Kunsthalle Wien

29/05/2026

Take a look at the opening of ‘Lebt und arbeitet in Wien‘ and listen to curator Monika Georgieva introducing Vienna’s art scene.

The exhibition presents 56 artists at Kunsthalle Wien Museumsquartier and Karlsplatz and seeks to celebrate the city’s community of artists at large; their self-organised approach to claiming space and their manifold ways of experimenting with content and form. Focusing on new and recent works, the exhibition places emphasis on Vienna as a dynamic space of production where art is shaped by a critical approach to the forces of conservatism and a sense of its own agency.

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Video by Kunsthalle Wien

Curated by




Artists
Brishty Alam Iman Issa .kamkaze Bouchra Khalili Till Megerle .christoph .mueller .rafiqul Toni Schmale, Nora Schultz, Sergey Spirikhin .thun Emily Wardill Min Yoon

27/05/2026

Free Sundays at Kunsthalle Wien supported by Dorotheum

On 31 May you can visit the exhibition ‘Lebt und arbeitet in Wien’ at Kunsthalle Wien Museumsquartier and Karlsplatz free of charge, thanks to our partnership with Dorotheum ().

These Free Sundays underscore Kunsthalle Wien’s commitment to making contemporary art accessible to all, by eliminating the barriers to participation in its activities. By offering free access to its exhibitions on every last Sunday of the month Kunsthalle Wien aims to extend and promote Vienna’s cultural offer to new audiences.

We also offer a free guided tour in German through the exhibition at 4pm. Please register for the tour via link in bio.

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Freie Sonntage in der Kunsthalle Wien unterstützt vom Dorotheum

Am 31. Mai könnt ihr unsere Ausstellung „Lebt und arbeitet in Wien“ Dank unserer Partnerschaft mit dem Dorotheum in der Kunsthalle Wien Museumsquartier and Karlsplatz kostenlos besuchen.

Mit den Freien Sonntagen verdeutlicht die Kunsthalle Wien ihr Engagement, zeitgenössische Kunst für alle zugänglich zu machen und Barrieren abzubauen. Mit dem kostenlosen Eintritt an jedem letzten Sonntag im Monat möchte die Kunsthalle Wien das kulturelle Angebot Wiens erweitern und einem neuen Publikum näherbringen.

Um 16 Uhr laden wir Sie zu einer kostenlosen Führung durch die ein. Wir bitten um Anmeldung über den Link in der Bio.

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Exhibition opening Lebt und arbeitet in Wien: Contemporary Art from Vienna, Kunsthalle Wien 2026, photo: Michael Seirer Photography

26/05/2026

Lebt und arbeitet in Wien Talks: Curating Lebt und arbeitet in Wien (EN)

On the occasion of ‘Lebt and arbeitet in Wien’, Kunsthalle Wien has conceived a series of talks in collaboration with Phileas that foregrounds the voices of art professionals – and particularly artists – in various discussions about the realities of living and working in Vienna.

What does it mean to curate an exhibition dedicated to a city’s contemporary art scene? This conversation brings together the curators of ‘Lebt und arbeitet in Wien’ – Daniel Baumann, Michelle Cotton and Monika Georgieva – offering a behind-the-scenes perspective on this extensive survey of Vienna’s contemporary art scene. In conversation with Anna Hugo (Visitor and Public Programme, Phileas), the curators will reflect on how their perceptions of the local art scene evolved throughout the project, what they learned from one another during the process and what questions and insights remain after bringing this ambitious exhibition into being.

2.6.2026, 6:30–8pm
Phileas (Opernring 17, 1010 Vienna)

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Daniel Baumann, Monika Georgieva and Michelle Cotton, Kunsthalle Wien 2026, photo: Michael Seirer Photography
art

24/05/2026

New Artists’ Editions by Birke Gorm, Lazar Lyutakov and Toni Schmale

A series of artists’ editions is being produced to be sold alongside the ‘Lebt und arbeitet in Wien’ exhibition to support Kunsthalle Wien’s programme.

Birke Gorm’s series ‘you, you, you, you, you, you, you,…’ (2026, ongoing series) is made from used domestic textiles, drawing on a vernacular tradition of creating figurative bodies from discarded materials. Set against contemporary modes of rapid production, these small figures emphasise traditional manual practices of binding, dyeing and assembling – techniques that are historically often associated with female labour. Gorm has produced five new works for Kunsthalle Wien.

Lazar Lyutakov has repurposed pale pink and blue plastic cups to produce a series of new lamps that can be hung from a hook on the ceiling or wall, or placed on a table or the floor. ‘Baby Lamp’ (2026) also forms part of the installation ‘Zwischendecke’ (2026), presented at Kunsthalle Wien’s Ziegelfoyer, where similar mass-produced plastic vessels are assembled in a large sculpture that takes the form of an oversized chandelier.

Toni Schmale has forged ten unique metal sculptures that, in their scale and materiality, recall votive plaques. In ‘kleine metallarbeit, lochblech’ (2026), a welled opening in a metal plate takes the form of a relief. As in Schmale’s work for the exhibition, ‘triptychon, 1/3 circlusion’ (2026), the edition similarly alludes to the human body with a minimal aesthetic. The repetition of the hole is a recurring element in Schmale’s work.

Purchase online or in our shops at Kunsthalle Wien Museumsquartier and Karlsplatz.
Members of the Kunsthalle Wien Club can purchase the editions at a reduced price.

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1: Birke Gorm, you, you, you, you, you, you, you,… 4, 2026, Artist’s Edition Kunsthalle Wien, photo: Birke Gorm
2: Lazar Lyutakov, Baby Lamp, 2026, Artist’s Edition Kunsthalle Wien, photo: Kunsthalle Wien
3: Toni Schmale, kleine metallarbeit, lochblech 4, 2026, Artist’s Edition Kunsthalle Wien, photo: Kunsthalle Wien

21/05/2026

Beyond Battle isn’t just about competition – it is a gathering for connection, exchange and collective knowledge rooted in streetdance culture. In the framework of the kültüř gemma!-fellowship by Viviane Lê Tanzmeister Kunsthalle Wien will be activated by bringing dance into dialogue with the artworks. While the Battle does not take place in the exhibition space directly, it relates to the exhibition and draws inspiration from it creating a conversation between music, movement and art. Breaking away from traditional gladiator-style battles you can expect unexpected formats, moments of free expression on the dancefloor and nourishing food for everyone. Join us in creating a space that values artistic exchange and curiosity. In the framework of the exhibition, ‘Lebt und arbeitet in Wien’, battle DJ Miyra Lim is focusing on music by Viennese artists. Two workshops will be held the following day.

28.5.2026, 17:00–22:00
Kunsthalle Wien Museumsquartier
Free admission

29.5.2026 Workshops
17:00–18:30 Cat Jimenez: Presence
18:45–20:15 Vivos & Chychy: Check your bias at the door: Let’s unpack it together!
Kunsthalle Wien Atelier
Workshop fee: € 10–20
Register at: [email protected]

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Bei Beyond Battle geht es nicht nur um Wettbewerb, es ist ein Raum für Verbindung, Austausch und kollektives Wissen, verwurzelt in der Streetdance-Kultur. Im Rahmen des kültüř gemma!-Fellowships von Viviane Lê Tanzmeister wird die Kunsthalle Wien aktiviert und Tanz in einen Dialog mit den Kunstwerken gebracht. Das Battle steht in Beziehung zur Ausstellung und lässt sich von ihr inspirieren, findet jedoch nicht direkt in den Ausstellungsräumen statt. So entsteht ein Dialog zwischen Musik, Bewegung und Kunst. Im Sinne der Ausstellung legt unsere Battle-DJ Miyra Lim ihren Fokus auf Sound von Wiener Künstler*innen.

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Beyond Battle, photo: Zhuliyan Bratanov




thegroove

18/05/2026

Visiting Katharina Schilling’s studio

Katharina Schilling (b. 1984, Cologne, Germany) develops paintings through processes of appropriation, fragmentation and recontextualisation, drawing on art history, traditional techniques and modes of presentation. Her practice questions ideas of authorship and subjectivity by deliberately destabilising the role of the individual artist. Working on unprimed canvas, she applies pigments mixed with glue and water, allowing the chance of material behaviour to shape the surface before cutting, reassembling or stitching the canvas into its final form. Figurative elements – often everyday objects such as matches, scissors or eggs – are added later, appearing suspended between abstraction and recognition.

See her paintings at Kunsthalle Wien Museumsquartier in our current exhibition ‘Lebt und arbeitet in Wien’.

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Katharina Schilling (geb. 1984, Köln, Deutschland) entwickelt ihre Malereien in Prozessen der Aneignung, Fragmentierung und Rekontextualisierung. Sie bedient sich dabei kunsthistorischer Quellen sowie traditioneller Techniken und Darstellungsweisen. Mit ihrer Praxis hinterfragt sie Vorstellungen von Autor*innenschaft und Subjektivität, indem sie die Rolle der singulären Künstler*in bewusst destabilisiert: Sie bearbeitet die ungrundierte Leinwand mit Leim angemischten Pigmenten, sodass Zufall und die materiellen Eigenschaften die Oberfläche mitbestimmen, bevor sie diese dann zerschneidet und die Leinwand zu ihrer finalen Form zusammennäht. Figurative Elemente – häufig Alltagsgegenstände wie Streichhölzer, Scheren oder Eier – werden später hinzugefügt und scheinen zwischen Abstraktion oder Wiedererkennung zu schweben.

Schaut euch ihre Werk in der aktuellen Ausstellung „Lebt und arbeitet in Wien“ in der Kunsthalle Wien Museumsquartier an.

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Video by Kunsthalle Wien

17/05/2026

Independent Space Index 2026

From 29 to 31 May the Independent Space Index 2026 festival takes place across 66 artist-run and independent spaces in Vienna. Kunsthalle Wien Karlsplatz will host daily panel discussions followed by guided tours to different exhibitions within the programme. Curated by Michał Leszuk this discursive programme uses the index as both a practical and conceptual tool: a way of locating, situating and moving through ideas that resist neat categorisation. Each day adopts a different perspective. This annual event, hosted by independent spaces across Vienna, offers a unique opportunity to experience Vienna’s diverse art scene in an intimate setting.

Panels & Guided Tours (EN)
29.–31.5.2026, 12:00
Kunsthalle Wien Karlsplatz

DAY 1: towards criticality of independent spaces
Natalija Paunić – (Belgrade)
& – .gartenhaus (Vienna)
Gina Merz (vague___transit) – (Vienna)

DAY 2: in relation to architecture
& – .space (Vienna)
– .vienna (Vienna)
Robert Müller – Curator and Senior Scientist for Collection and Archive of (Vienna) &

DAY 3: beyond the limits of the text
Franz Thalmair – (Klagenfurt)
Bryony Dawson – independent (Vienna)
– .space (Brussels)
Bea Ortega Botas () – .project (NYC & Vienna)

The tour starts each day at 13:45 at Kunsthalle Wien Karlsplatz und explores several of the participating spaces.

15/05/2026

Circle Talks – Der Community Stammtisch

Circle Talks ist ein offenes Gesprächs- und Austauschformat im Rahmen des kültüř gemma!-Fellowships von Viviane Lê Tanzmeister an der Kunsthalle Wien. Ausgehend von der Streetdance-Kultur, in der das Zusammenkommen im Kreis (Cypher) eine zentrale soziale und künstlerische Praxis ist, lädt Circle Talks dazu ein, Gathering als Form von Care, Austausch und kollektiver Wahrnehmung zu erleben.

21.5.2026, 17:00–21:00
Kunsthalle Wien Atelier

Ablauf
17:00 Führung durch „Lebt und arbeitet in Wien“
18:00 Circle Talks
19:30 Open Dance Jam

Hosted by

Alle sind willkommen – keine Vorkenntnisse nötig.

Eintritt frei.

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Circle Talks, Kunsthalle Wien 2026, Foto: Kunsthalle Wien
thegroove

14/05/2026

Artist Workshop with Lazar Lyutakov: Constructing Light (DE/EN)

Join the artist Lazar Lyutakov for a special workshop exploring the possibilities of making lamps from plastic vessels. Lyutakov’s ‘Lamp Series’ is an ongoing project started in 2006. The sculptures see mass-produced plastic bowls and cups transformed as lamps that hang in constellations. The logic of industrially manufactured everyday objects and the history of design – from modernism to the present – become the raw material for a creative process. This workshop is organised in conjunction with our current exhibition ‘Lebt und arbeitet in Wien’ for which Lyutakov was commissioned to make a major new work for Kunsthalle Wien’s Ziegelfoyer. We will experiment with material, light, colour and composition to develop unique objects with a functional purpose.

Please bring your own plastic bowls, cups and other vessels – old or new and preferably as many as possible!

22.5.2026, 16:00–19:00
3.6.2026, 17:00–20:00
Kunsthalle Wien Atelier

Please register at: [email protected]

Workshop fee: € 25
Reduced: € 15

The reduction applies to students, civil servants and people in military service, apprentices and Kunsthalle Wien annual ticket holders. Places are also reserved for holders of the ‘Hunger auf Kunst und Kultur’ culture pass ().

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Video by Kunsthalle Wien

12/05/2026