OPEN

Thanks to her passion for collecting and her dedication, a once-unremarkable building within the Hanuschhof has now been transformed into a distinctive art venue in the heart of Vienna. After serving various temporary purposes for nearly a century, Heidi Goëss-Horten acquired the building in 2019 and commissioned the Viennese architectural firm the next ENTERprise Architects, led by Marie-Therese Harnoncourt-Fuchs and Ernst J. Fuchs, to adapt the existing architecture to the requirements of a modern exhibition space. After a construction period of just twenty months—during which the original structure was gutted and a basement level was added—the museum welcomes its first visitors into a light-filled space featuring two exhibition levels that appear to float. The exhibition spaces are offset from one another, creating ever-changing and surprising spatial impressions.

The architecture of the building is squarely at the center of this opening exhibition, showcasing selected works from the Heidi Horten Collection. The works offer a representative glimpse into Heidi Goëss-Horten’s collection, which has grown and evolved over decades, including a significant number of recent acquisitions of contemporary art. The collection’s openness and diversity are evident, reflecting the art collector’s wide-ranging interests and enthusiasm. At the same time, this inaugural presentation also reveals the collection’s initial artistic and thematic focal points.

The exhibition is divided into three sections. The first focuses on the collection’s light works—a small but high-caliber body of work that began in 2001 with the purchase of a neon tube installation by Dan Flavin. Another section explores writing as a phenomenon that serves as an integral part of the artwork, appearing in both classical paintings and the collection’s light works. Finally, a third section is devoted to works in the collection that explore humanity’s existential struggle amid the tension between the physical external world and the inner spiritual life, as well as its relationship to animals and nature.

In the video, Ioan Holender, together with founding director Agnes Husslein-Arco, takes viewers on a tour of the exhibition and shares highlights from the museum’s glamorous opening, which was attended by guests from the worlds of culture and business.

Featuring works by: 

John M. Armleder, Stephan Balkenhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol, Alighiero Boetti, Philippe Bradshaw, Barry Flanagan, Dan Flavin, Lucio Fontana, Lena Henke, Damien Hirst, Joseph Kosuth, Brigitte Kowanz, Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, Constantin Luser, Ulrike Müller, Tim Noble & Sue Webster, Nick Oberthaler, Stefan Oláh, Marc Quinn, Robert Rauschenberg, Lili Reynaud-Dewar, Margherita Spiluttini, Philipp Timischl, Franz West, Erwin Wurm