Andy Warhol. Two words that need no trite introduction from me. Three concurrent exhibitions at the MUMOK draw inspiration from his work, showcase his creativity, and allow a more nuanced understanding of his art and its place in history.
- Features many works by Warhol from across his oeuvre
- Also works by contemporaries like Roy Lichtenstein and Larry Poons
- And also works unrelated to pop art, but chosen and displayed in recognition of his curatorial and presentation principles
- Runs: see below for the individual exhibitions
- See also:
Three-in-one Warhol
(Andy Warhol, Michelle Loud; Mick Jagger, ca. 1978, 1986; Gelatin silver prints sewn with thread; overall: 54.3 × 70.2 cm, framed: 68.6 × 88.9 cm; © The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; © Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. 1998.1.2680 / Licensed by Bildrecht Wien, 2020)
I confess I cannot hear the name Andy Warhol without triggering the Bowie song in my mind. But that merely speaks to the enormous cultural impact of the man. And here we are, in Vienna, Austria, over 30 years after his untimely death, and that same name sets cultural hearts fluttering at the prospect of a Warhol-themed exhibition.
For a few months in 2020 and 2021, the MUMOK museum turns itself over to Warhol with three concurrent exhibitions that pay tribute to his work and creativity.
Misfitting Together
The Misfitting Together exhibition examines differing notions of series in pop, minimal, and conceptual art, particularly in the context of the two approaches identified by Mel Bochner in a 1967 edition of Artforum. As Bochner stated at the beginning of his article:
SERIAL ORDER IS A METHOD, not a style
Curators, Marianne Dobner and Naoko Kaltschmidt, put together works by Warhol and his contemporaries that explore and illustrate both the series concept and Warhol’s true position in his field (now we have the benefit of time and hindsight).
Dates: July 1st 2020 to April 25th, 2021
Defrosting the Icebox
This second exhibition draws its inspiration from the Warhol-curated RAID THE ICEBOX 1 travelling exhibition from 1969/1970.
As then, the MUMOK exhibition does not feature Warhol’s own art per se. Instead, curator Marianne Dobner seeks to emulate his curatorial approaches in terms of an “unconventional” choice of works and a presentation format that challenges typical exhibition design hierarchies and principles.
Defrosting the Icebox includes exhibits from Vienna’s Weltmuseum (Museum of Ethnology) and the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s Greek and Roman antiquities collection.
Dates: September 25th, 2020 to May 30th, 2021
ANDY WARHOL EXHIBITS a glittering alternative
The final concurrent exhibition addresses a third aspect of the Warhol legacy by showcasing rarer works and presentation styles that allow a more nuanced understanding of Warhol’s public and private personas, as well as a broader view of his art.
Also curated by Marianne Dobner, the eclectic mix of exhibits ranges from rarer works of the early 1950s (such as marbleised paper sculptures – presented for the first time ever) to the final decade of his life.
Dates: September 25th, 2020 to May 30th, 2021
Once the exhibitions are up and running, I shall try and pop in and report my impressions. But it all looks likely to add up to a wonderful Warholian experience.
Dates, tickets & tips
See above for the dates applicable to each exhibition. A single ticket to the MUMOK normally gives you access to all the exhibitions inside. Alternatively, flash your Vienna Pass (review) for one-time free entry.
How to get to the Warhol exhibitions
First, find your way to the MuseumsQuartier complex. The MUMOK lives inside, on the northern side of the main courtyard. You can’t miss it with its imposing basalt grey bastion-like architecture.
After visiting the MUMOK, you might pop across that courtyard to the Leopold Museum, where a lovely Hundertwasser – Schiele exhibition might well still be running.
If you’ve missed out on Warhol, then Vienna has plenty of modern and contemporary art to see at any one time. Try these suggestions.
Address: Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna