The city has numerous history, science, and art exhibitions on (or planned) at any one time. This list covers the major museums and venues. Click/tap to view by topic:
- Personal tips for the coming days
- Art history & art around 1900
- Modern and contemporary art
- Design & architecture
- Photography
- History, culture & current affairs
- Science, nature & music
A few notes:
- Most locations have permanent displays too, of course. So you’ll always find Klimt at the Belvedere and Leopold museums, for example
- Many also have small exhibitions and installations or those intended for local audiences, which I often won’t cover here
- Check the event listings for suggested exhibition highlights for each month of the year
- Exhibitions in Vienna almost always present information in at least English and German
My current top tip
(Pierre-Auguste Renoir, The Braid, c. 1886/1887; Museum Langmatt, Stiftung Langmatt Sidney and Jenny Brown, Baden, Switzerland; press photo courtesy of the museum)
Cézanne, Monet, Renoir
- French impressionism
- Numerous top names
- Incl. 22 works by Renoir
- Gorgeous collection…
- …from Museum Langmatt
- Runs to Feb 8th, 2026
- At Lower Belvedere
Special mentions
- Marina Abramović at the Albertina Modern (until March 1st, 2026, review on its way!): an intense tour-de-force of a retrospective for the performance artist
- Michaelina Wautier at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (until February 22nd, 2026): view the magnificent talent of a remarkable baroque painter only recently (re)discovered by the art world
- Franz Xaver Messerschmidt at Lower Belvedere (until April 6th, 2026): I love his baroque character busts, and the exhibition sheds nuanced light on the artist and the mystery surrounding some of his work
What art exhibitions are on?
Let us begin with…
Art history & art c. 1900
(The Kunsthistorisches Museum)
I review this section every one to two months, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Albertina
- Gothic Modern: an intriguing exhibition that reflects the influence of late medieval art on modernist artists. Features such names as Munch, van Gogh and Kollwitz alongside works separated from them by centuries (September 19th, 2025 to January 11th, 2026)
- The Fascination of Paper: exploring the medium in terms of the art created with it, from Dürer drawings to modern sculptural works (December 11th, 2025 to March 22nd, 2026)
Lower Belvedere
- Cézanne, Monet, Renoir: highlights of French Impressionism drawn from the prestigious Villa Langmatt collection (September 25th, 2025 to February 8th, 2026)
- Franz Xaver Messerschmidt: an exhibition that promises to expand our understanding of the role, relevance and context of his famous character heads (October 31st, 2025 to April 6th, 2026)
- Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller: a focus on the landscapes of this accomplished 19th-century painter interspersed with works by contemporaries such as Constable and Rousseau (February 27th to June 14th, 2026)
Upper Belvedere
- Johann Baptist Lampi the Elder and the Younger: an in-depth look at a work each from the father and son, since both were overpaintings where imaging techniques have revealed an intriguing artistic history (May 13th to October 11th, 2026)
Kunsthistorisches Museum
- The Vitrine EXTRA series of small exhibitions of one or more artefacts from antiquity:
- Incised, painted, concealed (September 5th, 2025 to March 1st, 2026)
- Pieter Claesz. Still Lifes: a small but insightful presentation around the 17th-century still-life painter (June 17th, 2025 to March 15th, 2026)
- Michaelina Wautier: exhibition around the Dutch Baroque artist and her contemporaries (September 30th, 2025 to February 22nd, 2026)
- Head and Shoulders. Coins in Fashion: coins featuring portraits as an insight into the times, culture, and personal fashions of the past (November 11th, 2025 to September 6th, 2026)
- Canaletto & Bellotto: presents their cityscapes of Venice, London, and Vienna (March 24th to September 6th, 2026)
- Point of View exhibitions that typically focus on a single work and provide often intriguing background detail:
- Next one TBA
Heidi Horten Collection
- The Line: the evolving role and use of one of art’s fundamental elements, as illustrated by in works by numerous great artists (September 19th, 2025 to March 8th, 2026)
Liechtenstein Gartenpalais
- Dealing in splendour: a behind-the-scenes look at the art market through history, illustrated with various masterpieces by such names as Titian, Monet, Brueghel, Klimt, and Rembrandt (January 30th to April 6th, 2026)
Leopold Museum
- Hidden modernism: modernist art and artists within the context of wider spiritual philosophies and sociocultural changes either side of 1900 Vienna (September 4th, 2025 to January 18th, 2026)
- Gustave Courbet: a full retrospective for the 19th-century French artist (February 19th to June 21st, 2026)
Academy of Fine Arts
- Considering the collection: highlights from the extensive archives along with a contextual contemporary element showcasing Jacquard tapestries by Ana Torfs (October 3rd, 2025 to August 30th, 2026)
Dom Museum
- Work in Progress: an exhibition exploring various aspects of work with the help of art from across the centuries, including the Middle Ages (October 3rd, 2025 to August 30th, 2026)
Modern & contemporary
(The Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien)
I review this section every one to two months, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Albertina
- Motherscapes: a representative selection of works by the Japanese-Swiss artist Leiko Ikemura (November 14th, 2025 to April 6th, 2026)
- The Fascination of Paper: wide-ranging exhibition around the art created using this medium, from medieval drawings to contemporary installations (December 11th, 2025 to March 22nd, 2026)
Albertina Modern
- Marina Abramović: a wide-ranging review of the artist’s work with reenactments of her seminal performance art (October 10th, 2025 to March 1st, 2026)
- KAWS: works by the US artist in dialogue with other contemporary artists like Katherine Bernhardt and Keith Haring (April 3rd, 2026 to September 27th, 2026)
- …see also the seasonal exhibitions at the Albertina’s Klosterneuburg location just outside Vienna
Upper Belvedere
- Elmar Trenkwalder: the artist presents his monumental sculptural work WVZ 183 in the Carlone Hall (November 6th, 2025 to March 14th, 2026)
Lower Belvedere
- Erna Rosenstein: first ever retrospective in Austria for the avant garde artist (July 3rd, 2026 to January 10th, 2027)
- Erika Giovanna Klien: solo exhibition for the Austrian-American artist and major proponent of Viennese Kineticism. I love her Diving Bird painting in Belvedere’s permanent exhibition (September 18th, 2026 to January 31st, 2027)
Heidi Horten Collection
- The Line: visual art in the context of one of its fundamental elements, as illustrated by numerous great works (September 19th, 2025 to March 8th, 2026)
Leopold Museum
- Kowanz. Ortner. Schlegel: highlights the artistic background to the MQ Libelle viewing platform on the roof of the museum as well as the association with its two art installations by Brigitte Kowanz and Eva Schlegel (October 9th, 2025 to January 25th, 2026)
The MAK
- Hito Steyerl: solo exhibition for the Berlin-based artist with multimedia and video installations that dig deeper into modern (pop) culture (June 25th, 2025 to April 12th, 2026)
- Turning Pages: books as a medium of visual, textual, material and digital art (October 1st, 2025 to March 22nd, 2026)
- Global Warming: presentation of 35 posters by art students in Vienna and Seoul on the theme of collective action against the climate emergency (November 12th, 2025 to January 18th, 2026)
- 100 Best Posters: the winners from the next iteration of this competition around artistic poster design in the DACH region (November 26th, 2025 to April 12th, 2026)
Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Oliver Laric. Liminal Creatures: solo exhibition for the sculptor, who creates novel hybrid representations from scans of historical works (November 6th, 2025 to February 15th, 2026)
Kunstforum Wien
- Marina Abramović (hosted at the Albertina Modern): a retrospective for the iconic performance artist (October 10th, 2025 to March 1st, 2026)
Kunst Haus Wien
- Julius von Bismarck: cross-media solo exhibition for the German artist (September 10th, 2025 to March 8th, 2026)
- Fuzzy Earth: art & design installation(s) among a look at the thematic interrelationships around the history, mining, use and impact of phosphorus (October 16th, 2025 to January 25th, 2026)
MUMOK
- Mapping the 60s: a conceptual retrospective that focuses on a decade that brought forth and/or influences many of today’s artistic and sociocultural movements (July 5th, 2024 to May 10th, 2026)
- Never Final! (my translation): quasi a retrospective for the museum and its collection with a focus on developments and art in the 1980s (March 28th, 2025 to April 12th, 2026)
- The World of Tomorrow Will Have Been Another Present: another collection-oriented exhibition which juxtaposes large contemporary installations with classical modernist works (May 23rd, 2025 to April 6th, 2026)
- Tobias Pils: paintings and drawings by this Austrian artist (September 27th, 2025 to April 12th, 2026)
- Claudia Pagès Rabal: commissioned video art in collaboration with London’s Chisenhale Gallery (December 4th, 2025 to May 17th, 2026)
Wien Museum musa
- Works in Public Space: mid-career retrospective for Leopold Kessler, known for his playful public installations (September 11th, 2025 to January 25th, 2026)
The Kunsthalle
All at the MuseumsQuartier site unless marked as the Karlsplatz site.
- Guan Xiao: solo exhibition that includes a new series of sculpture (October 8th, 2025 to January 11th, 2026)
- Get Your Head Around It: a long painted work on canvas by Sophie von Hellermann (October 8th, 2025 to March 29th, 2026)
- Kunsthalle Wien Prize 2025 (Karlsplatz): works by the award winners (November 7th, 2025 to January 25th, 2026)
- Richard Hawkins: solo exhibition with new works in dialogue with those from the artist’s past (November 26th, 2025 to April 6th, 2026)
Belvedere 21
- Wotruba international: exhibition around the famous Austrian artist Fritz Wotruba seen through the lens of his international activities, reception and influence on post-WWII sculpture (July 17th, 2025 to January 11th, 2026)
- Ashley Hans Scheirl: retrospective covering their diverse output from films of the 70s to contemporary works (September 19th, 2025 to February 1st, 2026)
- CIVA: exhibition in the context of the Festival of Contemporary Immersive Virtual Art (October 2nd, 2025 to February 1st, 2026)
- Sandra Mujinga: solo exhibition and major installation by the Norwegian artist (January 29th to May 31st, 2026)
- Friedl Kubelka / vom Gröller: solo exhibition largely around the paintings and drawings of an artist better known for her film and photography (February 13th to June 7th, 2026)
- Sue Williams: retrospective for the renowned US artist (February 20th to June 7th, 2026)
- Miao Ying: solo cross-media exhibition on the theme of digital control (June 26th to October 4th, 2026)
- Stellprobe: presentation of acquisitions from recent years in a staging by Heimo Zobernig (June 26th to October 18th, 2026)
- Feminist Futures Forever: multifaceted exploration of feminist art from 20th-century avant garde to contemporary works (November 5th, 2026 to March 7th, 2027)
Academy of Fine Arts
- Considering the collection: highlights from the extensive archives along with a contextual contemporary element showcasing Jacquard tapestries by Ana Torfs (October 3rd, 2025 to August 30th, 2026)
Künstlerhaus
- You Should Create an Image (my translation of the German title): contemporary art reflecting the imaginative power of religious experiences (October 23rd, 2025 to February 8th, 2026)
MQ Freiraum
- Metabolica: Thomas Feuerstein’s combination of art, science and engineering that harnesses, for example, microbiological metabolic processes as artistic tools (September 18th, 2025 to February 1st, 2026)
Weltmuseum Wien
- Dark Pairing: Wie-yi T. Lauw’s screen images offer a metaphor that invites critical examination of colonialism (since May 20th, 2021)
- Calabash Nebula: Cosmological Tales of Connection: solo exhibition for the artist, activist and healer Tabita Rezaire (September 17th, 2025 to January 11th, 2026)
- The Colours of the Earth: natural dyes and modern textile art from Mexico (October 22nd, 2025 to April 6th, 2026)
- The Ultimate Breath: solo exhibition by Indah Arsyad (November 26th, 2025 to May 25th, 2026)
Dom Museum
- Work in Progress: an exhibition exploring various aspects of work with the help of art from across the centuries, including contemporary times (October 3rd, 2025 to August 30th, 2026)
Naturhistorisches Museum
- Freighted: installation offering perspectives on the collection and transfer of rhinos for exhibition and research abroad (July 2nd, 2025 to January 12th, 2026)
Theseus Temple
- TBA
Design & architecture
(The MAK)
I review this section every one to two months, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
The MAK
- Bicycle & Lobster: a nice seasonal exhibition showcasing Christmas tree decorations from the 1920s to 1950s (September 24th, 2025 to February 1st, 2026)
- Helmut Lang: major exhibition covering 1986-2005 and exploring his groundbreaking influence on design and identity, with a focus on installations and original archival materials rather than traditional garment displays (December 10th, 2025 to May 3rd, 2026)
Lower Belvedere
- Anni Albers: solo exhibition for the multitalented German-American artist known particularly for her work with textiles (April 30th to August 16th, 2026)
Wien Museum
- Knowledge for All: all about the development, spread and current role of the specific pictorial Isotype approach to information communication developed in 1920s Vienna (November 6th, 2025 to April 5th, 2026)
Vienna Furniture Museum
- Josef Frank and the Others: showcases the furniture designs of the 1920-1940 era (April 9th, 2025 to January 26th, 2026)
- “Let’s Polka!”: presents the work of the POLKA design studio across the last two decades (September 26th, 2025 to January 26th, 2026)
Architekturzentrum Wien
- Abundance, Not Capital: the work of Anupama Kundoo, whose architectural designs take a different approach, combining goals traditionally thought of as mutually exclusive and rejecting over-use of resources (September 18th, 2025 to February 16th, 2026)
Ringturm
- Bauherrenpreis 2025: the annual presentation around the nominees and winners of this national architectural prize (December 2nd, 2025 to March 6th, 2026)
Photography
(Westlicht)
I review this section every one to two months, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Albertina
- Lisette Model: retrospective for the influential Austrian photographer (October 30th, 2025 to February 22nd, 2026)
Foto Arsenal Wien
- Science/Fiction – A Non-History of Plants: group exhibition with an eclectic mix of images and photographic approaches around plants featuring 40+ international artists (October 4th, 2025 to January 18th, 2026)
- Daido Moriyama: a retrospective for the Japanese photographer (January 31st to May 10th, 2026)
Heidi Horten Collection
- Ouriel Morgensztern: intervention by the Viennese photographer featuring photos of the Heidi Horten Collection building (October 21st, 2025 to April12th, 2026)
Jewish Museum
- Where have all the flowers gone?: explores the aftermath of World War II across the 80 years since its end through the photos of Roger Cremers (May 8th, 2025 to January 18th, 2026)
Westlicht
- Bruce Gilden. A closer look: solo exhibition for the iconic photographer, known particularly for his portraits and street photography (November 28th, 2025 to February 22nd, 2026)
Naturhistorisches Museum
- Two views on plants: Sebastian Cramer presents plants of importance to people using an updated form of historical stereophotography (September 24th, 2025 to March 1st, 2026)
- Alpine glaciers in transition: current and historical photos of glaciers from the same perspective reveal the loss of ice through time (November 20th, 2025 to January 10th, 2027)
Other exhibitions
History, culture & current affairs
(The Jewish Museum main site)
I review this section every one to two months, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Wien Museum
- Meat: an examination and sociocultural peek at meat and Vienna through the centuries and into the future (October 2nd, 2025 to February 22nd, 2026)
Technisches Museum
- Under the Spell of the Railway: built around models from the collections, the exhibition covers 200 years of railway history and its social and economic consequences (October 21st, 2025 to August 2026)
Theatermuseum
- 205 Years of the Burg (my translation): a special exhibition celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Burgtheater. Hosted by the theatre as the museum is closed for refurbishment (November 4th, 2025 to June 30th, 2026)
Wagenburg
- TBA
Weltmuseum
- Who’s Wearing the Pants?: a wide look at the socioculture of the trousers through history (March 25th, 2025 to February 1st, 2026)
- Colonialism on the Window Sill: the exhibition uses ten of the most popular plants for the home and balcony to explore the colonial past and highlight aspects of colonialism’s ongoing legacy and impact (May 28th, 2025 to May 25th, 2026)
Jewish Museum
- Black Jews, White Jews?: explores issues around the skin colour of Jewish people, especially the experience of Jews of colour (October 22nd, 2025 to April 26th, 2026)
Literature Museum
- Where We Come From: the title as theme featuring, for example, personal items that link writers with their past or literature’s treatment of such items (April 24th, 2025 to February 15th, 2026)
Marx Halle
- The Legend of the Titanic: immersive exhibition (October 1st, 2025 to January 6th, 2026)
Papyrus Museum
- The Power of Words: multilingualism and bilingualism in ancient Egypt and how this ties in to sociocultural development (June 12th, 2025 to May 3rd, 2026)
Science, nature & music
(Home to a science and technology museum)
I review this section every one to two months, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Technisches Museum
- More than Recycling: resource use, sustainability and the circular economy. Or how to think about the things we buy and use (June 18th, 2025 to December 30th, 2026)
- Exploring the Invisible: a closer examination from different perspectives of seven viruses that cause significant infections (from November 10th, 2025; end date unknown at the time of writing)
National Library
- Vocation: super star: small display of items from the library collection related to the life and works of Johann Strauss II, including drafts, photos, letters and similar (October 21st, 2025 to January 11th, 2026)
- Medicine through the ages: the library opens up its history of medicine collection to explore the evolution of healthcare across time, beginning in antiquity and ending in the early 1900s (November 20th, 2025 to March 1st, 2026)
Haus der Musik
- Johann Strauss and the Wiener Philharmoniker: small exhibition addressing the relationship between the two with photos, documents etc. (October 1st, 2025 to March 31st, 2026)
Sigmund Freud Museum
- Documents of Injustice. The Case of Freud: explores the Freud family’s final months in Vienna, revealing the extent and nature of Nazi oppression (October 24th, 2025 to November 9th, 2026)
Mozarthaus Vienna
- Mozart at Table: explores Mozart’s dining habits and experiences and their relationship to his life and work (May 24th, 2024 to January 11th, 2026)