Bank Austria Kunstforum in Vienna on the Verge of Closure

The discontinuation of Signa's sponsorship means that further operation is no longer possible for economic reasons, the bank that gave the forum its name announced on Monday. Art Forum Director Ingried Brugger described this as "a catastrophe" and did not hold back in her criticism of Unicredit Bank Austria. A petition is also being used to do everything possible to ensure the forum's survival.

Signa recently withdrew as the landlord of the Art Forum, but the building on Freyung is facing sale due to the company's bankruptcy. The future of the Art Forum next year will ultimately depend on a new owner, Bank Austria said in response to an APA inquiry. They aim to enable operation until the summer break of 2025. The exhibition "Gauguin - Unexpected" is scheduled at the Art Forum until January 19, and a major show on photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn is set to open on February 15. The rest of the exhibition year has already been planned.

Possible Penalty Payments in the Millions

The Art Forum team itself learned about the impending closure from a press release on Monday, as Director Brugger explained to journalists. For decades, the sponsor could be proud of the Art Forum, but this is apparently over due to new savings requirements in the corporation. "You can't close an operation from one month to the next," Brugger emphasized. In the exhibition sector, there are lead times of two to three years. "We have signed contracts," she pointed out, referring to a major show on Marina Abramović scheduled for autumn 2025. Therefore, she also expects lawsuits from artists and penalty payments in the millions.

The goal now is to "buy time," according to Brugger. "I believe the Unicredit Bank Austria chapter is closed. But there should be a proper separation between this sponsor and the Art Forum, not completely haphazard. That's irresponsible!" She hopes for an institution from the business world that could take over this task. Another question mark concerns the future owner of the building. She described it as "wrong and unfair" to blame everything on Signa. To her knowledge, the rent was far above the market price, with the surplus being returned as sponsorship. "But I don't know the contracts," said Brugger. A new lease has not been signed by Bank Austria.

Petition to Political Decision-Makers

About 50 employees would be affected by a closure, although not all of them are permanently employed. A petition was adopted in the morning by the Art Forum's board, which includes Helga Rabl-Stadler, Heinz Fischer, Christian Rainer, and Erwin Wurm, addressed to political decision-makers. It is intended to enable a transition period to find a new carrier for the Art Forum. "The abrupt end of the Bank Austria Art Forum Vienna would be a tremendous loss of prestige for the Republic of Austria and the city of Vienna," it says.

Bank Austria, in addition to the failure of Signa's sponsorship, also cited upcoming high investment costs, which Brugger cannot understand. While investments are needed, for example in fire protection, these would be in the range of 200,000 to 300,000 euros. Bank Austria, on the other hand, emphasized to the APA that it also involves measures in security and air conditioning, which are "necessary for a modern museum operation" and cause costs in the millions. An agreement on who should bear these could not be reached with the landlord.

Apart from the rent, the Kunstforum needs about 4.5 million euros for annual operation, with Director Brugger referring to a self-financing ratio of around 60 percent. The Kunstforum does not receive support from the public sector. Brugger estimated the Kunstforum's liabilities, which include already planned costs as well as possible penalties, at five to six million euros.

Bank no longer sees itself in the role of a museum operator

Bank Austria had stated in its announcement that the changed economic conditions at the Kunstforum would "necessitate a reorganization of the sponsorship". "In the future, we no longer see our role as a direct museum operator, but rather focus on the financial support of cultural and social initiatives," it said. In recent weeks, efforts have been made to reach an agreement with the landlord on a long-term lease for the Kunstforum. "To our great regret, this is no longer possible due to the changed conditions. We hope to be able to reach an agreement on an orderly termination of the lease."

The bank wants to enable the exhibition operation until the summer break of 2025, it was said on the part of the bank. However, this also depends on the future building owner and landlord. The commitment to the cultural scene will be "continued without restriction", with a further cultural million to be made available in 2025. Which projects will benefit from this will be announced in the coming months. A new Bank Austria Park in Vienna, designed by André Heller, is confirmed. Here, sculptures by local and international artists will be shown, with the opening planned for next year.

The Kunstforum - opened in 1980 as the Länderbank's Kunstforum and since then repeatedly rebuilt and renamed - recently counted around 230,000 visitors per year according to its own information. With around 170 exhibitions so far, more than eight million people have been reached. International and Austrian artists are shown. The Kunstforum is entirely privately financed.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.