Kunsthalle Wien

Kunsthalle Wien is the exhibition hall for contemporary art in Vienna. At its two locations in the MuseumsQuartier and at Karlsplatz, it shows themed group exhibitions, and solo presentations of established and upcoming artists to provide insight into the Austrian and international art scene.

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. 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 (winter riding arena) of the Hofstallungen (Imperial Mews) 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 remodeled 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.

Kunsthalle Wien offers a range of programs to acquaint various target groups with the subjects and queries of contemporary art and stimulate audiences to explore the potential of fine arts. In cooperation with cultural institutions, schools, teachers, artists, and curators, the Kunsthalle Wien art education department has been developing a variety of projects and activities – among them special seminars, workshops and the "Denkfabrik" (Think Tank). The Kunsthalle Wien dramaturgy department is a novelty in a contemporary art institution. It connects the various levels of Kunsthalle Wien, with its diverse exhibition formats and audiences, on a curatorial and educational level and thus helps to shape Kunsthalle Wien’s long-term concepts.

The corporate design of Kunsthalle Wien has been developed by the Belgian graphic designer and artist Boy Vereecken. Vereecken's approach links two different design elements associated with the city: the grid of the Wiener Werkstätte and the eagle from the federal capital's coat of arms. The logo of Kunsthalle Wien combines a graphically contentual derivation with an ironically playful execution to take account of an institution that always questions itself, experiments, and changes. 2014 Kunsthalle Wien won the German Design Award in the category "Communication Tool" with its new visual appearance, centring on an eagle that is constantly presented in different ways.

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Wikipedia