Kunstforum Vienna: Insolvency threatens the last exhibition in August 2025!

Kunstforum Vienna: Insolvency threatens the last exhibition in August 2025!

The Bank Austria Kunstforum Vienna is out of the end: The final closure is planned for August 31, 2025. This decision is a direct consequence of the bankruptcy of Signa, which previously acted as the main sponsor. The closure was announced in December 2024 after it became clear that no alternative sponsors could be found.

The director of the art forum, Ingried Brugger, is already looking for a new location for the art forum, but the details are still in the stars. In the meantime, Marina Abramović's exhibition, originally planned for October 2025, is now presented in Albertina Modern, which will host the exhibition from October 10, 2025 to March 1, 2026. This will be an adapted version of the show originally intended in the art forum.

protests by the artists

The announced one shortens the cultural offer in Vienna and encounters resistance among artists. Prominent activists of the art scene, including Erwin Wurm and Valie Export, protested in an open letter against the closure. Wolfgang Schilk, the chairman of the board of the art forum, has regretted the loss of the main sponsor and emphasizes that the efforts to win new sponsors have so far been unsuccessful.

In addition to the demolition of further planned events, the exhibition "Kaws. Art & Comic" is also postponed in the Kunstforum. In the coming months, the focus will remain on the closure and realignment of the art forum, while hope for new sponsors is disappearing.

art as a mirror of the time

The situation of the art forum also raises questions about the financial support of contemporary art. An example of valuable art projects from the past is the exhibition "Reflections" by James Francis Gill, which took place in the Bank Austria Kunstforum Vienna from July 29 to August 16, 2020. Over 40 works were presented, which dealt with “Women in Cars” and reflected Gill's own artistic development.

Gill is considered one of the founding fathers of pop art and combines allegations of American culture with personal and socially critical topics in his works. His pictures are characterized by radiant colors that combine both iconographic and abstract elements.

In this context, it is important to note that companies such as hugo boss have been promoting contemporary art for over two decades and striving for dialogue between fashion and art. These initiatives could make an important contribution to the development and support of art institutions, especially in crisis situations such as the current of the art forum.

The closure of the Bank Austria Art Forum is therefore not only a loss for the Viennese cultural scene, but also raises basic questions about the structures and support mechanisms for contemporary art.