Kunsthalle Wien
Kunsthalle Wien is the city of Vienna's institution for international contemporary art and discourse with two locations, in the Museumsquartier and at Karlsplatz. Kunsthalle Wien does not have a collection of its own, but instead dedicates its changing solo and thematic exhibitions to art and its relations to social change. It produces exhibitions, researches art practices, and supports local and international artists. It seeks to ground its knowledge of international contemporary art in and for Vienna, and advocates for the usefulness of artistic thinking in the wider public sphere.
History and architecture
Since it opened in 1992 – originally shaped like a container – Kunsthalle Wien, as an urban institution, presents national and international contemporary art. In this respect, it is both a location for established art and negotiation site for current societal issues as well as future developments.In the beginning, Kunsthalle Wien was a makeshift structure situated at Karlsplatz. Conceptualized as a temporary edifice in the shape of a container by Adolf Krischanitz. The initially rather controversial yellow container structure eventually changed the local art and exhibition scene.
In May 2001, Kunsthalle Wien moved into its new headquarters, designed by the architect duo Ortner & Ortner, at the Museumsquartier. For this headquarters the Winterreithalle of the Hofstallungen was extended by a functional annex which combines the historic building with contemporary architecture. Two halls with different interior profiles provide space for exhibitions of contemporary art. The entrance area was remodelled and the building extensively renovated in 2013, rendering the original spatial concept visible again. In 2001, the yellow container at Karlsplatz was replaced by a glass pavilion.
Directors
- since summer 2024: Michelle Cotton
- 2019–2024: WHW : Ivet Ćurlin, Nataša Ilić and Sabina Sabolović
- 2012–2019: Nicolaus Schafhausen
- 1996–2012: Gerald Matt
- 1992–1995: Toni Stoos
Exhibitions
Kunsthalle Wien organizes several thematic group exhibitions, solo shows, festivals, conferences, and displays art in the public space each year at both venues. Among them:- '
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- ' Nine Buildings, Stripped
- Kunsthalle Wien Prize 2019. Nina Vobruba & Malte Zander Time Is Thirsty
- Stinking Dawn, by Gelatin and Liam Gillick
- Death to Pigs, by Yhdessa Hendeles
- Function Follows Vision, Vision Follows Reality
- Individual Stories. Collecting as Portrait and Methodology
- Ken Lum. Coming Soon
- Destination Vienna
- Curatorial Ethics
- Pierre Bismuth. The Curator, the Lawyer and the Psychoanalyst
- The Future of Memory. An Exhibition on the Infinity of the Present Time
- Tony Conrad. Two Degrees of Separation
- Kidnappers Foil
- Leander Schönweger. The Fog Disperses. Kunsthalle Wien Prize 2014
- Blue Times
- New Ways of Doing Nothing
- Pierre Bismuth. The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side – New Vindobona
- The Brancusi Effect
- I'm Isa Genzken, The Only Female Fool
- Attention Economy
- Silke Otto-Knapp/Carl Fredrik Hill. Questions of Travel
- Das Wunder des Lebens. Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys
- Salon der Angst
- WWTBD – What Would Thomas Bernhard Do
- Daniel Knorr. Explosion
- The Art of William S. Burroughs: Cut-ups, Cut-ins, Cut-outs
- Urs Fischer
- Power Up. Female Pop Art
- Street and Studio
- Keith Haring 1978 – 1982
- 1989. End of History or Beginning of the Future?
- Thomas Ruff
- The Porn Identity
- Western Motel. Edward Hopper and Contemporary Art
- Derek Jarman. Brutal Beauty
- Matthew Barney: Drawing Restraint
- Nathalie Djurberg
- Raymond Pettibon
- Summer of Love
- Luca Faccio, Image Transfers, Wien/Pyongyang
- Steven Cohen
- Louise Bourgeois
- Marcel Broodthaers
- Anri Sala
- Ugo Rondinone
- Yayoi Kusama
- Tele
- Steve McQueen
- Shirin Neshat
- The Circus as a Parallel Universe
- Le Surrealisme, c'est moi – Homage an Salvador Dalí
- Space. About A Dream
- Andy Warhol. A Factory
- Nan Goldin – I'll Be Your Mirror