Autumn dedicated to art
Vienna has long been regarded as a breeding ground for contemporary art. Vienna’s autumn of art (Kunstherbst) is the perfect time to truly enjoy this panoply. Numerous art events invite visitors to embark on an exciting journey of discovery. A overview.
Art fairs to kick off the season
Vienna´s autumn of art kicks off with a fast-paced start - with three art fairs taking place in or starting in the second week of September: Austria’s largest gallery festival provides an impressive curtain raiser: at Curated by, 24 Viennese galleries invite curators from around the world each year to respond to pressing contemporary issues through a mutually agreed-upon theme. Under this year’s theme, “Love,” the invited curators explore the question of what role love can still play in an increasingly alienated present.
A new addition this year is the Astoria Artshow, featuring 70 local and international galleries. The event was initiated by VAU - Vienna Art United, an association of 35 leading Viennese galleries that has set itself the goal of jointly establishing a contemporary art fair with international appeal. It takes place at the Astoria Garage, an impressive six-story multi-level parking garage with a striking glass dome in the 8th district. Built in 1923, the building normally serves as a parking garage.
Parallel Vienna, a blend of art fair, exhibition platform, and artists’ studios, draws a very young audience every year. As in previous years, vacant buildings on the Otto Wagner Areal in Vienna-Penzing will serve as a stage for young and experimental artists. This time, the focus is on cuisine, featuring “Eat Art” by Daniel Spoerri and performances by Viennese chefs.
Design, architecture, fashion
If you’re looking for even more during the Autumn of Art, you should definitely check out some related events in Vienna as well. Vienna Design Week is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Austria’s largest curated design festival attracts visitors for ten days with around 200 program items, including exhibitions, talks, tours, and workshops, and welcomes more than 40,000 visitors year after year. As usual, the festival headquarters moves into a new neighborhood, which, as the focus district, helps shape the program. This year, the choice is the Hietzing neighborhood. The festival headquarters is moving into the vacant Allianz Building on Hietzinger Kai, designed by Harry Glück, in the immediate vicinity of Schönbrunn Palace and the Villa Beer. It creates a fascinating contrast between late modernism and imperial grandeur, which Vienna Design Week is exploring this year.
Just before that, the Open House Vienna architecture festival will take place for the eleventh time and mark a first: for the first time, the festival will run for three full days. Around 50 buildings in Vienna and the surrounding area that are normally not open to the public – from private villas and churches to office buildings – will open their doors free of charge and with no need for bookings. This is made possible by around 200 volunteer guides who will lead visitors through the buildings. Their commitment enables Vienna to be part of Open House Worldwide, an international initiative that now includes more than 60 cities across five continents.
In November, the MAK - Museum of Applied Arts will once again transform into a stage for individual design products. At Blickfang Wien, carefully curated furniture, fashion, and jewelry labels from across Europe will present their latest pieces. The Vienna Hofburg will also stay true to the theme of design. At Design District, around 250 national and international top brands will turn the more than 7,500 square meters of imperial halls into an experiential world of living, interiors, lifestyle, technology, and art. In 2025, the fair drew around 27,000 visitors; this year’s program includes, among other things, a special exhibit on the topic of circular design.
Fashion also plays a prominent role in this fall’s art season, with Vienna Fashion Week transforming Hall E+G at the MuseumsQuartier into an international showcase for fashion, trends, and lifestyle for six days – marking the 18th edition of the event. Established and emerging designers will present their latest collections on the runway, while the accompanying shopping area and pop-up stores make it easy to buy right on site.
All of Vienna is art
But that’s still far from all: throughout the Autumn of Art, numerous other art events are due to take place at exciting locations. The Fair for Art Vienna returns to its original venue this year after ten years, moving from the Aula der Wissenschaften to the Vienna Künstlerhaus, which for decades was home to the Vienna International Art Fair. It is a platform for modern and contemporary art as well as antiques, right near the Albertina modern. Anyone who wants to rediscover Vienna on foot through an artistic lens should try the Vienna City Gallery Walk. Guided walks through Vienna galleries, tours, talks, and exhibitions are offered here free of charge and are open to the public. Right in the middle of it all is the Long Night of Museums, when culture-loving night owls can once again make the rounds with just one ticket – numerous museums and galleries throughout Vienna will keep their doors open until midnight.
Several highlights await all art enthusiasts as the Autumn of Art comes to a close: Vienna Art Week is now in its 22nd year and, with around 70 program partners, once again puts Vienna’s diverse art scene in the spotlight – with free admission. Under this year’s motto, “Navigating Angst”, the festival asks how art can become a tool for finding direction in the blur of the present – ecologically, politically, technologically, and physically. For the Art & Antique fair, the Vienna Hofburg will once again become an exhibition venue for numerous national and international art dealers and galleries. The exhibition will feature a wide variety of works, ranging from paintings to furniture and crafts, as well as jewelry, carpets, and Art Deco.
At the Studio Building of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Semperdepot), Paper Positions Vienna is devoted entirely to the medium of paper. In a salon-like, booth-free atmosphere, international galleries will present drawings, collages, and conceptual art, spanning from classical modernism to the present day. The year in art then comes to a close with the Rotlicht Festival for Analog Photography (also at the Semperdepot), bringing together the local and international analog photography scene.
Discover even more contemporary art in Vienna
An overview of Vienna’s autumn of art
- Curated by: Sep 11 – Oct 17, various participating galleries, www.curatedby.at
- Parallel Vienna: Sep 9–13, Otto Wagner Areal, www.parallelvienna.com
- Vienna Design Week: Sep 25–Oct 4, www.viennadesignweek.at
- Open House: Sep 25–27, multiple locations, www.openhouse-wien.at
- Blickfang Wien: Nov 6–8, MAK, www.blickfang.com
- Design District: Oct 9–11, Hofburg, www.design-district.at
- Vienna Fashion Week: Sep 14–19, MQ, viennafashionweek.com
- Fair for Art Vienna: Oct 7–11, Künstlerhaus, www.fairforart-vienna.at
- Vienna City Gallery Walk: Sep 28–Oct 3, 1st District, www.gallerywalk.at
- Long Night of Museums: Oct 3, throughout Vienna, www.langenacht.orf.at
- Vienna Art Week: Nov 6–13, various locations, www.viennaartweek.at
- Art&Antique: Nov 12–16, Hofburg, www.artantique-hofburg.at
- Paper Positions Vienna: Nov 12–15, Studio Building of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Semperdepot), www.paperpositions.com/cities/vienna
- Rotlicht Festival for Analog Photography: Nov 27–Dec 6, (Semperdepot), www.rotlicht-festival.at
