{"id":73350,"date":"2024-07-17T15:07:09","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T14:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=73350"},"modified":"2026-03-01T20:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T19:45:11","slug":"kuenstlerhaus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/kuenstlerhaus\/","title":{"rendered":"The K\u00fcnstlerhaus"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><a href=\"#tickets\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/kunstlerhaustickets.jpg\" alt=\"Statue of Titian\" class=\"wp-image-80118\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Like many institutions in Vienna, the term K\u00fcnstlerhaus has a double meaning. It refers to both the neo-renaissance building and the prestigious artists association inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Building dates back to 1868<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Features contemporary art exhibitions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Also home to the Albertina Modern, cinema and opera<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#tickets\">What special exhibitions are on<\/a>?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/secession\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2119\">Secession<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/vienna-museums\/#art-museums\">Art museums<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/contemporary-art\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"25652\">Contemporary art in Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Of people and places<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kuenstlerhaus2024.jpg\" alt=\"Pillar and advert for an art exhibition\" class=\"wp-image-74605\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kuenstlerhaus2024.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/kuenstlerhaus2024-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(You know you&#8217;re in the right place)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The K\u00fcnstlerhaus artists association traces its history back to 1861. In that year, two pre-existing groups of artists merged into what would become Austria&#8217;s most prominent membership group for the visual arts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That merger came about in part through efforts by the preceding groups to build a shared &#8220;clubhouse&#8221; and venue for exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Emperor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/franz-joseph\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"26307\">Franz Joseph<\/a> himself gifted the new organisation the land required for the members&#8217; desired construction project. The K\u00fcnstlerhaus building then went up between 1865 and 1868 to an Italian-inspired design by architect August Weber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The monarch actually turned up for the formal opening of the premises at 11am on September 1st, 1868. A choir sang a celebratory ode to artists at the event (I think Mendelssohn&#8217;s <em>Festgesang an die K\u00fcnstler<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"364\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/kuenstlerhaus1875.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of the K\u00fcnstlerhaus from around 1875\" class=\"wp-image-73348\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/kuenstlerhaus1875.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/kuenstlerhaus1875-300x218.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Photo of the K\u00fcnstlerhaus from around 1875, published by Leopold Theodor Neumann; Wien Museum Inv.-Nr. 106081\/25; excerpt reproduced with permission under the terms of the CC0 licence)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A long history followed, though one period has a notable place in Viennese lore\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Klimt &amp; conflict<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In its early days, the K\u00fcnstlerhaus had ties to the monarchy and establishment, and a tendency to follow conservative approaches in art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(On reflection, it&#8217;s probably hard not to be conservative when you&#8217;re sitting on top of a present from the emperor.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the world headed into the modern era, though, the tension between tradition on the one hand and curious creativity on the other inevitably led to a schism within the membership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A group led by Gustav Klimt eventually broke off from the K\u00fcnstlerhaus and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/secession\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2119\">went their own way<\/a> in the late 1890s, helping usher in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/culture\/wiener-moderne\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"28303\">modernist thinking<\/a> in the arts.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/kunstlerhaus.jpg\" alt=\"The Kunstlerhaus and Albertina Modern\" class=\"wp-image-41898\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/kunstlerhaus.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/kunstlerhaus-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Part of the front fa\u00e7ade)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jump forward over 150 years and the fully-renovated monumental building now offers a home to four main occupants:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>That original K\u00fcnstlerhaus artists association, still going strong today and notably less conservative than in the 19th century. The group uses the building as an exhibition venue, too<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/albertina-modern\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"21859\">Albertina Modern arm<\/a> of the Albertina art museum, with its own modern and contemporary art exhibitions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Stadtkino cinema: a mainstay of film festivals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An outpost of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/opera\/staatsoper\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1071\">Staatsoper opera house<\/a>: the NEST puts on operatic productions, concerts and other events aimed at a younger audience (families, young adults, children)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As noted, the first two continue the building&#8217;s original raison d&#8217;\u00eatre with a series of regular exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tickets\">Tickets, exhibitions &amp; tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can enter the foyer of the K\u00fcnstlerhaus without a ticket, but you&#8217;ll need one to see any exhibitions. Tickets to those organised by the K\u00fcnstlerhaus are available on site. The location also sells combination tickets that include the Albertina Modern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Special exhibitions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With no permanent exhibition, what you see depends on the current event schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The K\u00fcnstlerhaus association may have smaller or short-term exhibitions and installations on the go at any one time. But the schedule for the main exhibition space is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Im Erweiterten Raum<\/em> (until June 7th, 2026): works by ten national and international winners of the STRABAG ART Award<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>(See the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/albertina-modern\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"21859\">Albertina Modern page<\/a> for details of that museum&#8217;s exhibitions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some extra tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The area around the K\u00fcnstlerhaus actually forms a little patch of sights and museums. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/musikverein\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"5593\">Musikverein classical concert venue<\/a> is next door, for example<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cross the road out front to reach the Baroque <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/karlskirche\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"22144\">Karlskirche church<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/wien-museum-karlsplatz\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"66174\">Wien Museum<\/a> art and history museum (both with viewing terraces across to the K\u00fcnstlerhaus)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>And the striking building of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/footsteps\/secession\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2119\">the Secession<\/a>, whose members split off from the K\u00fcnstlerhaus with Klimt back in the day, is a short walk away<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get to the K\u00fcnstlerhaus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The building is just over the road from the large underground transport hub on Karlsplatz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Subway: reach Karlsplatz via the U1, U2 or U4 lines<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tram\/bus: take tram lines 1, 2, D, 71, or 62 to the Karlsplatz or Oper\/Karlsplatz stop<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Karlsplatz 5, 1010 Vienna | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kuenstlerhaus.at\/\">Website<\/a> (of the artist association)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1NMqkks0X31kXFcGlJhOYbfticeDu8Nk4\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The K\u00fcnstlerhaus has a double meaning: it refers both to the neorenaissance building and to the prestigious artists association inside<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":73349,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-73350","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-museums","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73350"}],"version-history":[{"count":51,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88983,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73350\/revisions\/88983"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}