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, or Picasso at the Albertina
- 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:
Personal tips
(Albrecht Dürer, Das Rhinozerus, 1515, woodcut and letterpress, courtesy of and © the Albertina Museum, Vienna)
Dürer, Munch, Miró
- The greats of printmaking
- Bruegel, Manet, Matisse
- Goya, Rembrandt & more
- Runs to May 14th, 2023
- At the Albertina
Special mention(s)
- Klimt. Inspired by Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse… (until May 29th, 2023): a journey through the influences on Klimt’s artistic evolution. Includes Klimt’s rarely-seen masterpiece Water Serpents II
- Georg Baselitz (until June 25th, 2023): this giant of contemporary art picks out his own works and places them in dialogue with selected paintings by Old Masters like Titian
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.
Lower Belvedere
- Klimt: exhibition of his art in the context of those works that inspired and influenced him, so includes numerous paintings etc. from other famous artists, too (February 3rd to May 29th, 2023)
- Colossal: large-format works from the Baroque to the present day (June 22nd to August 27th, 2023)
Kunsthistorisches Museum
- Around the World in 80 Coins: coins as the traveler’s companion, with anecdotes concerning historical personalities (April 26th, 2022 to June 23rd, 2023)
- Colour in Black and White: a closer look at the work of Josef Löwy, who photographed the Imperial painting collection at the end of the 19th century on its transfer to the new museum (October 28th, 2022 to May 1st, 2023)
- Aphrodite von Ephesos: start of an exhibition series always featuring one piece from the museum’s collection of Greek and Roman Antiquities (September 30th, 2022 to May 29th, 2023)
- Georg Baselitz – Naked Masters: a dialogue between Baselitz’s contemporary works and selected Old Masters with the naked form as a theme (March 7th to June 25th, 2023)
- Female Perspectives on Vermeer: juxtaposes Vermeer’s Art of Painting with a Vanitas still life by Maria van Oosterwijck and Maria Lassnig’s animated Art Education film (March 21st to June 25th, 2023)
- 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 (May 12th to November 12th, 2023)
- Philemon and Baucis by the workshop of Peter Paul Rubens (November 17th, 2023 to May 12th, 2024)
- Back in the Future: a closer look at the troubled history of a single Greek beaker (June 1st to October 1st, 2023)
- In Love with Laura: small exhibition centred around Francesco Laurana’s Renaissance Female Bust, a rare example of coloured marble and perhaps hiding a tale of unrequired love? (June 20th to October 15th, 2023)
- Raphael – Silk & Gold: the major year-end exhibition reveals the glory of monumental tapestries from the Renaissance (September 26th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
- Provisionally planned: an exhibition on the centre of Renaissance art in Augsburg and northern Europe featuring works by Hans Holbein the Elder, Hans Burgkmair the Elder, Hans Holbein the Younger, Albrecht Dürer, and others (March 19th to June 30th, 2024)
- Provisionally planned: a major Rembrandt exhibition that presents his works in dialogue with those by Samuel van Hoogstraten (October 8th, 2024 to January 12th, 2025)
Albertina
- Dürer, Munch, Miró – The Great Masters of Printmaking: printed graphics from its early days through to modern art (January 27th to May 14th, 2023). See also the sister exhibition at the Albertina Modern below
- Bruegel and his Time: works from the golden age of drawing that was the Netherlands in the 16th century (February 15th to May 24th, 2023)
- Gods, Heroes and Traitors: paintings of historical moments in their wider sense, including mythology, religion and events of the past (June 2nd to August 27th, 2023)
- Michelangelo and the Consequences: the traditional major year-end exhibition features the great master and his influence on both his peers and later artists (September 14th, 2023 to January 7th, 2024)
Marx Halle
- Monet’s Garden*: a multimedia art experience that explores the life and works of Claude Monet (October 20th, 2022 to April 16th, 2023)
Liechtenstein Garden Palace
- Cast for Eternity: remarkable selection of 15th-19th century bronzes drawn from the Princely Collections and top international loans. Entry is free (March 1st to 31st, 2023)
Votivkirche church
- Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: 34 large-scale frescoes bring you up close to the work (February 21st to May 7th, 2023)
Academy of Fine Arts
- Considering the Collection: featuring various works from the extensive paintings gallery, plus a room pitched as an insert by contemporary Dutch artist, Willem de Rooij (March 8th to August 20th)
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)
Dom Museum
- The Meal: a reflection in historical and contemporary art of the role of meals in communities and cultures (September 29th, 2022 to August 27th, 2023)
Wien Museum MUSA
- Big city / small format: exhibition focused on Vienna in postcards (May 4th to September 24th, 2023)
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
- Alex Katz – Cool Painting: tribute to the US artist that draws on the Albertina’s extensive collection of his works (February 4th to June 4th, 2023)
- Picasso: exhibition commemorating the 50th anniversary of his passing (March 17th to June 18th, 2023)
- Georg Baselitz -100 Drawings: exhibition around the artist’s kind donations of his own works to the Albertina Museum and the Morgan Library (June 7th to September 17th)
- Ofer Lellouche: solo exhibition for the Tunisian artist (June 29th to September 19th, 2023)
- Gottfried Helnwein: selected works from the last two decades (October 25th, 2023 to February 18th, 2024)
- Katharina Grosse: solo exhibition with new art developed specifically for the location (November 1st, 2023 to February 25th, 2024)
Albertina Modern
- Andy Warhol to Damien Hirst: post-1945 printed graphics with resonant names from the pop art world and other genres (February 24th to July 23rd, 2023)
- Yoshitomo Nara: paintings, objects and graphic works from the contemporary Japanese artist (May 10th to November 1st, 2023)
- Diversity in Sex, Race, and Gender: an exhibition that closes the gaps between old white men of art history and diverse, still underrepresented, voices in contemporary art (September 1st, 2023 to February 4th, 2024)
Kunsthistorisches Museum
- The Monster has Turned out well: exhibition of the world’s longest etching, created as a diary by artist Herwig Zens (February 16th to May 29th, 2023)
- Georg Baselitz – Naked Masters: Baselitz himself selects his own works and places them in juxtaposition with various Old Masters. A theme is naked figures (March 7th to June 25th, 2023)
Upper Belvedere
- ambulant # 05: a mobile light sculpture by Marina Faust as the latest in the Carlone Contemporary series (March 8th to October 15th, 2023)
- Public Matters: contemporary sculptures from various artists in the Baroque gardens (May 13th to October 1st, 2023)
Lower Belvedere
- Public Matters: contemporary sculptures from various artists in the privy garden and palace courtyard (May 13th to October 1st, 2023)
- Colossal: large-format paintings from the Baroque to the contemporary (June 22nd to August 27th, 2023)
- Louise Bourgeois: solo exhibition with her paintings from the 1940s in dialogue with later works (September 22nd, 2023 to January 28th, 2024)
Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien
- Kiki Kogelnik: the largest solo exhibition to date for this multifaceted Austrian artist, perhaps best-known internationally for her contributions to pop art (February 2nd to June 25th, 2023)
- Robert Motherwell: solo exhibition for the American abstract expressionist (October 12th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
The MAK
- Birke Gorm: intriguing sculptures by the Hamburg-born artist (February 1st to June 25th, 2023)
- Entangled Relations – Animated Bodies: fascinating installation by Sonja Bäumel and Austria’s official contribution to the 23rd Triennale di Milano. I could have watched the wandering amoeba for hours…now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d ever write (February 1st to April 30th, 2023)
- Help yourself: three decades of Julius Deutschbauer’s self-commissioned posters, sometimes humorous, sometimes ironic, sometime provocative (March 29th to August 6th, 2023)
- Lily Reynaud-Dewar: multimedia video installation around the murder of Pier Paolo Pasolini in 1975 (March 29th to August 6th, 2023)
- Land of Lashes: solo exhibition for Rosemarie Castoro (May 24th to October 1st, 2023)
- 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)
Heidi Horten Collection
- LOOK: art and fashion and the interaction between the two (with a feminine perspective), featuring numerous modern and contemporary art works but also custom dresses from famous designers (October 21st, 2022 to April 16th, 2023)
- RENDEZ-VOUS: focuses on numerous French artists in the collection in the context of influential French locations, particularly Picasso, Chagall and Klein (May 6th to October 29th, 2023)
Leopold Museum
- Amazing: modern and contemporary art highlights from the Würth collection, one of the most important private collections in the world. Features such local and international names as Munch, Picasso, Sisley, Magritte, Richter and Lassnig (April 5th to September 10th, 2023)
- 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)
Academy of Fine Arts
- Considering the Collection: featuring various works from the extensive paintings gallery, plus a room pitched as an insert by contemporary Dutch artist, Willem de Rooij (March 8th to August 20th)
Wien Museum MUSA
- The Noughties. Bye bye confidence (my translation of the German title!): 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)
Weltmuseum Wien
- Chaekgeori: exhibition of still-life paintings by contemporary Korean artists (April 21st, 2022 to April 11th, 2023)
- Dark Pairing: Wie-yi T. Lauw’s screen images offer a metaphor that invites critical examination of colonialism (May 20th, 2021 to September 30th, 2023)
- 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)
- Whatever you throw at the sea: installation by Zara Julius (April 27th, 2023 to April 2nd, 2024)
- Beyond the Future: presenting various forms of modern Japanese calligraphy (March 30th, 2023 to January 9th, 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)
Theseus Temple
- Space Mosque: artist Saks Afridi poses the question of what might pass if all our prayers were answered (April 21st to October 8th, 2023)
Künstlerhaus
- On the Road again: contemporary Austrian art conceived in relation to locations around the world (February 18th to May 21st)
- HUMAN_NATURE: the 2023 members exhibition (June 15th to September 17th)
The Kunsthalle
All at the MuseumsQuartier site unless marked as the Karlsplatz site.
- Exhibitions for the works of:
- Rajkamal Kahlon (December 1st, 2022 to April 9th, 2023)
- Laure Prouvost (May 11th to October 1st, 2023)
- Denise Ferreira da Silva & Arjuna Neuman (Karlsplatz: October 5th, 2023 to February 18th, 2024)
- In the meantime, midday comes around (Karlsplatz): group exhibition around work and unemployment and their role along the political spectrum (November 10th, 2022 to May 1st, 2023)
- 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)
- Unfreezing the scene (Karlsplatz): exhibition of works by the winners of the 2022 Kunsthalle Wien award (May 25th to September 10th, 2023)
- International group exhibition around the breast and its various meanings (November 9th, 2023 to March 10th, 2024)
MUMOK
- Solo exhibitions:
- Emília Rigová (October 8th to April 16th, 2023)
- Adam Pendleton (March 31st, 2023 to January 7th, 2024)
- Agnes Fuchs (May 5th to October 8th, 2023)
- Elisabeth Wild (May 5th, 2023 to January 7th, 2024)
- Benoît Piéron (October 26th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
- mixed up with others before we even begin: juxtapositions that create hybrid constructs where the elements within may complement, contradict or clash (November 26th, 2022 to April 10th, 2023)
- On Stage. All the Art World’s a Stage: exploring artistic expression in theatrical and stage-related form (March 15th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024)
MQ Freiraum & Salon
- LandRush: art exhibition and documentation around global agriculture’s social and ecological consequences (February 23rd to May 7th, 2023)
- Oasis: Karina Mendreczky and Katalin Kortmann Járay’s array of interconnected sculptures, photos, drawings, printed fabrics and other forms of artistic expression (February 23rd to May 7th, 2023)
Belvedere 21
- Alois Mosbacher: immersive exhibition by this Austrian visual artist (March 10th to September 10th, 2023)
- Constanze Ruhm: exhibition of feminist art from (or selected by) this Austrian contemporary video artist (March 16th to August 27th, 2023)
- On the New: multiple artists, curators, and projects present a wide-ranging selection of contemporary Austrian art
- Part I: April 7th, 2023 to July 2nd, 2024
- Part II: July 13th, 2023 to October 15th, 2024
- Part III: October 25th, 2023 to January 14th, 2024
- Public Matters: contemporary sculptures from various artists in the garden area (May 13th to October 1st, 2023)
- Belvedere Art Award: solo exhibition for the winner of this new art prize (September 8th, 2023 to February 18th, 2024)
- Renate Bertlmann: major retrospective for this national great and major figure in the Austrian (feminist) avant-garde (September 29th, 2023 to March 3rd, 2024)
- Walter Pichler < > Friedrich Kiesler: a dialogue between these two artists (June 28th to October 6th, 2024)
Dom Museum
- The Meal: a reflection in historical and contemporary art of the role of meals in communities and cultures (September 29th, 2022 to August 27th, 2023)
Sigmund Freud Museum
- SURREAL! Imagining New Realities: explores the interactions and relationships between surrealism and psychoanalysis with numerous works on display from the Klewan collection and elsewhere (May 5th, 2022 to April 10th, 2023)
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
- Werkstätte Hagenauer: objects from the 90-year history of this Viennese art metal workshop established in 1898 (November 16th, 2022 to September 3rd, 2023)
- The Fest: a German word for celebration or party and the exhibition explores the creative impulses and output driven by these ephemeral events…from rococo masked balls to modern-day raves (December 14th, 2022 to May 7th, 2023)
- Folds: special exhibition of the MAK Asia collection looking at the role of “Falten” (English: folds, creases, wrinkles) in a variety of contexts and design forms (February 1st to May 21st, 2023)
- /imagine: various aspects of architecture and urban planning in the context of virtual spaces (May 10th to September 10th, 2023)
- woom bikes: showcases the innovative products of this award-winning manufacturer of bicycles for children (May 24th to August 6th, 2023)
- Glitz and Glamor: celebrates the bicentenary of J. & L. Lobmeyr (the renowned glass manufacturer) with a suitable exhibition of its designs (June 7th to September 24th, 2023)
- The 1873 World Fair in Vienna: explores the event through the lens of the prevailing orientalism of the time, particularly as it pertained to Japan and Egypt (June 28th to October 22nd, 2023)
- Critical Consumption: a critical perspective on fashion consumerism as reflected in textiles through the ages (August 30th, 2023 to September 8th, 2024)
- Berta and Bernard Rudofsky Collection: textiles related to the former’s clothes and the latter’s life and work as designer, exhibition curator, architect, etc. (August 30th to November 12th, 2023)
- 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)
- Fabric of Community: an exploration of textiles and ceramics in contemporary art from a range of viewpoints (December 13th, 2023 to April 28th, 2024)
National Library
- Of Gardens and People: looks at design and landscaping in gardens and parks across the centuries (March 30th to November 5th, 2023)
Vienna Furniture Museum
- Finer Dining: the story of Amboss cutlery against the general background of the development of Austria’s food and living culture across the 50s and 60s (September 28th, 2022 to April 16th, 2023)
- German Design 1949–1989: a comparison of post-WWII design in West and East Germany, exploring the differences, similarities and interactions (from September 13th, 2023)
Architekturzentrum Wien
- Yasmeen Lari: the work and architectural evolution of Pakistan’s star architect (March 9th to August 16th, 2023)
- Hollein Calling: looks at the work and influence of this great Austrian architect from contemporary perspective (September 21st, 2023 to February 12th, 2024)
Wien Museum MUSA
- Studio Bauhaus, Vienna: covers the living spaces and furniture designed by two followers of the Bauhaus approach between the two world wars – Friedl Dicker and Franz Singer (November 24th, 2022 to March 26th, 2023)
Wien Museum
- Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach: on the Karlskirche and other Viennese buildings by this Baroque architect (February 1st to April 28th, 2024)
Theatermuseum
- Costume exhibition: costume design drawings by Monika von Zallinger (May 5th to November 6th, 2023)
Ringturm
- Next exhibition TBA
Photography
(The Kunsthaus 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.
Kunst Haus Wien
- Mining photography: traces the source, application, and disposal of materials used in photography over time in the context of environmental impacts. Includes many pieces of contemporary art (March 9th to May 29th, 2023)
Albertina
- Valie Export: although perhaps best-known for her performance art and wide use of diverse media, this exhibition focuses on the Austrian artist’s photography (June 23rd to October 1st, 2023)
- Joel Sternfeld: works from his American Prospects series (September 28th, 2023 to January 21st, 2024)
Albertina Modern
- Pictoralism: progressive photographic art from the late 19th and early 20th century in Austria (February 3rd to April 23rd, 2023)
Westlicht
- Hermann Nitsch: the photographic work of the artist perhaps best known for his performance art (March 2nd to May 14th, 2023)
National Library
- Yoichi Okamoto: the work of the photographer, notably his documentation of the rebuilding of Vienna and Austria after WWII (from November 24th, 2023)
Other major exhibitions
History, culture & current affairs
(The Jewish 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.
Jewish Museum
- 100 Misunderstandings about and among Jews: explores the misconceptions that lead to, for example, Jewish stereotypes (November 30th, 2022 to June 4th, 2023)
- Happy Birthday Israel!: a participatory installation (February 22nd to July 2nd, 2023))
- Schuld (my translation: Guilt): how we deal with (or fail to deal with) guilt, whether taken upon yourself or “inherited” (March 28th to October 29th, 2023)
- COLORS: tackling the role of skin colour in perceptions of Jews within the context of identity, racism and antisemitism (June 22nd, 2023 to January 21st, 2024)
- Superjews: 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 21st, 2024)
- Frieden (my translation: peace): a small exhibition on a topic that remains particularly relevant given the recent European experience (November 7th, 2023 to May 4th, 2024)
Literature Museum
- Ingeborg Bachmann: a homage to the acclaimed Austrian writer featuring, for example, items from her estate, letters, photos, recordings, drafts, and more (November 17th, 2022 to November 5th, 2023)
Technisches Museum
- Women at Work: special exhibition on the women’s pavilion at the 1873 World Fair in Vienna, focusing on the reality of life and work for women of the time (May 3rd to July 2nd, 2023)
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 January 7th, 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)
Papyrus Museum
- Crescent Moon over the Nile: tracing the spread of Arab influence in byzantine Egypt through the evidence presented on papyrus (June 3rd, 2022 to May 7th, 2023)
- A present from the Nile: showcases documents illustrating the importance and role of water resources in ancient Egypt (from June 15th, 2023)
Theatermuseum
- Showbiz made in Vienna: explores the film and theatre dynasty that was the Marischka family (October 18th, 2023 to September 9th, 2024)
House of Austrian History
- End of Testimony?: looks at the relationship between Holocaust survivors and those who interview them (January 27th to September 3rd, 2023)
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.
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 (from January 27th, 2023)
Technical Museum
- BioInspiration: how disciplines like architecture, medicine, transport and material science have drawn inspiration from nature and natural systems (from October 26th, 2022 to September 3rd, 2023)
- Energiewende: examines the race against time, the challenges, and the possible solutions as we convert to climate-neutral forms of energy production (from summer, 2023)
- SmartWorld (working title): the use, importance, and consequences of smart technologies in daily life (from autumn 2023)
Natural History Museum
- Brazil: the natural history of the country set within the context of important issues and two centuries of relations with Austria (June 8th, 2022 to September 3rd, 2023)
- 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 (from November 8th, 2023)
Theatermuseum
- Austropop: Austrian pop phenomena in the widest sense of the expression (from Mozart to the modern) and viewed from different perspectives (October 12th, 2022 to September 4th, 2023)