Kunstforum Vienna closes in August: Culture scene hits bankruptcy!

Kunstforum Vienna closes in August: Culture scene hits bankruptcy!

The Bank Austria Kunstforum Vienna, a central player in the Austrian art scene since its foundation in 1980, will close at the end of August due to the bankruptcy of the real estate company Signa. As early as December 2024 there was initial indications of a threatening closure; This caused resistance in the cultural scene. Dozens of artists, including greats such as Erwin Wurm and Valie Export, demonstrated against this decision, which is now reality, as Deutschlandfunk Kultur reports.

The background of the closure

The head of the art forum, Ingried Brugger, commented critically about the media about Bank Austria, which has acted as the main sponsor since 2002. She emphasized that a further operation under the changed framework conditions is no longer possible and that it is faced with high oxygen, which could drive the association into bankruptcy. At the same time, Brugger rejected allegations that the art forum was already in financial difficulties. Her criticism was also directed against the CEO Ivan Vlaho, to whom she accused a lack of commitment to the art forum. According to Brugger, the rumored investment of eight million euros for structural measures was "fake", while Bank Austria speaks of a necessary expansion of cultural sponsorships.

The way to closure

The art forum, which is operated with around 50 employees: inside and additional freelancers, has not only established itself as a presentation for contemporary art, but also ensured well -known exhibitions in an international context. In 2020, the work of the American pop art artist James Francis Gill was very well received under the title "Reflections". The exhibition thematized “Women in Cars” and showed over 40 works that reflected the zeitgeist and came with a tasty coloring that is typical of Gill's style, as in a report by Premium Modern Art can be read.

Despite the commitment of artists and supporters-including ex-Federal President Heinz Fischer, who is strong for a longer transition period-the backing does not seem to be enough to avert the closure. The rental agreement for the exhibition rooms expires at the end of the year, and negotiations on necessary structural investments are pending. According to Bank Austria, millions of millions are required to implement the necessary improvements, which also complicated the situation.

A farewell to meaning

The abrupt closure is now opposed to an important exhibition. A planned large show as a performance artist Marina Abramović, which was planned for October 2023, will be presented in the Albertina Modern instead. The future of the art forum remains uncertain, and the impending closure is not only perceived as an economic loss, but also as a cultural disorder in the city of Vienna.

The next few months will indicate whether there will be a way out of this processed situation or whether the curtain for one of the most famous exhibition locations will finally fall.