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Hundertwasser, Art and Ecology
Our museum is extraordinary in many respects. One can experience Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s unique architectural design. And beyond that, it houses the most extensive collection of his work.
Our museum is extraordinary in many respects. On the one hand, there is Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s unique architectural design. It also houses the most extensive collection of his work. We are also exceptionally proud to be the first-ever Green Museum. A location where ideas about art and ecology are allowed to flourish and thrive. Not only in the temporary exhibitions featuring a vast array of artists, but in everything we do as a museum.
One encounters Friedensreich Hundertwasser’s work even before entering the museum. The remarkable architecture of the KunstHausWien – with its irregular forms, uneven floors, and trees growing out of windows – reveals much about this exceptional artist. Inside the world’s most comprehensive Hundertwasser collection, presented in exhibition rooms on two levels, one can find significant paintings, original graphic works, tapestries, exquisite examples of applied art such as stamps and flags, architectural models, and various projects related to his environmental commitment. Rare photographic material and the documentary “Regentag” (“Rainy Day”) complete the portrait and provide detailed insight into Hundertwasser’s life and work, from the present day to the past, and serve as inspiration for many, not least for the KunstHausWien.
As a centre for art and ecology, the KunstHausWien devotes ample space to the artistic exploration of ecological issues. In solo shows and thematic group exhibitions featuring local, international, up-and-coming, and established artists, issues like the climate crisis, biodiversity, and viable futures are put up for discussion. Twice a year, in spring and autumn, we change these temporary exhibitions of relevant contemporary works. What remains constant is the pivotal question: what kind of relationship can we humans have with nature that is sustainable? Let us find an answer together.
Everything the KunstHausWien does today is a logical consequence of what Friedensreich Hundertwasser had begun. This includes being awarded the Austrian Ecolabel in 2018. As the first Green Museum, we build on Hundertwasser’s pioneering political ideas on the environment and society. We explore and discuss topics like sustainability, climate change, recycling, urban planning, and cross-generational responsibility – in the exhibitions but also in our everyday work. As a public institution, we create value and aim to communicate a specific sociopolitical approach and stance. For us, this means to act sustainably in how we operate, organising and presenting environmentally friendly exhibitions and green events. In this way, KunstHausWien aims to be an initiator and leader, driving the pursuit of these aims across the cultural sector.