There was a fight, but now it is certain: The Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien will soon be history. The renowned institution will ultimately be one of the victims of the Signa insolvency and will close its location at the Wiener Freyung on August 31. The exhibition originally scheduled for October on the work of the star performer Marina Abramović will instead be shown at the Albertina Modern. A corresponding report by the "Kronen Zeitung" was confirmed to the APA in the house.
Next Victim of the Signa Bankruptcy: Art Forum in Vienna Finally Facing Closure
11-06-2025, 10:47
The Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien must close its location at the Wiener Freyung by August 31 due to the Signa insolvency. The search for an alternative sponsorship structure with new sponsors has failed.
Loss of Signa Funds as a Death Blow for the Kunstforum in Vienna
Details will be announced in the afternoon. However, it is already apparent that the history of the private exhibition house, which has existed since 1980, is coming to an end. In December of the previous year, Unicredit Bank Austria announced the imminent closure of the Kunstforum at the Freyung. The reason given was the loss of sponsorship by Signa, which was also the owner of the property until it was sold to the Upper Austrian industrialist Josef Rainer. This makes further operation economically unfeasible.
Protests by Local Artists Against the Closure
There was an outcry in the cultural scene. Dozens of artists like Erwin Wurm or VALIE EXPORT protested, among others, in an open letter against a possible closure. Subsequently, it was agreed that the Kunstforum would be given a transitional period so that Director Ingried Brugger, with the support of the advisory board, could seek an alternative sponsorship structure with new partners and sponsors. This endeavor now seems to have failed.
Abramović Exhibition Will Still Take Place - at the Albertina Modern
At least the monumental Abramović exhibition, which was scheduled to open at the Kunstforum on October 2, still has a future. The exhibition, coming from Zurich and curated for Vienna by Bettina M. Busse, was not only set to provide a comprehensive overview of works but also announced reenactments of historical performances. Higher penalty payments were feared in the event of a cancellation. Now the exhibition will instead be shown at the Albertina Modern.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article .
