Kunstforum Vienna: Shock closure in August-protests by the artists!

Kunstforum Vienna: Shock closure in August-protests by the artists!

The cultural area in Austria is faced with a painful loss: the Bank Austria Kunstforum Vienna closes at the end of August 2023. This decision is the direct result of the insolvency of the real estate company Signa, which not only meets the institution that has existed as a private exhibition house since 1980, but also shakes the entire cultural scene in Vienna.

In December 2024 there were already first warning signals for the impending closure that met with violent displeasure in the art scene. Numerous well -known artists, including Erwin Wurm and Valie Export, expressed their displeasure in an open letter in which they campaigned for the preservation of the art forum. They demanded more support and attention for the cultural institutions of the country, since the closure is considered a profound loss of the art and cultural scene.

The effects of closure

How Deutschlandfunk Kultur, the Kunstforum has recently counted around 230,000 visitors per year and has taken an important place in the Vienna cultural landscape with countless exhibitions. The director Ingried Brugger announced that a large exhibition for performance artist Marina Abramović, planned for October 2023, will now take place in Albertina Modern. This not only shows the time pressure, but also the transition phase for the exhibited works.

The art forum must hand over its premises by August 31, broom, which underlines the urgency of the situation. However, Brugger looks optimistically into the future and is looking for a new location in Vienna and for new sponsors for a restart that is to be specified this autumn.

a cultural loss of capital

The closure of the art forum is not only a local matter, but also throws shadows on the entire cultural landscape of Austria. A similar trend threatens in the Styrian cultural scene: project and annual funding are shortened, and over 100 cultural associations have contacted the state and city government to point out the importance of art for the economy. This shows the far-reaching effects of austerity measures on the development and preservation of cultural projects, such as the [Kleine Zeitung] (https://www.kleinezeitung.at/kultur/stmk_kultur/19721957/es-doht-ein-kulture- capital damage) summarizes.

It is clear that the cultural scene in Graz and beyond is under pressure. Artists and cultural workers fear that a brain drain could occur if grants are further reduced and the working conditions do not improve significantly. Nine central demands to close the funding gaps, such as an increase in cultural support budget and a valorization in the funding structure, have already been formulated.

The closure of the art forum is therefore a wake -up call for society as a whole: art and culture are not only a beautiful luxury, but also essential for economic development and social interaction. It remains to be hoped that these developments will attract sufficient attention to find sooner solutions for the endangered cultural scene.