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Visiting Vienna

The MUMOK museum

MQ sign

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.

A museum of modern art

MUMOK museum on the right © Hertha Hurnaus

(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, dressed in black on my visit).

The museum possesses its own extensive collection consisting of thousands of works of contemporary and modern art.

What you see at any one time largely depends on the current temporary exhibitions (see below), since these make up the vast majority of the MUMOK’s displays.

You might catch works by Warhol, Picasso, or Lichtenstein. Or you might not. Though there’s always something interesting to see, whatever the exhibition focus.

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Notable special exhibitions

At the time of writing, main temporary exhibitions are:

  • On Stage. All the Art World’s a Stage: art as expressed in theatrical environments (until January 7th, 2024)

Solo exhibitions for:

  • Adam Pendleton. Blackness, White, and Light (until January 7th, 2024)
  • Elisabeth Wild (until January 7th, 2024)
  • Benoît Piéron (until January 7th, 2024)

Expect to find various media within the MUMOK: paintings, textiles, video and light installations, sculptures, and all things in between.

Tickets & visitor tips

Any valid entrance ticket from (or for) the MUMOK includes the exhibitions within. Note that the museum closes for renovation in early January 2024 with a planned reopening in early June 2024.

(Booking service provided by Tiqets.com*, who I am an affiliate of)

A couple of useful tips:

  • All labels and display information were in both English and German on my visit, and the major exhibitions all had English-language brochures you could pick up for free
  • The foyer offers access to a small café, which you can use before you enter the museum itself
  • Books fill the MUMOK shop, as do various design treats, such as a better class of fridge magnet or bottle opener
  • A rare window on the 4th floor offers lovely views across to the Hofburg, the Natural History and Art History museums, and even Stephansdom cathedral in the distance
  • Pop across the courtyard to the Leopold Museum for even more views: a lift around the back of that building takes you up to the roof and the MQ Libelle viewing platform.
  • Explore all the floors…sometimes exhibitions are split between levels
  • 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

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