We’re blessed with art museums in Vienna, most of them based in buildings of historical and/or architectural significance. And we recently got a new one when the Albertina Modern opened in the 19th-century Künstlerhaus.
- Modern and contemporary art
- No permanent display
- What special exhibitions are on?
- Book Albertina Modern tickets* online
- See also:
- Contemporary art in Vienna
- Selected past exhibitions at the Albertina Modern
Modern and contemporary
(The entrance to the Künstlerhaus building home)
The Albertina museum in the very centre of Vienna is not short of a picture or two (they have over a million items in their collection).
In recent years, the Albertina expanded its body of modern and contemporary art quite significantly, most notably through the gift of a large portion of the Essl collection and acquisition of the Jablonka collection.
Ah, but where to show it all?
The answer is the Albertina’s second home in the country.
Well, not exactly in the country, unless you’re thinking of Vienna as it looked in the early 19th century: the Albertina Modern occupies part of the Künstlerhaus building just at the edge of Vienna’s old town.
The new site gives the institution a dedicated space for exhibitions of modern era art, drawing on some 65,000 works from around 5,000 artists, as well as (of course) loans from other international institutions.
The in-house collection alone includes the creative output of such renowned Austrians as Arnulf Rainer or Maria Lassnig, but also art by leading international artists, including Anselm Kiefer, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Cindy Sherman, and many more.
So expect some pretty spectacular exhibitions.
(The Albertina does have an actual “home in the country”: the Albertina Klosterneuburg opens seasonally with exhibitions of post-1945 highlights from the archives.)
(The grand staircase; press photo © Robert Bodnar)
The Albertina Modern owes its existence in part to the support of one of Austria’s sponsors of the arts, Hans Peter Haselsteiner, who largely paid for the much-needed refurbishment and modernisation of the venerable and historic Künstlerhaus.
The Künstlerhaus
The building housing the museum is no stranger to art. The Künstlerhaus went up in 1865-1868 as a dedicated exhibition venue and home for the Association of Austrian Artists (the very group that Gustav Klimt left to co-found the Wiener Secession).
Four statues from the early 20th century grace the main entrance in tribute to the building’s scope and purpose: Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Bramante, and Velasquez (I think).
The Künstlerhaus group continues today and uses an upper floor in the refurbished building for its own activities and exhibitions, so look out for those on your visit.
Another prominent occupant of the premises shows art of the silver screen kind. The Stadtkino cinema also serves as one of the usual venues for the Viennale film festival.
Tickets, exhibitions & tips
The Albertina Modern has no permanent exhibition as such, but shows a series of temporary special exhibitions included in any entrance ticket from or for the museum.
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
Special exhibitions
The current schedule at the time of writing:
- Remix (until September 7th, 2025): a selective journey through the prestigious Viehof Collection of contemporary avant-garde art, which includes such names as Gerhard Richter and Katharina Grosse (both had recent solo exhibitions in Vienna)
- Damien Hirst (until October 12th, 2025): an exhibition of drawings by the artist, giving insights into his working practices and creativity
Next up:
- Marina Abramović (October 10th, 2025 to March 1st, 2026): the legendary artist who essentially gave us modern performance art gets a major retrospective with reenactments
Some tips…
Even if you stick to the Albertina Modern on the lower floor(s), consider climbing the stairs to get a closer look at the ceiling of the beautiful atrium.
If you’re at the Albertina Modern, you might want to cross the road and take a peek at Otto Wagner’s marvelous Pavilion station buildings, too.
And the museum’s immediate neighbour to the east is the famous Musikverein venue, featuring world-leading art of the kind produced on strings and piano keys.
Should you fancy seeing what the Künstlerhaus building looks like from above, then nip across the road to the Karlskirche church or Wien Museum: panorama terraces look out across to the new home of the Albertina’s modern and contemporary art (though tree foliage can block the view).
How to get to the Albertina Modern
The Künstlerhaus adjoins Karlsplatz square, which happens to be home to just about the best-connected transport hub in the city.
Subway: Take the U1, U2 or U4 subway lines to Karlsplatz station
Tram/bus: Take the trams 1, 2, D, 71, or 62 to Karlsplatz or Oper/Karlsplatz, as relevant
Address: Karlsplatz 5, 1010 Vienna | Website