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 tips
(Warhol next to Basquiat; press photo: Ouriel Morgensztern © Heidi Horten Collection)
WE LOVE exhibition
- Who’s who of modern art
- Bacon, Basquiat, Chagall, Haring, Hockney, Picasso, Munch, Warhol & more
- …until Aug 25th, 2024
- At the Heidi Horten Collection
Special mention
- Roy Lichtenstein (until July 14th, 2024): major retrospective for the iconic US artist
- Fischer von Erlach (until April 28th, 2024): marvelous mix of historical, architectural and art exhibition in one, featuring the work of this legendary Baroque architect
- Roberto Matta (until June 2nd, 2024): full retrospective for this immensely influential painter
What art exhibitions are on?
Let us begin with…
Art history & art around 1900
(The Kunsthistorisches Museum)
I review this section about once a month, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Albertina
- Egon Schiele − Adrian Ghenie: Schiele’s lost works brought back to life through the paintbrush of Adrian Ghenie (October 11th, 2024 to February 9th(?), 2025)
Lower Belvedere
- In the Eye of the Storm: modernist art movements and styles in Ukraine from the first half of the 1900s (February 23rd, 2024 to June 2nd, 2024)
- Broncia Koller-Pinell: as well as covering her own works largely within the context of the Wiener Moderne, the exhibition also examines her artistic network and her efforts to promote art (March 15th to September 8th, 2024)
- Akseli Gallen-Kallela: first solo exhibition in Austria for this Finnish artist with an international reputation, building on his participation in secessionist exhibitions in Vienna just after 1900 (September 27th, 2024 to February 2nd, 2025)
- Gustav Klimt. Pigment & Pixel: digging a little deeper into Klimt’s world of colour to examine his methods and processes. Includes a close look at the techniques and materials used to create The Kiss (February 21st, 2025 to September 7th, 2025)
Upper Belvedere
- Franz Anton Maulbertsch: taking a closer look at the work of this artist, who so influenced central European painting in the latter half of the 1700s; part of the IM BLICK series (April 12th to September 29th, 2024)
Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Point of View exhibitions that focus on a single piece and provide often intriguing background detail:
- Jupiter and Mercury with Philemon and Baucis by the Rubens workshop (February 2nd, 2024 to January 12th, 2025)
- The Vitrine EXTRA series of small exhibitions of one or more artefacts from antiquity:
- The Professor and the Art Market (February 16th to September 22nd, 2024)
- Imperial Impressions: medals as art, featuring Habsburg acquisitions and the work of court medalists, who were often artists in their own right (February 13th, 2024 to March 23rd, 2025)
- Holbein. Burgkmair. Dürer: an exhibition on the centre of Renaissance art in Augsburg and northern Europe, featuring works by Hans Holbein the Elder, Hans Burgkmair the Elder and Albrecht Dürer. Other painters like Hans Holbein the Younger also appear (March 19th to June 30th, 2024)
- Rembrandt – Hoogstraten: a major Rembrandt exhibition that presents his works in dialogue with those by his student, Samuel van Hoogstraten (October 8th, 2024 to January 12th, 2025)
- Arcimboldo – Bassano – Bruegel: another treat but I await details (provisionally March 11th to June 29th, 2025)
- Michaelina Wautier: exhibition around the Dutch Baroque artist (provisionally September 30th, 2025 to January 25th, 2026)
Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien
- Paul Gauguin: first major retrospective in Austria for over 60 years for Gauguin, featuring works from prestigious international museums and collections (October 3rd, 2024 to January 19th, 2025)
Wien Museum
- Secessions – Klimt, Stuck, Liebermann: shines a light on the secessionist art movements in Vienna, Munich and Berlin around 1900 (from May 23rd to October 13th, 2024)
Heidi Horten Collection
- Focus on Gustav Klimt: his Church in Unterach on Lake Attersee takes centre stage in a special one-room exhibition (November 24th, 2023 to June 2nd, 2024)
Academy of Fine Arts
- History Tales. Fact and Fiction in History Pictures: art from the genre in the context of various perspectives, with both historical and contemporary examples (September 27th, 2023 to May 26th, 2024)
- Considering the collection: highlights of the paintings collection with additional contemporary interventions and juxtapositions (June 26th, 2024 to February 16th, 2025)
Dom Museum
- Being mortal: historical and contemporary art in an exploration of death in individual, collective and sociopolitical contexts (October 6th, 2023 to August 25th, 2024)
Modern art & contemporary art
(The Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien)
I review this section about once a month, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Albertina
- Katharina Grosse: solo exhibition with new art developed specifically for the location (November 1st, 2023 to April 1st, 2024)
- The VERBUND collection: highlights from this prestigious company collection of contemporary art, honouring its 20th anniversary. Includes new acquisitions (February 29th to May 5th, 2024)
- Roy Lichtenstein: a huge retrospective commemorating his 100th birthday and featuring numerous loans from prestigious international institutions (March 8th to July 14th, 2024)
- Eva Beresin: the fantastic and the tragic, horror and whimsy, humour and provocation and more in this solo exhibition (May 1st to September 15th, 2024)
- Franz Grabmayr: solo exhibition featuring paintings and graphic works (May 17th to October 13th, 2024)
- Robert Longo: monumental photorealistic works in charcoal based on black & white photos (September 4th, 2024 to February 2nd, 2025)
- Chagall: featuring around 100 works across all creative phases of his life (September 28th, 2024 to February 9th, 2025)
- The Othmar Huber Collection: highlights from this notable collection of modern art, which already contributes a few loaned masterpieces to the Albertina’s permanent exhibition (November 8th, 2024 to January 26th, 2025)
Albertina Modern
- The Beauty of Diversity: an exhibition that presents artistic diversity in its widest sense, including underrepresented voices in contemporary art (February 16th to August 18th, 2024)
- Bruno Gironcoli – Toni Schmale: joint exhibition with drawings by Gironcoli juxtaposed with Schmale’s sculptures (April 3rd to July 28th, 2024)
- Alfred Kubin: solo exhibition (August 14th, 2024 to January 6th, 2025)
- Erwin Wurm: solo exhibition (September 13th, 2024 to February 23rd, 2025)
Upper Belvedere
- Dust to Dust: Michail Michailov continues the Carlone Contemporary series with a modular work previously shown at the 2022 Biennale von Venedig (October 19th, 2023 to April 14th, 2024)
- Nedko Solakov: a small installation tucked away where you might not expect it (November 24th, 2023 to June 19th, 2024)
- Bruckner: Symphony No. 5 in B-Dur: Dara Birnbaum with a contribution to the Carlone Contemporary series (April 25th to September 22nd, 2024)
Lower Belvedere
- In the Eye of the Storm: Ukrainian art from the first half of the 1900s (February 23rd, 2024 to June 2nd, 2024)
- Hannah Höch: first large museum retrospective for the German artist (June 21st to October 6th, 2024)
- Amoako Boafo: first solo exhibition in Austria for the Ghanaian artist (October 25th, 2024 to January 12th, 2025)
Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien
- Roberto Matta: major retrospective for one of the most influential artists of the 20th century (February 24th to June 2nd, 2024)
- House of Constructs: Aldo Giannotti in collaboration with Karin Pauer turns the exhibition area into a dynamic space at the interface between work and art (June 13th to June 30th, 2024)
Heidi Horten Collection
- WE ❤: selection of collection highlights with a focus on themes of expressionism, the 60s/70s, and paintings & sculpture on the spectrum between the figurative and abstract (November 24th, 2023 to August 25th, 2024)
- Focus on Gustav Klimt: new exhibition series begins with Klimt’s Church in Unterach on Lake Attersee in combination with shared-format works of his peers and more contemporary artists (November 24th, 2023 to June 2nd, 2024)
- Light, Sound and Senses: a multisensory exhibition with works from the collection, loans and exhibition-specific installations (September 2024 to March 2025)
Leopold Museum
- Unknown Familiars: highlights from six art collections from companies within the Vienna Insurance Group, ranging from classic modernism to contemporary works (May 8th to October 6th, 2024)
- New Objectivity in Germany: the art of post-WWI Germany, capturing the dichotomy of the prevailing Zeitgeist until the rise of the Nazis brought an end to the era (May 24th to September 29th, 2024)
- Rudolf Wacker: retrospective for one of the prime proponents of New Objectivity in Austria (October 30th, 2024 to February 16th, 2025)
The MAK
- HARD/SOFT: an exploration of textiles and ceramics in contemporary art from a range of viewpoints (December 13th, 2023 to May 20th, 2024)
- Wong Ping: solo exhibition for this creator of animations and installations (October 25th, 2023 to March 31st, 2024)
- Transmedia 1900: a dialogue between objects from the Wiener Moderne around 1900 and contemporary design and art they inspired in today’s students from the neighbouring University of Applied Arts Vienna (March 13th to October 20th, 2024)
- Nothing Has Been Done: posters by Klaus Staeck, which focus on environmental issues like pollution and the climate emergency (March 19th to May 26th, 2024)
- MAK Film Forum: screenings of films created by contemporary artists (April 1st to October 20th, 2024)
- Troika: installations, sculptures and animations by the same-named trio of artists at the interface between humanity, the natural world, the environment and technology (May 1st to August 11th, 2024)
- Proud to be Pride: posters from the LGBTQIA+ realm as a contribution to Pride month (June 4th to September 1st, 2024)
- William Forsythe: immersive and interactive choreographic objects from the renowned US choreographer (July 11th to August 18th, 2024)
- Blockchain Unchained – DAO & the Museum: visitors participate in an interactive story-driven experience that bridges the interface between real and virtual through augmented reality (November 6th, 2024 to September 14th, 2025)
- 100 Best Posters: the next iterations of this competition featuring the top works from artistic poster design in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (October 30th, 2024 to March 16th, 2025)
- Cod.Act: kinestic sound objects by the duo of André and Michel Décosterd (October 30th to December 1st, 2024)
Kunst Haus Wien
- Into the Woods: group exhibition featuring contemporary art around the theme of woodland ecosystems (April 6th to August 11th, 2024
- The End is Where we Start From: solo exhibition for Anne Duk Hee Jordan (September 6th, 2024 to January 26th, 2025)
- Emma Talbot: the British artist presents a huge painted silk hanging (September 6th, 2024 to January 5th, 2025)
MUMOK
- Avant-Garde and Liberation: global modernism and its relevance to contemporary art (June 7th to September 22nd, 2024)
- Kumgangsan: artist Jongsuk Yoon adds her artistic touch to the walls of the museum foyer (June 7th, 2024 to August 1st, 2025)
- Dambudzo: performance art and installation by nora chipaumire (June 11th to June 23rd, 2024)
- 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 February 1st, 2026)
- nowhere / now here: filmed works and live performances in cooperation with the ImPulsTanz international dance festival (July 5th to August 11th, 2024)
- Basically: “re-schooling” as a live project and exhibition in one by Nikima Jagudajev (August 29th to October 27th, 2024)
- Inventing Modern Sculpture: retrospective for Medardo Rosso (1858-1928) that includes pieces by artists influenced by this pioneering artist’s work (October 18th, 2024 to February 23rd, 2025)
- Arise Alive: solo exhibition for Liliane Lijn (November 15th, 2024 to May 4th, 2025)
Wien Museum MUSA
- Gekauft. Und dann? (my translation…Bought. And then what?): highlights from the city’s recent art purchases but also a look behind the scenes at the processes involved in purchasing, storing, maintaining and exhibiting contemporary art (September 26th, 2024 to February 23rd, 2025)
The Kunsthalle
All at the MuseumsQuartier site unless marked as the Karlsplatz site.
- Darker, Lighter, Puffy, Flat: international group exhibition around the breast and its various meanings (November 29th, 2023 to April 14th, 2024)
- Double exhibition for Rene Matić and Oscar Murillo (March 14th to July 28th, 2024)
- Come as you are: presents works by the winners of the Kunsthalle Wien Prize 2023 (Karlsplatz: April 15th to September 1st, 2024)
- Genossin Sonne (“Comrade Sun”): international group exhibition using art to represent or explore connections between the cosmos / sun and social/political movements (May 16th to September 1st, 2024)
Belvedere 21
- Oliver Ressler: solo exhibition with a focus on film and the climate emergency (March 1st to June 2nd, 2024)
- Angelika Loderer: solo exhibition that includes an installation designed specifically for Belvedere 21 (March 6th to September 15th, 2024)
- Tamuna Sirbiladze: solo exhibition featuring her paintings, drawings, films and installations (March 22nd to August 11th, 2024)
- Walter Pichler < > Friedrich Kiesler: a dialogue between these two artists (June 28th to October 6th, 2024)
- Kazuko Miyamoto: comprehensive retrospective featuring paintings, drawings and installations (September 12th, 2024 to January 19th, 2025)
- CIVA: Festival of Contemporary Immersive Virtual Art (October 2nd, 2024 to March 15th, 2025)
- Monster Chetwynd: custom installation for Belvedere 21 with associated performance art (November 7th, 2024 to February 16th, 2025)
Academy of Fine Arts
- History Tales. Fact and Fiction in History Pictures: examples of the genre in the context of various perspectives and featuring both historical and contemporary art (September 27th, 2023 to May 26th, 2024)
- Considering the collection: highlights of the paintings collection with additional contemporary juxtapositions. Most notably, Klaus Scherübel engages with Lucas Cranach the Elder’s The Holy Kinship from the early 1500s (June 26th, 2024 to February 16th, 2025)
Künstlerhaus
- On the Shoulders of Giantesses (my translation): explores female creativity and the relationship of female artists to those who have gone before (March 9th to June 9th, 2024)
Jewish Museum
- Viennese Nostalgia: Emil Singer’s coloured etchings of Vienna in the first half of the 1900s (February 14th to September 1st, 2024)
MQ Freiraum & Salon
- Becoming Earth: Ursula Biemann explores issues around indigenous peoples in the Amazon (September 27th, 2024 to February 23rd, 2025)
- Point Zero: installation by Rodrigo Braga (September 27th, 2024 to February 23rd, 2025)
Weltmuseum Wien
- Dark Pairing: Wie-yi T. Lauw’s screen images offer a metaphor that invites critical examination of colonialism (since May 20th, 2021)
- Whatever you throw at the sea: installation by Zara Julius (April 27th, 2023 to April 2nd, 2024)
- Fruits of Labour: solo exhibition for Maximilian Prüfer and his examination of two historical campaigns by Mao in China and their resonance for today’s world (May 18th, 2023 to July 9th, 2024)
- (Un)Known Artists of the Amazon: indigenous art and its public perception (April 24th, 2024 to April 21st, 2025)
Dom Museum
- Being mortal: historical and contemporary art in an exploration of death in individual, collective and sociopolitical contexts (October 6th, 2023 to August 25th, 2024)
Theseus Temple
- Zeinab Alhashemi: installation by this contemporary conceptual artist (April 18th to October 13th, 2024)
Sigmund Freud Museum
- THE UNCANNY. Sigmund Freud and Art: psychoanalysis and art as influences on each other (April 26th to November 4th, 2024)
Design & architecture
(The MAK)
I review this section about once a month, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
The MAK
- Critical Consumption: a critical perspective on fashion consumerism as reflected in textiles through the ages (August 30th, 2023 to September 8th, 2024)
- Stars, Feathers, Tassels: showcasing the work of Felice Rix, a renowned artist and designer for the Wiener Werkstätte (November 22nd, 2023 to April 21st, 2024)
- Protest / Architecture: protest cultures in the context of the architecture and design pieces created through their actions in public spaces (February 14th to August 25th, 2024)
- My Ullman: solo exhibition for a co-founder of kineticism (April 17th to September 1st, 2024)
- Iconic Auböck: the design work and influence of the Auböck workshop with a focus on key eras in the 20th century (May 15th to October 13th, 2024)
- Aut Now: exhibition illustrating the best of Austrian design from the 21st century across various fields (September 18th, 2024 to May 18th, 2025)
- Peche Pop: major exhibition on the work and enduring impact of Dagobert Peche, who took design in intriguing, unexpected, even bizarre directions (December 11th, 2024 to May 11th, 2025)
Leopold Museum
- Poetry of the Ornament: presentation of the museal archives of the Backhausen furniture and interior decoration company in the context of their close cooperation with artists and designers of the Wiener Moderne (November 13th, 2024 to March 9th, 2025)
Wien Museum
- Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach: on the Karlskirche and other Viennese buildings by this Baroque architect (February 1st to April 28th, 2024)
Vienna Furniture Museum
- Here we are!: Exhibition showcasing the work and works of women designers from 1900 to modern times (March 1st to June 30th, 2024)
Weltmuseum
- A Little Bit of Everything: objects from the collection used to illustrate a glossary of materials (April 24th to September 22nd, 2024)
- A Glance at Pants: a spotlight on trousers, combining collection items with contemporary design pieces (October 16th, 2024 to January 26th, 2025)
Architekturzentrum Wien
- Tourism: analyses various aspects of tourism, particularly from social, planning, ecological and economic viewpoints (March 21st to September 9th, 2024)
Ringturm
- Next exhibition TBA
Photography
(Westlicht)
I review this section about once a month, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Albertina
- Joel Sternfeld: with a strong focus on his American Prospects series (September 27th, 2023 to April 28th, 2024)
- Gregory Crewdson: retrospective featuring the large-scale staged compositions of the renowned contemporary US photographer (May 29th to September 8th, 2024)
Foto Arsenal Wien (MQ Freiraum & Salon)
- Resistance, Flood, Fire, Resistance: solo exhibition for Beate Gütschow (March 22nd, 2024 to June 23rd, 2024)
- From a Tongue we are Losing: solo exhibition for Laure Winants (March 22nd, 2024 to June 23rd, 2024)
Westlicht
- René Groebli: solo exhibition for the Swiss photographer (April 5th to June 2nd, 2024)
The MAK
- Fashion & Photography: a showcase of current trends (November 6th, 2024 to March 16th, 2025)
Wien Museum MUSA
- On Her Own: solo exhibition for the internationally-recognised Austrian photographer Elfriede Mejchar (April 18th to September 1st, 2024)
Natural History Museum
- Insides: Stefan Oláh’s behind-the-scenes series of photos of the museum (September 13th, 2023 to April 1st, 2024)
Other major exhibitions
History, culture & current affairs
(The Jewish Museum main site)
I review this section about once a month, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Marx Halle
- Tutankhamen*: immersive exhibition around ancient Egypt, with headphones for English audio (October 19th, 2023 to April 21st, 2024)
Liechtenstein Gartenpalais
- Hercules of the Arts: fall back into Vienna of 1700 in a special exhibition around the personality of Prince Johann Adam Andreas I von Liechtenstein (February 16th to April 1st, 2024)
Weltmuseum
- Extinctions!?: explores narratives of extinction from different perspectives (February 23rd, 2023 to April 2nd, 2024)
- On the Backs of Camels: the history, culture and socioeconomics of domesticated camelids (February 27th, 2024 to January 26th, 2025)
- Qur’an in Europe: European perspectives on the Islamic scriptures and the latter’s role in lives on the continent (September 18th, 2024 to August 24th, 2025)
Jewish Museum
- Peace: a small exhibition on a topic that remains particularly relevant given recent events (November 7th, 2023 to May 26th, 2024)
- Who Cares?: an exploration of caring from a Jewish, historical and holistic perspective, featuring individuals and organisations who have helped relieve suffering through Vienna’s past (January 31st to September 1st, 2024)
- Viennese Nostalgia: a small exhibition around the etchings and biography of Emil Singer, dealing with such topics as the challenges of escaping Nazi-run Austria in WWII (February 14th to September 1st, 2024)
- Raub (“robbery”): explores the looting of Jewish property in the Nazi era but also restitution of stolen goods in a joint exhibition with the Wien Museum (June 6th to October 27th, 2024)
- Meine Familie bin ich (“I am my family”): the perspective of the third post-Shoah generation along with explorations of how we might manage and handle today’s Holocaust legacy (September 18th, 2024 to March 16th, 2025)
- Angst (“fear”): the emotion in its various historical and contemporary dimensions, as well as views of the Jewish sense of the word (November 6th, 2024 to April 27th, 2025)
Wien Museum
- Winter in Vienna: a look at aspects of the season through the centuries, with a focus on such matters as climate change, city initiatives against the cold and dark, winter activities and winter as a promotional motif for Vienna (November 14th, 2024 to March 16th, 2025)
Theatermuseum
- Showbiz made in Vienna: explores the film and theatre dynasty that was the Marischka family (October 18th, 2023 to September 9th, 2024)
- Walk of Fame: places a spotlight on 14 Jewish theatrical personalities from 1900-1938 that history has largely forgotten (November 16th, 2023 to April 1st, 2024)
- Staging Hofmannsthal: reveals the poet’s working approach and mindset with all the inherent complexities that involves (January 31st to August 19th, 2024)
Literature Museum
- Writers at Risk: foyer exhibition on the dangers faced by writers, including five portraits of authors facing particularly difficult circumstances (October 12th, 2023 to March 31st, 2024)
- Friederike Mayröcker: manuscripts, drawings and other media related to this notable Austrian poet (April 18th, 2024 to February 16th, 2025)
- Franz Kafka: foyer exhibition that presents this remarkable literary character through the perspective of different media (May 29th to December 31st, 2024)
Metastadt
- Formula 1 exhibition: a journey through the history, engineering and personalities of the cars and competition (from February 2nd, 2024)
Papyrus Museum
- A Gift of the Nile: showcases documents illustrating the importance and role of water resources in ancient Egypt (June 14th, 2023 to May 5th, 2024)
- Divine and Eaten (my translation): the relationship between animals and people in ancient Egypt as illustrated within documents of the time (June 13th, 2024 to May 4th, 2025)
Science, nature & music
(No prizes for guessing the name of this museum)
I review this section about once a month, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
National Library
- Anton Bruckner. The Pious Revolutionary: highlights from the Bruckner collection in honour of the composer’s 200th birthday in 2024 (March 21st, 2024 to January 26th, 2025)
Naturhistorisches Museum
- Arctic: exploring the intriguing nature (in various senses of the word) of a sensitive region in a state of change. A location intimately connected to our lives, despite its isolation (November 8th, 2023 to September 22nd, 2024)
Technisches Museum
- Energiewende: examines the race against time, the challenges, and the possible solutions as we convert to climate-neutral forms of energy production (June 16th, 2023 to December, 2024)
- Smart World: the use, importance, and consequences of smart technologies and AI in daily life (October 19th, 2023 until July, 2024)
Theatermuseum
- Johann Strauss: dedicated to the life and works of the composer (December 4th, 2024 to June 23rd, 2025)
Sigmund Freud Museum
- Narrating Violence: comics as a medium for representing experiences of violence in various contexts (October 20th, 2023 to April 8th, 2024)
Mozarthaus Vienna
- Next exhibition TBA