ALBERTINA is breaking the streak of showcasing mostly white male artists. For 300 years, it’s been a boys’ club with the likes of Leonardo, Dürer, Picasso, and their pals. Now, the museum is expanding its collection to include voices that have been silenced for far too long. From the imaginative Eva Beresin to the edgy Alexandre Diop. From the incredible colours of Basquiat to the complicated reality of Cindy Sherman.
The weird and wonderful
The Beauty of Diversity
Fri. 16th Feb — Sun. 18th Aug
14.90€
Recommended if you like:
rewriting the art history books, redefining the concept of beauty, celebrating unsung heroes, bizarre sculptures, female artists, being the smartest person in the room
Strips, dots, and colour
Roy Lichtenstein: A Centennial Exhibition
Fri. 08th Mar — Sun. 14th Jul
Recommended if you like:
pop culture deep dives, finding beauty in the mundane, recreating iconic looks from the 60s, wearing polka dots as a fashion statement, hunting for the perfect vintage comic book
ALBERTINA is celebrating Roy Lichtenstein’s 100th birthday with a major exhibition, featuring over 90 of his art pieces from 30 museums worldwide. Something you don’t want to miss if you consider yourself an art lover.
Look at pretty things in Kunsthistorisches Museum
‘Pomp & Embossment’: The Emperors and their Court Artists
Tue. 13th Feb — Sun. 13th Oct
21€
Recommended if you like:
art history, looking at shiny things, marble and brass, small important details, saying that the Roman Empire is your Roman Empire
‘Pomp & Embossment’ at the Kunsthistorisches Museum is all about cool medals and art from royal courts. So, there are going to be a lot of shiny pieces that you’ll really want to steal for your cabinet of curiosities, but won’t be able to.
Go look at some bright colours!
Matta at the Bank Austria Kunstforum Vienna
Sat. 24th Feb — Sun. 02nd Jun
Recommended if you like:
art history books, Graphic design, getting all philosophical over a cup of coffee, the thrill of standing before large canvases
Roberto Matta is the guy who really shook up the 20th-century art scene, inspiring big names like Jackson Pollock. His paintings are super colourful and vibrant – just the thing to see as Vienna wakes up for spring.
Barricades, camps, and superglue
PROTEST/ARCHITECTURE exibition @ MAK
Wed. 14th Feb — Sun. 25th Aug
15.50€
Recommended if you like:
practising your pensive face in front of the mirror, listening to the calming quiet of museum halls, noticing small details, looking at people looking at art
The latest show at the Museum of Applied Arts takes a look at how protests shape architecture, from old-school barricades to today’s protest camps. It showcases the evolution of protest spaces and their impact on public spaces worldwide. Very interesting stuff!
Twists & turns
HARD/SOFT: Textiles and Ceramics in Contemporary Art
Wed. 13th Dec — Sun. 28th Apr
15€
Recommended if you like:
feeling the texture of pottery, admiring intricate fabrics, attending craft workshops, sipping tea from a mug you’ve made yourself
MAK Vienna is hosting an art show that mixes old and new: traditional materials reimagined in contemporary art. Embroidery, knotting, weaving, molding – it’s all here, blurring the lines between visual and applied art, encompassing architecture, music, and the digital realm.
Celebrating the Legacy of Wiener Werkstätte
STARS, FEATHERS, TASSELS
Wed. 22nd Nov — Wed. 24th Apr
15.50€
Recommended if you like:
pondering the beauty of everyday objects, swooning over swanky fabric designs, whispering sweet nothings to elegant enamel work, changing your personal style after visiting a museum
This exhibition in MAK Central Room is celebrating Wiener Werkstätte’s icon, Felice Rix-Ueno. It’s a vibrant showcase of her creative legacy, featuring 200 amazing pieces: funky fabrics, unique patterns and more.
Restarting reality
Smart World: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Our World
Thu. 02nd Nov — Tue. 30th Jul
16€
Recommended if you like:
debating with Siri, wearing tinfoil hats just in case, explaining to your grandparents what the cloud is (and it’s not the fluffy thing in the sky), starting sentences with ‘I read in an AI study that…’
This is for all of you scared about AI, fascinated by AI, or just plain confused. “Smart World” is here to navigate the rollercoaster of AI’s ‘wonders’, from telling you your pulse to potentially swiping your job. So take a journey through a maze-like exhibit that’ll make you question if your voice assistant is truly your BFF.
A music festival that's as Viennese as it gets
Wean hean – Wienerliedfestival 2024
various locations in Vienna
Thu. 11th Apr — Sat. 11th May
varies
Recommended if you like:
Viennese culture, talking in Viennese, singing in Viennese, swearing in Viennese, listening to music, festivals
Listen up lovers of Viennese music – this is something for you! For over a month, you’ll have the chance to catch various live concerts as part of the Wean Hean festival.
It’s gonna take place in venues all over town; from a theater to a chapel and even some Heurige (wine taverns). For more info on when, where, who’s playing, and how much you’re paying, head over to the festival’s website.
Oh, and they also put together some playlists, which are worth checking out, especially if you’re not too familiar with this kind of music and want to find out if this might be actually something for you.
Burgtheater reimagines a classic tale
The Magic Flute. The Opera but not the Opera.
Sun. 10th Mar, Wed. 20th Mar, Wed. 20th Mar, Sun. 31st Mar, Tue. 02nd Apr, Tue. 16th Apr
From 4€
Recommended if you like:
innovative theatre experiences, reinterpreting classics, dressing up for the theatre, arguing that Queen of the Night was actually a feminist
Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’ is an undeniable classic packed with tons of politics, psychology, and quirky gender dynamics. This version of ‘Die Zauberflöte’ at Burgtheater is blending vaudeville, variety, and street theatre into a daring reinterpretation of a well known tale.
All grown-ups were once children… but only few of them remember it
The Little Prince in Volkstheater
Tue. 23rd Jan, Thu. 08th Feb, Fri. 09th Feb, Sat. 10th Feb, Sat. 02nd Mar, Wed. 13th Mar, Mon. 18th Mar
10:30am
Recommended if you like:
sassy red roses, tales as old as time, being a wise adult child, reading yourself to sleep, the magic of theatre, talking in quotes from classic books, calling Earth ‘a star’, drawing pictures for your little nephew
Even if you know the difference between a hat and a boa constrictor digesting an elephant, revisiting the tale of The Little Prince is always a treat. Especially when it’s being performed at the Volkstheater.
Meet Baloo, Bagheera, and Shir Khan on stage
The Jungle Book @ Volksoper
Sun. 14th Apr, Sun. 05th May
11am — 12pm
From 4€
Recommended if you like:
seeing your kids hyper focused on something, family adventures, singing along to classic tunes, exposing your children to your childhood nostalgia (and some culture as a bonus)
If you need an activity to settle down your little Mowglis for the day, take them to the opera. And, before you yell at us, we just want to clarify that we suggest taking them to ‘The Jungle Book’ at Junge Volksoper, which has twists, turns, adventures, and even homages to the old Disney animated movie.