Belvedere, Vienna, 27 February – 31 May 2015

Gab/Mer in the Sala Terrena, photo: Hanna Szegő

For a period of three months, contemporary art will pervade the glamorous ambience of Prince Eugene of Savoy’s former residence within the framework of the exhibition Vienna for Art’s Sake!. Having been invited by designer and creator Peter Noever, thirteen prominent contemporary artists will enter into a dialogue with the newly renovated rooms of the Winter Palace. The starting point of this project is the Archive Austria, Austria’s contribution to Luciano Benetton Collection’s Imago Mundi. Different from other archives of Imago Mundi, Peter Noever has expanded the Archive Austria by artists, architects, and designers who live and/or work in Vienna or have left behind a remarkable contribution, regardless of their geographic origins and nationality. Artists nominating artists: this process also lends itself to questioning the prevailing understanding of curatorial work. The Vienna exhibition is the first to be presented on such a large scale and seeks to demonstrate the relevant artistic positions behind the miniature format of 10 by 12 cm. The 161 works of the Archive Austria will be presented in the Primary Exhibition at the Sala terrena of the Winter Palace. Moreover, thirteen impressive artistic interventions will respond to its Baroque rooms. The interventions have been specially planned and developed for this location; they are meant to demonstrate the significance of contemporary artistic production from a new perspective and visualise the unbroken force of thinkers and visionaries. The works by Magdalena Jetelová, Iv Toshain, Eva Schlegel, Manfred Wakolbinger, Hans Kupelwieser, the next ENTERprise, Joep van Lieshout, Koen Vanmechelen, Hermann Nitsch, Kiki Smith, and others will be on view at the Winter Palace in Vienna’s Himmelpfortgasse from 27 February to 31 May 2015.
After Looking Eastward (Russia), Snapshot Romania (Romania), and Iceland/Boiling Ice (Iceland), Vienna for Art’s Sake! is the fourth European collection of Imago Mundi, the ‘Global Archives of Art’, by which Luciano Benetton has redefined art collecting. Benetton’s Imago Mundi rests on a philanthropic approach and aims to display the maximum number of artistic positions and artists in the widest and most representative contexts possible. It was important for Luciano Benetton, who appreciates Austria for its tradition in the arts, to entrust Peter Noever with the compilation of Vienna for Art’s Sake! – the Austrian contribution to the Luciano Benetton Collection. ‘Luciano Benetton was prepared to accept a “unique system of relationship” without any ifs, ands, or buts,’ says Peter Noever about their collaboration.
Artists, architects, and designers who live and/or work in Vienna or have left behind a significant contribution were invited to participate in Vienna for Art’s Sake! and declared themselves prepared to accept the challenge of working with the small format of 10 by 12 cm. Artists nominating artists: this process also lends itself to questioning the prevailing understanding of curatorial work. The 161 works demonstrate multiple microcosms in their own right. Three artists who had agreed to supply works died during the preparations of Vienna for Art’s Sake!: Johann Georg Gsteu was able to complete his work. Alfons Schilling and Otto Muehl passed away before they could hand in their works. They will be honoured with a white canvas in the 400-page catalogue.