VIENNA FOR ART’S SAKE!

For a period of three months, contemporary art will pervade the glamorous ambience of Prince Eugene of Savoy’s former residence within the framework of the exhibition Vienna for Art’s Sake!

Having been invited by designer and creator of this exhibition Peter Noever, thirteen outstanding contemporary artists will enter into a dialogue with the newly renovated rooms of the Winter Palace. The starting point of this project is the Archive Austria, Austria’s contribution to Luciano Benetton Collection’s Imago Mundi.

Different from other archives of Imago Mundi, Peter Noever has expanded the Archive Austria by artists, architects, and designers who live and/or work in Vienna or have left behind a remarkable contribution, regardless of their geographic origins and nationality. Artists nominating artists: this process also lends itself to questioning the prevailing understanding of curatorial work. The Vienna exhibition is the first to be presented on such a large scale and seeks to demonstrate the relevant artistic positions behind the miniature format of 10 by 12 cm. The 161 works of the Archive Austria will be presented in the Primary Exhibition at the Sala terrena of the Winter Palace. Moreover, thirteen impressive artistic interventions will respond to its Baroque rooms. The interventions have been specially planned and developed for this location; they are meant to demonstrate the significance of contemporary artistic production from a new perspective and visualise the unbroken force of thinkers and visionaries.

The works by Vito Acconci, Zaha Hadid, Magdalena Jetelová, Michael Kienzer, Hans Kupelwieser, the nextENTERprise, Hermann Nitsch, Eva Schlegel, Kiki Smith, Iv Toshain, Joep van Lieshout, Koen Vanmechelen, Manfred Wakolbinger will be on view at the Winter Palace in Vienna’s Himmelpfortgasse from 27 February to 31 May 2015.