Surprising discoveries and new approaches to established positions in contemporary art await you at Austria’s renowned art fair viennacontemporary this autumn. Discover the contemporary art scene of Central and Eastern Europe, experience Vienna’s lively gallery
scene, and enjoy special highlights of numerous cooperating museums and cultural institutions. viennacontemporary offers the perfect opportunity to take a press trip to Vienna!
Expert Johanna Chromik, who took over the fair’s artistic direction at the beginning of the year, encourages visitors to regard viennacontemporary as a place of collecting and exchanging, of contact and experience: „Vienna is the stage of the fair, its protagonists – the gallery owners of all generations, the museums with their treasures and the art experts – are its heart.”
New formats, special shows, and talks
In the special shows of ZONE1, the art historian, curator, and author Fiona Liewehr will present positions of young artists who, through their education, work, or origin, have a local connection to Austria. Participants include: Thomas Geiger I SPERLING, Eva Kotatkova I hunt kastner, Luiza Margan I Structura Gallery, Markus Proschek I SVIT, Stefan Reiterer I Galerie CRONE, Titania Seidl I Raum mit Licht, Marina Sula I Gabriele Senn Galerie, Sophie Thun I Sophie Tappeiner, Julian Turner I Filiale, Marcin Zarzeka I Galeria Dawid Radziszewski Harald Krejci, art historian and chief curator of the Belvedere Museum, has been selected to curate a new format titled Explorations. Showcasing selected works created between 1945 and 1980, Krejci addresses our present and retrospective view of artistic approaches to the „states of the world”.
The exhibition focuses on artists who responded to massive political and social changes following World War II and, borrowing from psychology, science, and linguistics, tried not only to depict but rather to “feel” their inner states. Renger van den Heuvel, Managing Director of viennacontemporary, emphasizes the international position of the fair with CEE focus: „Within the art fair market, which is dominated by global brands, “viennacontemporary has succeeded in establishing itself as the region’s leading art fair through its distinct content and a keen focus on quality. Close cooperation with Viennese galleries and local art and cultural institutions is just as important as international artists, curators, gallery owners, and buyers.” This year’s Focus section will revolve around the question: „What is the understanding of a state not rooted in territory but in time?” Based on the phenomenon „NSK State in Time”, curator Tevž Logar questions the
notion that art is represented in the realm of a nation state. Created as a conceptual art project in 1992 by the groups comprising the “Neue Slowenische Kunst“ movement (NSK) in response to the political upheavals in Yugoslavia, the “NSK State in Time” without any territory is now the virtual home of over 15,000 citizens worldwide. The state provides citizens with rights of participation that encourage open-ended actions, such as the formulation of their own constitution,
currency, educational system, or popular culture.
In the era of reassertion of fascism and xenophobia, the question of post-nationalism, as posed by the NSK State in Time, is as relevant today as it was when it was founded. The current Focus presentation can be seen on the one hand as one of the NSK’s open-ended actions directly addressing the mechanisms of the contemporary art system. On the other hand, the presentation revolves around a selection of artists who, through their work, reject the idea of boundaries and thus stimulate critical thinking on topics such as memory, history, and existing geopolitical paradigms. This year’s Focus presentation is kindly supported by The Igor Zabel Association for Culture and Theory and ERSTE Foundation.
“We are happy to support viennacontemporary 2019 in the framework of our cultural engagement in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. As the leading banking group in the CEE region, it is our responsibility to support civil society and cultural development in the region. viennacontemporary with its outreach into unknown traditions and surprising practices of contemporary art in CEE is a fitting platform for these aspirations. For the creative people at George Labs of Erste Group, viennacontemporary is not only a way for representation but also a source of inspiration. A vivid and free art community is indispensable for modern democracies”, comments Boris Marte, Head of Erste Innovation HUB.
Next? is a series of conversations and discussions that take our current art world as their starting point and look into the future of art with critical skepticism and hope. What will producers and audiences expect from
contemporary art in the foreseeable future? What kind of artworks could we create or view? Do we need mega exhibitions? Can the art world achieve equality in all areas –and if so, how?
As part of the fair’s daily program, critic and journalist Kimberly Bradley brings together artists, international collectors,
museum directors, gallery owners, art critics, and curators to speculate on the potentialities of art – in Vienna and beyond. The talks will take place from Friday – Sunday, September 27 – 29 at 15:30 and 17:00 respectively.
Media Talks
For the fourth time in a row, viennacontemporary invites renowned media partners to share their perspective on the contemporary art world. The Media Talks will take place from Friday to Sunday, 27-29 September at 12:30 pm.
Partner events in the city
It‘s the autumn of art in Vienna – with viennacontemporary, Vienna is again positioned at the centre of the contemporary art scene. Due to the density of art and cultural institutions, the lively gallery and artist scene, and, not least, animated by numerous partner and satellite events, Austria’s capital is the ideal place for
inspiration and comprehensive art experiences. viennacontemporary is looking forward to the following
partner events:
viennacontemporary x Artsy Galleries Breakfast
Within the scope of curated by_2019 and viennacontemporary, supported by Artsy, Viennese galleries will host special morning viewings for viennacontemporary audiences. Special exhibitions conceived by international curators will be accompanied by breakfast receptions on Friday, 28 September from 10:00 am–12:00 pm.
MQ x viennacontemporary
Following the successful start of their cooperation last year, MuseumsQuartier Vienna continues its partnership with viennacontemporary in 2019, again represented at the fair with its own MQ Lounge. Additionally, on Saturday September 28th, scheduled activities as part of the exhibit ‘Japan Unlimited’, curated by Marcello Farabegoli, will take place at the frei_raum Q21 exhibition space. Also, once again the Q21 viennacontemporary Artist-in-Residence Prize in partnership with EIKON -International Magazine for Photography and Media Art will be awarded. The prize allows an artist to work
and live for two months in a studio at the MuseumsQuartier complex. The artist, selected by a jury, also receives a €2100 bursary. The work produced by the artist over the residency period will be presented the following year at the Viennese international art fair, viennacontemporary. The winning artist will also be
featured by EIKON magazine and given the opportunity to mount a solo show in the ‘EIKON Schaufenster’ in the Q21 showroom at MuseumsQuartier. The Q21 viennacontemporary Artist-in-Residence Prize for 2019 is awarded in the field of artistic photography and media art. Artists working in the medium of photography or in new media are invited to apply. On the jury panel are Elisabeth Hajek (Artistic Director, Q21 frei_raum exhibition space and Director of the Q21 Artist-in-Residence Programme), Nela Eggenberger (Chief Editor, EIKON), and Marcello
Farabegoli (freelance curator), and Johanna Chromik (Artistic Director viennacontemporary).
curated by_2019: Circulation
Since its foundation more than ten years ago, the curated by_ gallery festival has evolved into a central, vital contemporary art event that – supported by selected galleries based in Vienna – has become an international calling card for the city. The main theme set each year, the international outlook of the festival reflected by the choice of curators, the unusual format as a festival, and the collaboration of galleries make curated by_ a unique contemporary art project of international reach.
Festival dates: 13 September–12 October 2019
VIENNA DESIGN WEEK
VIENNA DESIGN WEEK is Austria’s largest curated design festival and has been taking place in Vienna since 2007. For ten days each Autumn, VIENNA DESIGN WEEK proves that Vienna is a „City Full of Design”. Overlooked corners of the city turn into stages for design – critical and playful approaches, entrylevel
communication and professional discourse explore new perspectives on the objects that surround us. and manufacturing processes are often revealed in experimental ways specific to their location.
Festival dates: 26 September–6 October 2019
Humanities Festival
The Vienna Humanities Festival was launched in 2016 by Time to Talk, Wien Museum, and IWM. In the last week of September, for the fourth consecutive year, the festival will be conveying inspiring new ideas in the humanities to a broad audience and will be highlighting Vienna as a truly international city in which talents from all over the world are welcome. This year’s festival theme is „Hope and Hopelessness”.
Festival dates: 26 September–29 September 2019
Sponsors and partners viennacontemporary 2019
Main partner: Erste Group
Partners: RDI Group, BDO, Aksenov Family Foundation, Romanian Cultural Institute Vienna, The Vienna Tourist Board, MuseumsQuartier Wien, Austrian Airlines, Aesop, Vöslauer, illy, INVESTER United Benefits, AENEA, Hey-U.
With kind support of: Austrian Federal Chancellery, Municipal Department 7 – Cultural Affairs of the City of Vienna, Vienna Business Agency.
Partners VIP Program: Albertina, Belvedere 21, frei_raum Q21, Jewish Museum Vienna, Kunsthalle Wien, KUNST HAUS WIEN, Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, LEOPOLD MUSEUM, Lower Belvedere, MAK – Austrian Museum of Applied Arts, mumok – Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, Neuer Kunstverein Wien, Secession
Strategic media partners: Die Presse, Ö1, Parnass
Online partner: Artsy
Media partners: Aesthetica, ArtFacts.Net, artmagazine.cc, ArtRabbit, Artprice, Camera Austria, Collectors Agenda, Contemporary Lynx, C/O VIENNA MAGAZINE, EIKON, Flash Art International, frieze, METROPOLE – Vienna in English, Monopol – Magazin für Kunst und Leben, Mousse, springerin, TEXTE ZUR KUNST, The Art Gorgeous, uppers & downers, Vellum Magazine, Vienna Art Review, Widewalls
Fair dates 2019–2022: 26–29 September 2019 | 24–27 September 2020 | 23–26 September 2021 | 22–25
September 2022
viennacontemporary
26–29 September 2019
Marx Halle Vienna
Karl-Farkas-Gasse 19, 1030 Vienna
Opening hours:
Thursday, 26 September 2019, Vernissage: 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
Friday, 27 September 2019: 12:00 pm–7:00 pm
Saturday, 28 September 2019: 11:00 am–7:00 pm
Sunday, 29 September 2019: 11:00 am–6:00 pm
Tickets & prices:
Day Ticket full price: 19.00 euro
3 Days Ticket: 35.00 euro
Day Ticket reduced: 12.50 euro, for students, seniors, Ö1 Club with valid ID
Day Ticket online: 12.50 euro, available on www.viennacontemporary.at
3 Days Ticket online: 30.00 euro
Free entrance:
For children and teenagers under 14 years
For students with a valid student ID after 4:00 pm
Vernissage Card: 39.00 euro
Limited number of cards, pre-sale available till 26 September 2019, www.viennacontemporary.at
Information:
www.viennacontemporary.at
www.viennacontemporarymag.com
www.facebook.com/viennacontemporary
www.instagram.com/viennacontemporary
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