viennacontemporary 2019 | Programming

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. viennacon-temporary 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. ZONE1 is kindly supported by the Austrian Federal Chancellery.

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: "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 that is not based on 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 par- ticipation that encourage open-ended actions, such as the formulation of their own constitution, currency, educational system, or popular culture.

In the current 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 stimu- late 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 aspira- tions. 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.

Dmitry Aksenov, chairman of the board of viennacontemporary: “The high quality of the participating gal- leries and constant experimentation with the best formats for showcasing contemporary art and culture are key aims of the fair. We are constantly looking for the most interesting opportunities for collaborations and partnerships so that viennacontemporary can succeed in staying relevant in the rapidly changing art envi- ronment.”

Partner events in the city