Immerse yourself in Vienna in 1900: VR experience with Egon Schiele in the Leopold Museum!

Immerse yourself in Vienna in 1900: VR experience with Egon Schiele in the Leopold Museum!

The Leopold Museum in Vienna is opening an interactive virtual reality experience called “Egon Schiele – A Personal Encounter”. This innovative event invites visitors to immerse themselves in the famous painter's moving world and is available until April 14, 2025. The VR experience lasts approximately 35 minutes and takes place in the museum's auditorium on level -1.

The setting for the experience is a cold October night in 1918, in which Egon Schiele, played by Lukas Watzl, suffers from the Spanish flu. During this dark time when Vienna is suffering from illness and hunger, visitors draw portraits with Schiele in a haunting narrative style and have the opportunity to ask him questions that influence the course of history. This interactive component makes it possible to discover various facets of Schiele's life and his artistic oeuvre.

Exhibition and further details

The VR experience is part of the monographic exhibition "Times of Upheaval. Egon Schiele's Final Years: 1914 - 1918", which illuminates the artist's dramatic final years. With almost 300 works, the Leopold Museum houses the world's most comprehensive collection of Schiele's work.

The digital experience shows flashbacks to Vienna's cultural heyday around 1900 and gives visitors insight into the atmosphere of the time. A special photo station allows participants to create a portrait in the style of Schiele, supported by artificial intelligence.

Logistics and participation

The VR experience is available every day, except Tuesdays and public holidays, at 11 a.m., 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Entry is free, provided participants have a valid museum ticket or annual pass. A maximum of 15 people can take part per slot, which enables an intimate and intensive discussion of the topic.

This project was realized over five years by the filmmaker Gerda Leopold, who studied painting at the Berlin University of the Arts and founded the production company Amilux Film in 2014. After the stay in Vienna, the VR experience will be shown in Munich in front of the Pinakothek at the end of April 2025 and in the Schiele Museum in Tulln in May.

This extraordinary experience awakens interest in the moving connection between past and present not only for art lovers, but also for all those who are interested in the history of Vienna and the life of Egon Schiele. Vienna.at and Vienna.info report that participation is also available in German and English, which means that a broad audience can be addressed. For further information you can also see the detailed description MQW.at be consulted.