New director brings a breath of fresh air to the Albertina: experience art in a new way!

New director brings a breath of fresh air to the Albertina: experience art in a new way!

Ralph Gleis took over the management of the Albertina in Vienna on January 1, 2025, after Klaus Albrecht Schröder confidently led the museum for 25 years. Gleis, who previously worked as director of the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin and has extensive experience as a curator at the Vienna Museum, is steering the house in a new direction. In an interview with courier he emphasizes the need for a generational change in order to give the Albertina a breath of fresh air and at the same time continue to promote the high flow of visitors. Gleis explains: “It is an opportunity to redesign the Albertina and set new accents.”

Future visions for the Albertina

Gleis would like to develop the well-known institution into a contemporary museum that has its finger on the pulse of the times. He is planning a large program with a total of 18 exhibitions, including important artists such as Jenny Salville and Damien Hirst. The first exhibition of his term, “True Colors,” opens on January 24th, followed by “Matthew Wong – Vincent Van Gogh” on February 14th. The most comprehensive show of the first half of the year will be “Leonardo – Dürer”, for which valuable loans from the Louvre and Windsor Castle are expected Today reported.

A central aspect of Gleis’s approach is the connection between collection and exhibition. He wants to position the Albertina not just as a presentation venue, but as a “competence center for art on paper”. He also relies on stronger international cooperation and further digital development of the company. Gleis highlights the importance of private patronage to increase public awareness and create new perspectives.