Galleries – Moe Vienna

Few places in the world can rival the affluence of Vienna when it comes to artistic culture and heritage. For more than a century, Vienna has produced and drawn towards itself great artists who have been stimulated by the atmosphere of the city – liberal and creative – and have produced magnificent art works, be it in the field of paintings, architecture, sculpture or other disciplines.

A visitor to Vienna is bound to be dazzled by the beauty and magnificence that the city has acquired due to these qualities. You will see the most spectacular buildings exploring new vistas of architecture around the city.

Many of these buildings have become art centers, museums and galleries. They host shows and collections of art works ranging from those produced for the Habsburg royal family to ones taken from faraway countries. If you are a visitor to Vienna and want to visit the best places for checking out the artistic treasure that the city has, you will be spoilt for choice.

In fact, you would have a very hard time deciding which place to visit due to the sheer high number of museums and galleries. Even a week may seem too little a time to explore all the artistic treasure troves in the city. To help you out, here we provide you a list of the best art galleries that Vienna has to offer. For those who don’t have much time, it is important to pick these locations for visiting before you complete your trip.

MUMOK

The appearance of the building itself is a delight. It looks like a giant monolith in the color of concrete. The unique architecture of this building is only the start of your experience. When you go inside, you will come across works from the 20^th and 21^st century including those made by Picasso and Warhol.

This is where you can admire the greatness of abstract art and see the works of masters in this field. Today, it contains more than 9000 works of art from genres such as classical modernism and Viennese Actionism. You will also see works reflecting the socio-political history of the country.

Kunst Haus – Hundertwasser Museum

Kunst Haus, or, Art House is dedicated to the memory and works of Friedensreich Hunderstwasser. You will find paintings, designs, graphics and other types of art works of this multi-talented artist here.

The design and the architecture of the whole building is itself inspired by the architectural philosophy of Hunderstwasser and carries the imprint of his style and aesthetic sensibilities. The façade of the building itself is unique and alluring. It is not just another building but one that oozes art even from its exterior.

The works displayed here and the exhibitions organised are not restricted to the creations of the man after whom the museum is named but also other artists.

Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary

This gallery is devoted to modern art exclusively. So, you will see works by upcoming talented artists as well as those by the established names. The platform it provides to young artists results in this place witnessing latest innovations in the field of art. This may not be the most popular place but if you want to witness the new frontiers of art and the latest experiments in it, then this is the place to head to.

WestLicht

This is one of the largest galleries in Vienna but one dedicated to the art of photography. You will find many great exhibitions here that celebrate this art and display works from as early as 19^th century. It’s location in a former glass factory lends greater uniqueness to it.

Galerie Martin Janda

Martin Janda established this gallery in 1992 and it is dedicated to the latest types of art works. It holds many exhibitions every year where leading artists of the world show their creations.

The Imperial Furniture Collection

This unique gallery displays the royal furniture used by the Habsburg royal family in the past. This is the largest collection of its kind and houses more than 165,000 items from a period extending over three centuries. You will come across various furnishing styles from Biedermeier to Viennese Modern.

This place will let you see the affluence in which the Habsburg Monarchy lived with items ranging from their thrones to commodes.

An art lover could spend days in Vienna going to the different museums and art galleries without visiting the same place twice. This city is dotted with the most magnificent buildings displaying architecture of the finest and most creative quality. Many of these buildings also house collections of items which range from specimens of high art to exotic remnants of ancient history.

However, such is the artistic fervor of Vienna that even if you ignore the major art institutions of the city, there are plenty of art galleries that would make a connoisseur of art go tipsy. Many of these art galleries are small, even tiny compared to the grand museums which are aplenty in Vienna. But their value is far more than their physical size. Let’s look at some of the best lesser known and less celebrated art galleries in Vienna.

Urban Space Gallery

The idea behind this gallery was to bridge the gap that existed between the artistic establishment of Vienna and the vibrant under culture of art in the city. This place is a dedicated platform for young artists who are exploring new themes of not just contemporary art but also urban art.

Bäckerstrasse4

This is another great place for young artists to showcase their talents and their innovative works. This place holds four exhibitions every year showcasing works of upcoming Austrian artists along with those from students of arts institutions in other parts of the world.

The decision as to whose work would be displayed is taken by a jury. The exhibits are not limited to just paintings but also includes installation art, sculpture and even video art.

Gerald Hartinger Fine Arts Gallery

At this contemporary art gallery in the First District of Vienna, the American pop art movement is given a platform. You’ll see works from legendary artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

Rabbit Eye Movement

Lovers of urban art shouldn’t miss out on an opportunity to visit Rabbit Eye Movement gallery. They will find all types of urban are here – street art, pop art, urban illustration, etc. This gallery contains works by artists of Austria as well as around the world.

Nychos, the most famous street artist of Vienna, displays his work here. This gallery has become the meeting point for the most active artists practicing urban art in the city. It is fast becoming an important institution in itself.

Improper Walls

This is the hub for indie art in Vienna. This is where the leading exponents of urban art from Austria and other parts of the world have their works shown to a diverse crowd consisting of both art lovers and newbies.

Arcc.art Open Space

This place is exploring the boundaries of art experience by acting as both an art gallery and an online art platform. They have kept things simple in this place but have joined forces with Artivive, an app providing augmented reality experience for art lovers. Through this app, people can take a tour of the place in virtual reality. This promotes the work of those young artists who display their works here.