Best of
MUSEUM
With around 100 museums, Vienna ranks among the ten most significant art and cultural metropolises in the world. Here, we present two very special institutions.
The “House of Habsburg Tour” takes you through the Neue Hofburg, following the traces of the former imperial family.
The “Girl in the Picture Frame” can be seen in the large Rembrandt exhibition starting October 8, 2024. Tickets are available online.
From antiquity to modern times: The rich collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna include significant objects from five millennia and are considered unique world-wide. The painting gallery, with works by Arcimboldo, Dürer, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Vermeer, as well as the largest collection of paintings by the Dutch Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder, is especially popular with visitors. Besides the main building at Maria-Theresien-Platz, several other locations are part of the KHM Museum Association’s portfolio. One of them is the Neue Hofburg, originally built as the residence and seat of government for Emperor Franz Joseph I and Empress Sisi. Since the end of last year, the “House of Habsburg Tour” has offered an exploration of 650 years of ruling history under one roof. Divided into three major themes – “Architecture of the Hofburg”, “Marriage and Power Politics”, and “Promotion of the Arts” – the audio guide tour leads to more than 20 stations throughout the entire building complex. The tour is available in ten different languages, and tickets can be purchased at all KHM Museum Association ticket offices and online at shop.khm.at/tickets.
HEIDI HORTEN
COLLECTION
WE ♥: With an impressive permanent exhibition and thoughtfully curated special shows, the Heidi Horten Collection has won the hearts of art enthusiasts from around the world.
Opened in 2022 as a private museum, the Heidi Horten Collection is one of the most significant and unusual art addresses in Vienna’s city center. This is due to the unique architecture of the former chancellery building of Archduke Friedrich. Additionally, the collection includes about 700 works assembled by patron and philanthropist Heidi Horten, who always wanted her art to be accessible to the public. This intention is reflected in the special exhibition WE ♥ (pronounced “We love”), on display until August 25, 2024, across three levels and the atriums of the building. “Masterpieces by artists who have significantly influenced the art history of the 20th and 21st centuries” are
prominently featured, says Director and Curator Agnes Husslein-Arco. The upcoming special exhibition “Light, Sound & Senses,” opening on September 20, 2024, will kick off the art autumn at the Heidi Horten Collection, focusing on multisensory exhibits by artists such as Ólafur Elíasson, Brigitte Kowanz, and László Moholy-Nagy, intended to heighten awareness of time, space, light, sound, taste, and touch. Additionally, starting September 6, 2024, the permanent exhibition “Modern Masterpieces: Klimt – Warhol” will provide a comprehensive overview of the entire collection.
ART PIECE: The Heidi Horten Collection impresses with its unique collection and its remarkable and experiential architecture.