translated and summarized by: Liz Wollner-Grandville,
290310: Madness & Modernity – Art and Craze in Vienna around 1900
Wien Museum Karlsplatz
Madness & Modernity – Art and Craze in Vienna around 1900
21.01.10 – 02.05.10
Quiet days in Steinhof
This exhibition was originally designed for the Wellcome Collection in London as a presentation on medical history. It is the outcome of a research project conducted over forty years by numerous scientists. During the course of this time, a draft design of Otto Wagner’s Steinhof church as well as an advertisement for the Sanatorium Steinhof surfaced, as did the original furniture and historic photographs of the Sanatorium Purkersdorf by Josef Hoffmann.
Now all of these objects are in Vienna and most international researchers are familiar with them - and the Narrenturm (Fool’s Tower), and the Josephinum (which doesn’t really have much in common with mental illness), and Franz Xaver Messerschmidt’s busts, which were exhibited in 1907 by the Hagenbund group of Austrian artists and became important inspirations for the Viennese Modernity. There is a Freud Museum in Vienna (and also in London), and despite the fact that Freud is not meant to be in the centre of attention (doesn’t he have quite a lot to do with the subject?), some of the figurines from Freud’s writing table as well as one of his carpets are also presented at this exhibition.
The assortment is very selective, with prominent case studies from the Sanatorium Steinhof which include Peter Altenberg, with excursions to Schiele’s, Kokoschka’s and Max Oppenheimer’s paintings on insanity, with two examples of artists, which were later attributed to Art Brut, and ultimately with little new information. However, the connection to some architectural works, e.g. a replica of the Knize shop by Adolf Loos located in downtown Vienna, remains completely incomprehensible.
By Iris Meder
Wien Museum Karlsplatz
1040 Vienna, Karslplatz
Tel: +43 1 505 87 47 – 0
Fax: +43 1 505 87 47 – 7201
http://www.wienmuseum.at
Opening hours: Tue – Sun 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
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290310
Wien Museum Karlsplatz
1040 Wien, Karlsplatz
Tel: +43 1 5058747-0, Fax: +43 1 5058747-7201
Email:
http://www.wienmuseum.at
Öffnungszeiten: Di-So 10.00-18.00 Uhr
Wien Museum Karlsplatz
1040 Wien, Karlsplatz
Tel: +43 1 5058747-0, Fax: +43 1 5058747-7201
Email:
http://www.wienmuseum.at
Öffnungszeiten: Di-So 10.00-18.00 Uhr