A stark basalt building stands almost alien-like in the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna. Inside…an ever-changing display of contemporary and modern art. Say hi to the mumok.
- Prestigious international art collection
- Series of temporary exhibitions
- Wide range of eras, media and art movements
- What special exhibitions are on?
- Book mumok tickets* online
- See also:
- The Museumsquartier complex
- Contemporary art in Vienna
- Exhibitions in Vienna
A museum of modern art
(The MuseumsQuartier courtyard with the MUMOK museum on the right; press photo © Hertha Hurnaus)
A rather unusual building has eased itself into the list of Viennese architectural highlights.
The Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien (mumok) lives in a dark, almost windowless, block of basalt that has echoes of a striking military-industrial bunker.
Inside the mumok, though, it’s all airy and light, with tall, open galleries and spaced out displays (the staff, mind you, dress in black).
The museum possesses its own extensive collection consisting of thousands of works of contemporary and modern art. Its exhibitions reflect that provenance along with a welcome diversity of media: expect to find paintings, textiles, sculptures, films, installations and all things in between.
Aside from one or two installations and wall art, the mumok has no permanent display within. Instead, what you see at any one time depends on the current special exhibitions (see below), though these can last well over a year.
So you might find a solo exhibition for Andy Warhol or some other artist. Or perhaps a themed exhibition around collection highlights. Or an exhibition focused on a movement or era. There’s always something intriguing to see…
Tickets, exhibitions & tips
Any valid entrance ticket from (or for) the mumok includes the exhibitions within.
(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
Special exhibitions
At the time of writing, the main exhibitions are:
- Mapping the 60s (until May 10th, 2026): a hybrid art and cultural history exhibition focused around seminal events, publications, movements and exhibitions in the 1960s that continue to echo down the path of time
- Arise Alive (until May 4th, 2025): comprehensive exhibition featuring the US-born artist Liliane Lijn, notable for her pioneering incorporation of technology and materials in her art (as in, for example, her kinetic works)
- Contact M (until September 7th, 2025): solo exhibition for the US artist Park McArthur featuring art from the current and previous decade
- Never Final! The Evolving Museum (until April 12th, 2026): a review and retrospective of the museum in the years 1979-1989, with a focus on the development of the collection and the evolution of the institution
Next up:
- The World of Tomorrow Will Have Been Another Present (May 23rd, 2025 to April 6th, 2026): a dialogue between large contemporary installations and classical modernist works
A couple of useful tips:
- Explore all the floors carefully; sometimes they put exhibitions across more than one level and behind unassuming open entrances
- The foyer offers access to a small café and the mumok shop (which has notable design treats, such as a better class of bottle opener). You can use both without a museum ticket
- A rare window on the 4th floor offers lovely views across to the Hofburg, the Naturhistorisches and Kunsthistorisches museums, and even Stephansdom cathedral in the distance (though the window may have a transparent screen in front of it, presumably for light management reasons)
- Pop across the courtyard to the Leopold Museum for even more views. Outside of winter, a lift around the back of that building takes you up to the roof and the MQ Libelle viewing platform.
- Another location with a strong focus on contemporary art exhibitions is the Kunsthalle (which has a site next door to the mumok)
How to get to the mumok
See the directions and travel tips for the Museumsquartier. The mumok is impossible to miss. Just look for the imposing grey building to the right of the main courtyard as you enter the MQ through the main entrance.
Address: Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna | Website