An annual chance to see high-quality works from a roll call of Austrian galleries. Art Austria features the new and upcoming alongside established stars of the art world.
- Works by local and international artists
- Hundreds of pieces of art across various genres and eras
- Modern and contemporary dominate
- 2026 dates: TBA (was May 8-11 in 2025)
- Enjoy a classical concert* on your trip
- See also:
- Vienna in May
- Contemporary art in Vienna
- Current & future art exhibitions
From pottery to pop art
(The logo for the previous 18th edition; image provided courtesy of art-port GmbH)
The chances of me buying high-end art are (as my maths teacher used to say) so close to zero to be indistinguishable from it. At least until the mortgage is paid off. But whether you’re buying or browsing, Art Austria makes for an impressive experience.
Why?
Well, perhaps the top locations in Vienna for exhibitions featuring prestigious latter-day artists are the Albertina, Albertina Modern and Belvedere museums.
For example, works by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Egon Schiele, Xenia Hausner, Gottfried Helnwein, Jakob Gasteiger, Arnulf Rainer, Katharina Grosse, Erwin Wurm, and Amoako Boafo have all appeared at those institutions in the previous year or two…often in solo exhibitions.
At the Art Austria event I visited in 2025, works by all those names graced walls and displays. And I’ve seen, for example, Klimt, Kokoschka, and Picasso at a previous edition.
As such, it all feels like a private exhibition of Austria’s best, laced with international names and upcoming talent. And with the chance to talk shop and art with gallery staff and, in some cases, the artists themselves.
Contemporary art has a strong presence, of course. And the early 20th century (and Wiener Moderne) always seems popular, with works by the likes of Alfons Walde, Albert Egger-Lienz, Schiele and others.
As you go around, though, don’t limit yourself to the headline names like those mentioned above.
On my last visit, I was much taken with the cityscapes of Gottfried Salzmann at Kunsthandel Widder, for example. And Lucia Riccelli’s portraits held me frozen in awe at Kunsthaus Wiesinger.
The fair predominately features paintings and graphic works, with some sculptures and other media.
At an earlier Art Austria, for example, one of Ai Weiwei’s rhodium-plated Artist’s Hand sculptures stood on one side of a partition, with a second century Roman marble bust and Neolithic clay figures on the other side. Not a juxtaposition you see every day.
All-in-all, there is something rather nice about reminiscing with pleasure about a recent exhibition and then finding works by the artist in question on display and for sale at Art Austria. Like completing some kind of circle. So it’s definitely worth a trip to see what the latest fair brings.
Dates, tickets & tips
I don’t have dates at the time of writing for the 19th edition in 2026. But the previous Art Austria ran from May 8th to 11th.
Check with the official website (see below) for ticket details. Day tickets are normally available for the public days with VIP tickets serving as a four-day pass that includes the VIP preview day.
Art Austria takes place in the MuseumsQuartier (MQ), both indoors and in marquee tents in front of the complex. The MQ itself is a home to contemporary art and culture.
Vienna has a fair few events of this kind for art fans. Check the suggestions at the bottom of this page, for example.
And, of course, Vienna’s main art museums and venues have numerous public exhibitions on at any one time. See these listings and the May event highlights for an idea of what’s on and what’s coming up.
How to get to the MQ
Use the travel tips on the main article for this museum complex.
Address: Museumsplatz 1/5, 1070 Vienna | Website (for the event)