Hot on the heels of the Albertina Modern comes another new museum for modern and contemporary art in Vienna: the Heidi Horten Collection.
- Presents works from a major private collection
- A series of temporary exhibitions
- ..so check if something is on before visiting
- Expect names like Warhol, Basquiat, Schiele, and more
- Current/next exhibition:
- RENDEZ-VOUS (May 6 to Oct 29, 2023)
- Book tickets to the collection* online
- See also:
Historical site, modern art
(The collection adds to the contemporary art palette at Vienna’s centre)
The Hanuschhof in Vienna’s first district looks back on a long history that began as a graveyard for the local Roman settlement.
Fast forward a few centuries and Caesar gives way to Chagall thanks to the presence of the Heidi Horten Collection: a museum and showcase for a prestigious private collection of modern and contemporary art.
Opened in 2022, the museum occupies a former archducal chancellory which has been completely redesigned to create a modern museal environment.
What’s on offer?
The institution owes its existence to the efforts of Heidi Goëss-Horten (1941-2022) as initiator and founder: the location is Palais Goëss-Horten and the art inside drawn from a collection she put together over the decades.
A large atrium forms most of the ground floor, with two further levels (and several smaller rooms) above.
These provide space for a series of exhibitions that offer public access to a collection of art that stretches from around 1900 through to today.
Names like Chagall, Basquiat, Warhol, Schiele, Hirst, Bacon and Picasso colour the collection, which also includes the kind of contemporary names you see with solo exhibitions at places like the Albertina or Belvedere.
It may sound strange to say, but the focus really seems primarily on experiencing the works. No café or shop (the “tearoom” is actually a separate seating area simply designed for contemplation. No tea in sight).
Main Exhibitions
- RENDEZ-VOUS (May 6th to October 29th, 2023) showcases works from the numerous French artists within the collection, giving special attention to Picasso, Marc Chagall, and Yves Klein
- WOW2 (November 24th, 2023 to June 2nd, 2024) presents collection masterpieces and also gives visitors the chance to determine the contents of a permanent exhibition
- Focus on Gustav Klimt (November 24th, 2023 to June 2nd, 2024) begins a special exhibition series. In this first iteration, Klimt’s Church in Unterach on Lake Attersee takes centre stage
The opening exhibition (OPEN) featured just over 30 works as a kind of taster of the collection’s scope; the first item that greeted you after the ticket counter was one of the collaborations between Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol!
The light airy galleries made the works particularly accessible on my visit to OPEN. I also valued the bonuses:
- Videos where selected artists discussed the creation of their works
- A room describing the history of the location; this included a huge aerial representation of the surrounding area as it was in about 1800 (fascinating!)
- A free English-language booklet with short details of the works, removing the need for much wall text and again focusing the viewing experience on the pieces of art
Tickets & visitor tips
A ticket for or from from the museum gets you into the building and exhibition.
The Heidi Horten Collection operates a time slot system, but the need to book in advance will depend on how popular the museum or current exhibition is. Time will tell.
This area offers various other ways to experience humanity’s artistic creativity, too.
The gorgeous Albertina art museum is a near neighbour, as is the Staatsoper opera house. And a look down Goethegasse reveals a languid Goethe, frozen in bronze contemplation of his next literary masterpiece.
For something a little more down-to-earth, try the famous Bitzinger sausage stand outside the Hanuschgasse entranceway. Or grab a coffee at Café Mozart opposite. (Mozart himself stands in the adjoining Burggarten park.)
And for more contemporary art of the kind experienced in the Heidi Horten Collection, try these exhibition listings or these locations.
How to get there
The museum has two access points from the streets. One on Hanuschgasse and one on Goethegasse. These lead you into a quiet courtyard and (small) sculpture garden, with a very obvious museum entrance.
Subway: take the U1, U2 or U4 to Karlsplatz station and use an exit marked for the Oper (opera).
Tram: the lines 1, 2, D and 71 stop at Burgring (opposite Goethegasse) or you can also walk up from the Oper/Karlsplatz stop.
Address: Hanuschgasse 3, 1010 Vienna | Website