Exhibition highlights in May

The museums in Vienna are home to spectacular art exhibitions that are just waiting to be discovered. Let yourself be wowed by these new exhibitions.

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16 pictures

Painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Sommer, 1563 — In its major spring exhibition, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna takes us back to the 16th century with “Arcimboldo – Bassano – Bruegel. Nature’s Time”, in which it explores the time when art discovered nature for itself. (Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Summer, 1563) – © KHM-Museumsverband

Artwork by Albrecht Dürer, Kopf des Laute spielenden Engels, 1506 — The Albertina is also currently celebrating the Renaissance masters and is devoting an exhibition entitled “Leonardo – Dürer” to superb drawings set against colored backgrounds. (Albrecht Dürer, Head of the Lute-Playing Angel, 1506) – © ALBERTINA, Wien

Egon Schiele, Sitting woman with raised knee, 1917 — “Changing Times. Egon Schiele's Last Years: 1914–1918": the less well-known late work of the Viennese Art Nouveau genius is the focus of a new temporary exhibition at the Leopold Museum. (Egon Schiele, Seated Woman with Bent Knees, 1917) – © National Gallery Prague 2024

Klimt: Faculty image on Medicine — Currently at the Lower Belvedere: “Pigment & Pixel” uses state-of-the-art technology to shed light on Gustav Klimt’s working methods and world of color. (Gustav Klimt, Medicine, faculty painting) – © Österreichische Galerie Belvedere

Photo by Anton Corbijn, Jodie Foster, 1995 — The Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien presents “Anton Corbijn”, an artist who works with different media including photography, film and design and who has significantly shaped the way we have perceived pop culture since the 1970s. (Anton Corbijn, Jodie Foster, 1995) – © Anton Corbijn

The Foto Arsenal Wien is Vienna’s newest exhibition venue and recently opened with exhibitions about the Magnum photo agency and the young Austrian photo artist Simon Lehner. (A Llama in Times Square, New York City, USA, 1957) – © Inge Morath/Magnum Photos (Bild darf nicht beschnitten werden!)

Egon Schiele: Selbstbildnis mit Pfauenweste, 1911 — “Experiment Expressionism. Schiele meets Nosferatu”: works of German expressionism (by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde and Max Pechstein) rub shoulders with works of Austrian expressionism (by Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Max Oppenheimer and others) at the Heidi Horten Collection from April 11. (Egon Schiele: Self-Portrait with Peacock Waistcoat, 1911) – © Privatsammlung

SUPERFLUX, The Seas Are No Longer Dying, 2022 — Opening May 21: “Water Pressure” at the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts is dedicated to the element of water, which it examines through the combined forces of design and science. Five chapters deal with the topic of water and its increasing scarcity. (Superflux, The Seas Are No Longer Dying, 2022) – © Superflux

Artwork by Damien Hirst, Beautiful Temporarily Lost At Sea Drawing, 2008 — “Damien Hirst. Drawings”: the British artist’s drawings will be exhibited in a museum for the first time. Opens May 7 in the Albertina modern. (Damien Hirst, Beautiful Temporarily Lost At Sea Drawing, 2008) – © Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved/Bildrecht, Wien 2025

Exhibition subject, Anton Marek, The International Patrol for your protection, 1946 — The Wien Museum is launching a temporary exhibition on April 10 to mark 80 years since the liberation of Vienna (in April 1945) entitled “Controlled Freedom. The Allies in Vienna” and focuses on the ten-year occupation by Allied forces. (Exhibition poster, Anton Marek, The International Patrol for your protection, 1946) – © Wienbibliothek im Rathaus

Johann Strauss II., portrait — Happy birthday, Johann Strauss! Vienna celebrates the 200th birthday of the Waltz King in 2025. The Theater Museum is hosting “Johann Strauss – The Exhibition” with numerous original exhibits. (Johann Strauss with facsimile of his name and autograph score, Anonymous) – © KHM-Museumsverband, Theatermuseum

Room at the Johann Strauss Musuem - New Dimensions with installations of light and music. — Even more Strauss: the immersive permanent exhibition entitled “Johann Strauss. New Dimensions” at the Johann Strauss Museum opposite the Vienna Secession incorporates state-of-the-art technology. – © Philipp Lipiarski

“G*d. Reflections between Heaven and Earth.” To mark its 130th anniversary, the Jewish Museum Vienna is shedding light on the phenomenon of God from a Jewish perspective and with the help of seven questions. (Hillel Smith, Avinu she-ba-shamayim (Our Father in Heaven), 2012) – © Hillel Smith, Foto: Jüdisches Museum Wien

Art installation by Mika Rottenberg, Lampshares, 2024 — Kunst Haus Wien is currently paying tribute to Mika Rottenberg, whose films, installations, sculptures and material compositions address the exploitation of nature and people under capitalism in a sometimes absurd and comical way. (Mika Rottenberg, Lampshares, 2024) – © Mika Rottenberg, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Pete Mauney Herunterladen

Photograph by Dara Birnbaum, Pop-Pop Video: Kojak/Wang, 1980 — “Radical Software: Women, Art & Computing 1960-1991” at the Kunsthalle Wien is the first exhibition to shed light on the history of digital art from a feminist perspective. (Dara Birnbaum, Pop-Pop Video: Kojak/Wang, 1980) – © Courtesy Dara Birnbaum und Eletrconic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York

Weltmuseum Wien, Who’s Wearing the Pants?, Exhibition view — In “Who’s Wearing the Pants?”, the Weltmuseum Wien embarks on a journey through 3,000 years of the history of pants (or trousers!) from all over the world and analyzes their cultural significance. (Exhibition view) – © KHM-Museumsverband, Foto: Daniel Sostaric

In its major spring exhibition, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna takes us back to the 16th century with “Arcimboldo – Bassano – Bruegel. Nature’s Time”, in which it explores the time when art discovered nature for itself. (Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Summer, 1563) – © KHM-Museumsverband

The Albertina is also currently celebrating the Renaissance masters and is devoting an exhibition entitled “Leonardo – Dürer” to superb drawings set against colored backgrounds. (Albrecht Dürer, Head of the Lute-Playing Angel, 1506) – © ALBERTINA, Wien

“Changing Times. Egon Schiele's Last Years: 1914–1918": the less well-known late work of the Viennese Art Nouveau genius is the focus of a new temporary exhibition at the Leopold Museum. (Egon Schiele, Seated Woman with Bent Knees, 1917) – © National Gallery Prague 2024

Currently at the Lower Belvedere: “Pigment & Pixel” uses state-of-the-art technology to shed light on Gustav Klimt’s working methods and world of color. (Gustav Klimt, Medicine, faculty painting) – © Österreichische Galerie Belvedere

The Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien presents “Anton Corbijn”, an artist who works with different media including photography, film and design and who has significantly shaped the way we have perceived pop culture since the 1970s. (Anton Corbijn, Jodie Foster, 1995) – © Anton Corbijn

The Foto Arsenal Wien is Vienna’s newest exhibition venue and recently opened with exhibitions about the Magnum photo agency and the young Austrian photo artist Simon Lehner. (A Llama in Times Square, New York City, USA, 1957) – © Inge Morath/Magnum Photos (Bild darf nicht beschnitten werden!)

“Experiment Expressionism. Schiele meets Nosferatu”: works of German expressionism (by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Emil Nolde and Max Pechstein) rub shoulders with works of Austrian expressionism (by Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Max Oppenheimer and others) at the Heidi Horten Collection from April 11. (Egon Schiele: Self-Portrait with Peacock Waistcoat, 1911) – © Privatsammlung

Opening May 21: “Water Pressure” at the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts is dedicated to the element of water, which it examines through the combined forces of design and science. Five chapters deal with the topic of water and its increasing scarcity. (Superflux, The Seas Are No Longer Dying, 2022) – © Superflux

“Damien Hirst. Drawings”: the British artist’s drawings will be exhibited in a museum for the first time. Opens May 7 in the Albertina modern. (Damien Hirst, Beautiful Temporarily Lost At Sea Drawing, 2008) – © Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved/Bildrecht, Wien 2025

The Wien Museum is launching a temporary exhibition on April 10 to mark 80 years since the liberation of Vienna (in April 1945) entitled “Controlled Freedom. The Allies in Vienna” and focuses on the ten-year occupation by Allied forces. (Exhibition poster, Anton Marek, The International Patrol for your protection, 1946) – © Wienbibliothek im Rathaus

Happy birthday, Johann Strauss! Vienna celebrates the 200th birthday of the Waltz King in 2025. The Theater Museum is hosting “Johann Strauss – The Exhibition” with numerous original exhibits. (Johann Strauss with facsimile of his name and autograph score, Anonymous) – © KHM-Museumsverband, Theatermuseum

Even more Strauss: the immersive permanent exhibition entitled “Johann Strauss. New Dimensions” at the Johann Strauss Museum opposite the Vienna Secession incorporates state-of-the-art technology. – © Philipp Lipiarski

“G*d. Reflections between Heaven and Earth.” To mark its 130th anniversary, the Jewish Museum Vienna is shedding light on the phenomenon of God from a Jewish perspective and with the help of seven questions. (Hillel Smith, Avinu she-ba-shamayim (Our Father in Heaven), 2012) – © Hillel Smith, Foto: Jüdisches Museum Wien

Kunst Haus Wien is currently paying tribute to Mika Rottenberg, whose films, installations, sculptures and material compositions address the exploitation of nature and people under capitalism in a sometimes absurd and comical way. (Mika Rottenberg, Lampshares, 2024) – © Mika Rottenberg, Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Pete Mauney Herunterladen

“Radical Software: Women, Art & Computing 1960-1991” at the Kunsthalle Wien is the first exhibition to shed light on the history of digital art from a feminist perspective. (Dara Birnbaum, Pop-Pop Video: Kojak/Wang, 1980) – © Courtesy Dara Birnbaum und Eletrconic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York

In “Who’s Wearing the Pants?”, the Weltmuseum Wien embarks on a journey through 3,000 years of the history of pants (or trousers!) from all over the world and analyzes their cultural significance. (Exhibition view) – © KHM-Museumsverband, Foto: Daniel Sostaric

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