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, but you may find one or two exceptions
- See also:
Tips for now
(Michelangelo Buonarroti; Male Nude Seen from Rear, c. 1504; black chalk, heightened with white; press photo © The ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna)
Michelangelo and…
- The human form in art
- Begins with Michelangelo
- …Dürer, Raphael, Rubens, Rembrandt, Klimt & more
- Drawings & prints focus
- Runs until Jan 14th, 2024
- At the Albertina…
Special mention(s)
- WE LOVE (until Aug 25th, 2024): a real who’s who of modern art
- Raphael: Gold & Silk (until Jan 14th, 2024): monumental Renaissance tapestries, Raphael drawings, & more. Including something rather special from the Vatican Museums
- Louise Bourgeois (until Jan 28th, 2024): a cornucopia of creativity from this French-American icon
- Adele Bloch-Bauer II (until Feb 11th, 2024): a rare chance to see Klimt’s masterpiece
What art exhibitions are on?
Let us begin with…
Art history & art around 1900
(The Kunsthistorisches Museum)
I update 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
- Michelangelo and Beyond: the traditional major year-end exhibition features the great master and his influence on both his peers and later artists (September 15th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
Lower Belvedere
- In the Eye of the Storm: Ukrainian art from the first half of the 1900s, including its relationship to the evolution of Jugendstil (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
- Special Guest: Adele Bloch-Bauer II: a rare opportunity to see this privately-owned masterpiece (November 9th, 2023 to February 11th, 2024)
- 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
- Raphael – Gold & Silk: the major year-end exhibition reveals the glory of monumental tapestries from the Renaissance (September 26th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
- Around the World in 80 Coins: coins as the traveler’s companion, with anecdotes concerning historical personalities (April 26th, 2022 to January 28th, 2024)
- Point of View exhibitions that focus on a single piece and provide often intriguing background detail:
- Mary and Child by the Master of the Benda Madonna (June 23rd, 2023 to January 16th, 2024)
- Taboo?: part of the Vitrine EXTRA series of small exhibitions of one or more artefacts from antiquity. This one looks at taboos through the ages, with the unmissable opportunity to see, for example, a flying phallus on a Greek gem work (October 6th, 2023 to February 11th, 2024)
- Holbein. Burgkmair. Dürer: provisionally an exhibition on the centre of Renaissance art in Augsburg and northern Europe, featuring works by Hans Holbein the Elder and Hans Burgkmair the Elder in dialogue with those of Albrecht Dürer. Other painters like Hans Holbein the Younger also feature (March 19th to June 30th, 2024)
- Rembrandt – Hoogstraten: provisionally 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)
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)
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)
Heidi Horten Collection
- Focus on Gustav Klimt: his Church in Unterach on Lake Attersee takes centre stage in a special part of the WE LOVE exhibition (from November 24th, 2023)
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 update 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
- Gottfried Helnwein: selected works from the last two decades (October 25th, 2023 to February 11th, 2024)
- Katharina Grosse: solo exhibition with new art developed specifically for the location (November 1st, 2023 to April 1st, 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 (April 19th to September 15th, 2024)
Albertina Modern
- Germany – Austria: Painting 1970 to 2020: presents top artists from the two countries in dialogue, drawing on prestigious works from the in-house collection (September 6th, 2023 to January 21st, 2024)
- Herbert Boeckl – Oskar Kokoschka: the works of these two great Austrian artists presented in dialogue / juxtaposition (November 17th, 2023 to March 17th, 2024)
- 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)
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 (from April 25th, 2024)
Lower Belvedere
- Louise Bourgeois: major solo exhibition with her paintings from the 1940s in dialogue with her art from later decades (September 22nd, 2023 to January 28th, 2024)
- 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
- Robert Motherwell: solo exhibition for the American abstract expressionist (October 12th, 2023 to January 14th, 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. Part of the WE LOVE exhibition (from November 24th, 2023)
Leopold Museum
- Max Oppenheimer: solo exhibition helping return this pioneering expressionist to his rightful position in art history (October 6th, 2023 to February 25th, 2024)
- Gabriele Münter: retrospective for this leading proponent of German avant garde art (October 20th, 2023 to February 18th, 2024)
The MAK
- Gertie Fröhlich: exhibition honouring the varied aspects of this multifaceted Austrian artist and designer (September 13th, 2023 to March 3rd, 2024)
- 100 Best Posters: another iteration of this competition featuring the top works from artistic poster design in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria (September 27th, 2023 to March 3rd, 2024)
- Wong Ping: solo exhibition for this creator of animations and installations (October 25th, 2023 to March 31st, 2024)
Kunst Haus Wien
- TBA
MUMOK
- Solo exhibitions:
- Adam Pendleton (March 31st, 2023 to January 7th, 2024)
- Elisabeth Wild (May 5th, 2023 to January 7th, 2024)
- Benoît Piéron (October 26th, 2023 to January 7th, 2024)
- On Stage. All the Art World’s a Stage: exploring artistic expression in theatrical and stage-related form (March 15th, 2023 to January 7th, 2024)
- Avant-Garde and Liberation: global modernism and its relevance to contemporary art (from June 7th to September 22nd, 2024)
Wien Museum MUSA
- 2000s. Bye-bye confidence: themes like migration, terrorism and ecology, as seen through the contemporary art of the first decade of the 21st century (October 19th, 2023 to March 17th, 2024)
The Kunsthalle
All at the MuseumsQuartier site unless marked as the Karlsplatz site.
- Exhibitions for the works of Denise Ferreira da Silva & Arjuna Neuman (Karlsplatz: October 5th, 2023 to March 17th, 2024)
- No feeing is final: international group exhibition with a focus on the works and story of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje (April 20th, 2023, to January 28th, 2024)
- Darker, Lighter, Puffy, Flat: international group exhibition around the breast and its various meanings (November 29th, 2023 to April 14th, 2024)
Belvedere 21
- Renate Bertlmann: major retrospective for this national great and major figure in the Austrian (feminist) avant-garde (September 29th, 2023 to March 3rd, 2024)
- On the New: multiple artists, curators, and projects present a wide-ranging selection of contemporary Austrian art
- Part III: October 26th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024
- Belvedere Art Award: solo exhibition for the winner of this new art prize (September 8th, 2023 to February 18th, 2024)
- ars viva-Preis 2024: exhibition around the award winners (February 17th 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 18th, 2024)
- Walter Pichler < > Friedrich Kiesler: a dialogue between these two artists (June 28th to October 6th, 2024)
- 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)
Künstlerhaus
- Systemrelevant: the value of art for today’s society (October 5th, 2023 to February 18th, 2024)
- Comic Biographies: Willi Blöss’s artist biographies in comic form (December 1st, 2023 to February 18th, 2024)
- 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)
Weltmuseum Wien
- Dark Pairing: Wie-yi T. Lauw’s screen images offer a metaphor that invites critical examination of colonialism (since May 20th, 2021)
- Science Fiction(s): a look at the future and science fiction through the lens of contemporary artists and indigenous voices (March 30th, 2023 to January 9th, 2024)
- Beyond the Future: presenting various forms of modern Japanese calligraphy (March 30th, 2023 to January 9th, 2024)
- 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
- Next exhibition TBA
Design & architecture
(The MAK)
I update 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)
- Hard / Soft: an exploration of textiles and ceramics in contemporary art from a range of viewpoints (December 13th, 2023 to May 20th, 2024)
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
- German Design 1949–1989: a comparison of post-WWII design in West and East Germany, exploring the differences, similarities and interactions (September 13th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
- “Schöner Trinken”: showcases modern drinking vessels by Austrian designers (September 22nd, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
Architekturzentrum Wien
- Hollein Calling: looks at the work and influence of this great Austrian architect from a contemporary perspective (September 21st, 2023 to February 12th, 2024)
- Tourism: analyses various aspects of tourism, particularly from social, planning, ecological and economic viewpoints (March 21st to September 9th, 2024)
Ringturm
- Bauherrenpreis 2023: features winners and contenders for this prestigious architectural prize (November 23rd, 2023 to March 1st, 2024)
Photography
(Westlicht)
I update 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 21st, 2024)
Foto Arsenal Wien (MQ Freiraum & Salon)
- Play and Punish: solo exhibition for Karolina Wojtas (December 15th, 2023 to March 10th, 2024)
- On Abortion: solo exhibition for Laia Abril (December 15th, 2023 to March 10th, 2024)
- Resistance. Flood. Fire: 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
- Paparazzi! (November 24th, 2023 to February 11th, 2024)
Jewish Museum
- Maria Austria: the works of the celebrated photographer, who survived WWII in hiding in the Netherlands (June 21st, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
National Library
- Yoichi Okamoto: the work of the photographer, notably his documentation of the rebuilding of Vienna and Austria after WWII (November 23rd, 2023 to March 3rd, 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 update this section about once a month, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
Lower Belvedere
- The Belvedere. 300 Years a Venue for Art: celebrates the 300-year anniversary of Belvedere with a comprehensive review of its role through time (December 2nd, 2022 to February 25th, 2024)
Marx Halle
- Tutankhamen*: immersive exhibition around ancient Egypt, with headphones for English audio (October 19th, 2023 to provisionally January 21st, 2024)
Weltmuseum
- Extinctions!?: explores narratives of extinction from different perspectives (February 23rd, 2023 to April 2nd, 2024)
- Science Fiction(s): a look at the future and science fiction through the lens of contemporary artists and indigenous voices (March 30th, 2023 to January 9th, 2024)
- On the Backs of Camels: the history, culture and socioeconomics of domesticated camelids (February 27th, 2024 to January 26th, 2025)
Jewish Museum
- Super Jews: a look at the Jewish history and fan culture of five professional football clubs from Austria, Holland, England, and Germany (July 12th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
- 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 (January 31st to September 1st, 2024)
- Viennese Nostalgia: an exhibition around the etchings and biography of Emil Singer, dealing with such topics as the challenges of escaping Nazi-run Austria in WWII, the restitution of art, and similar (February 14th to September 1st, 2024)
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)
Imperial Carriage Museum
- Sisi’s Mystery Dress: reconstruction of one of Empress Elisabeth’s dresses, based on real material and a portrait. Excitingly, it may (but possibly not) have been part of her wedding dress (May 12th to February 25th, 2024)
Literature Museum
- TBA
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)
Science, nature & music
(No prizes for guessing the name of this museum)
I update this section about once a month, but do check locally and with official sites for any changes, particularly to the dates of future exhibitions.
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 to June 30th, 2024)
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
- Cherubino alla vittoria!: intriguing exhibition that explores some of the musical background to the ending of the famous Non più andrai aria in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro opera (January 27th, 2023 to January 28th, 2024)