MuseumsQuartier Wien

MuseumsQuartier Wien, located in the center of Vienna, Austria, is one of the largest arts and culture complexes in the world. Courtyards, cafes, galleries, residences, and shops housed in 18th and 19th century buildings joined with contemporary museum architecture to create a one-of-a-kind architectural setting. The MuseumsQuartier is the motor of contemporary Austrian culture with 90,000 square meters and 60 cultural institutions. The spectrum of programming ranges from world renowned art collections to smaller cultural initiatives working in fields from visual arts to architecture, music, fashion, theater, dance, literature, children’s culture, game culture, street art, design or photography.

You’ll find museums like the LEOPOLD MUSEUM with the world’s largest collection of works by Egon Schiele and the mumok (museum moderner kunst stiftung ludwig wien) to contemporary art exhibition spaces like Kunsthalle Wien and festivals like the Wiener Festwochen and ImPulsTanz. Additional highlights include an international state-of-the-art center for contemporary dance (Tanzquartier Wien), the Architekturzentrum Wien, and outstanding art and cultural facilities designed especially for children (ZOOM Kindermuseum, wienXtra-kinderinfo, DSCHUNGEL WIEN Theater for Young Audiences).

Furthermore the so called Q21 is an initiative that provides workspace for artists and about 50 agencies and different organizations involved in the cultural sector. The 7,000m2 area houses cultural initiatives working across a wide variety of fields and complement the traditional museums and event spaces at the MQ. A key factor in establishing Q21 as a creative space is the Artist-in-Residence program, which was initiated in 2002 and has provided over 400 artists an opportunity to live and work in the MuseumsQuartier.

MuseumsQuartier Wien has a strong focus on providing an accessible, appealing place for the public to engage in varying forms of artistic expression. Courtyards and passageways in MuseumsQuartier Wien have been turned into a way for the public to interact and enjoy the area. Themed passageways, like the KABINETT comic passage or the LITERATURpassage, offer micro-exhibits for visitors to engage upon entering the larger central square. Once in the courtyard, award winning public furniture makes the area one of the city’s most popular public spaces to spend time in.

To further animate the courtyards, year-round public programming including dance performances, exhibition projects, and seasonal programs Sommer im MQ and Winter im MQ provide the public with a plethora of options to explore and engage.

As mentioned earlier, not only does MuseumsQuartier Wien exhibit art, it is an active producer. The MuseumsQuartier is a space for living, for creating, for art. The throng of people meeting in the MuseumsQuartier creates a climate of cosmopolitanism and creativity. At the MuseumsQuartier Wien, the promotion and experience of art form an inseparable whole.