Next Victim of the Signa Bankruptcy: Art Forum in Vienna Finally Facing Closure

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 in the building, featuring the work of 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.

Loss of Signa Funds as a Death Blow for the Kunstforum in Vienna

In December of the previous year, Unicredit Bank Austria announced via a press release 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 Upper Austrian industrialist Josef Rainer. This makes further operation economically unfeasible.

"It is a fact that a main sponsor has been lost with the insolvency of Signa, and despite all efforts, it has not been possible to find a replacement," stated Wolfgang Schilk, Chairman of the Board of the Kunstforum and Board Member of UniCredit Bank Austria on Wednesday afternoon. Bank Austria is not cutting costs in cultural funding but will continue to be fully active in sponsorship, Schilk hastened to emphasize. However, they no longer want to operate their own exhibition house.

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 been unsuccessful.

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, not only promised an extensive overview of works but also reenactments of historical performances. In the event of a cancellation, higher penalty payments were feared. Now, the exhibition will instead be shown from October 10 to March 1, 2026, at the Albertina Modern.

"Of course, we had to adapt the whole thing to the Albertina Modern," stated Albertina General Director Ralph Gleis. It is not just about a "transplantation," but an adapted version in the manner shown by the Kunstforum, made possible thanks to the good preliminary work. The exhibition originally planned for the house, "Kaws. Art & Comic," will be postponed.

"I had hoped to still be able to show the exhibition at the Kulturforum," admitted Ingried Brugger. However, she is now very grateful for the collegiality of the Albertina: "It would have been a shame to let this most prestigious exhibition of the fall slip away."

Kunstforum Director Brugger Already Working on New, "Enchanting" Project

Director Ingried Brugger still has not given up hope for a new Kunstforum at another central location. "I will present a new project for a Kunstforum in the fall," the exhibition organizer expressed optimistically. She cannot provide details at the moment because much is not yet finalized: "But if it succeeds, it will be enchanting." She also hopes that the existing Kunstforum association can continue with new personnel.

(APA/Red)

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