a tour. Part of The MAK on Tour events, Tour to the Carl Auböck Workshop takes place on September 12th and explores the iconic handcrafted design classics. The tour provides unique insights into the workflows and design processes of the style-defining workshop.
Secession
Friedrichstraße 12
1010 Vienna
The Vienna Secession, the artist-run institution, hosts a group exhibition Forms of the Shadow, underlining the complex realities of life and modern global challenges, sparking public debate. Curated by Sunjung Kim, Artistic Director of the Art Sonje Center in Seoul, the exhibition aims to explore the shadows cast by the global pandemic, the climate crisis, and geopolitical tensions. From September 20th till November 17th, the visitors will look at the complexity of human existence.
The details of the exhibition and the artists are available on the website.
