viennacontemporary 2024 highlights
98 galleries and 6 institutional stands from 24 countries at the 10th-anniversary edition of viennacontemporary
The tenth-anniversary edition of Austria's leading international art fair, viennacontemporary, will take place under the artistic direction of Francesca Gavin from September 12 to 15, 2024 in Halle D of Messe Wien.
The fair is an annual highlight in the international art calendar, kicking off the new art and cultural events season. viennacontemporary is known as a place for discovering new and emerging artists; and serves as a gateway to the rich art worlds of Central and Eastern Europe, reaffirming Vienna's position as a cultural bridge between these regions.
This year's edition promises to be a landmark event, not only marking a decade of VCT but also celebrating its status as the leading art fair in Austria's vibrant contemporary art scene. With an exhibitor list comprising 98 galleries and 6 institutional stands from a total of 24 countries, the upcoming edition of viennacontemporary is the largest in years.
Program highlights include the curated sections ZONE1 – 10 solo presentations of young artists with a connection to Austria – which has earned a reputation as a significant platform for emerging artists and new talent. The fair also emphasizes a focus on women, showcasing the often overlooked contributions of female artists of the late 20th century alongside well-known male contemporaries in the new section CONTEXT; Last but not least, the VCT STATEMENT special exhibition The Color of Energy artistically addresses the key theme of sustainability and energy production and regionally links the Austrian major art cities, Vienna and Salzburg.
An informative talks program highlighting the potential of the regional art scene, numerous guided tours for young and old, performances, and events invite visitors to engage more deeply with the fair program, and numerous art prizes in cooperation with our valued partners play an important role in promoting galleries and their artists.
Numerous renowned art festivals, such as the gallery festival Curated by and PARALLEL Vienna, which take place simultaneously with viennacontemporary, transform Vienna into a vibrant hotspot for art and culture in September. Exciting exhibitions and events in close cooperation with these major festivals and the city's leading cultural institutions attract art lovers and cultural professionals from all over the world. With the fair’s international networking initiative Join The Conversation, seven important curators from all over Europe will also travel to to discover the local art scene.
viennacontemporary 2024 will once again offer a courageous and political program of talks that will bring together international collectors and opinion leaders from the art world to critically discuss the potential of art fairs and highlight the great potential of the region. This year, special attention will be paid to the two Nexus Thinking talks, which will explore interdisciplinary solutions to the climate crisis as part of the special program VCT STATEMENT: ENERGY, which connects contemporary art to current sociopolitical discourses. On Friday, September 13, experts such as energy and climate consultant Alisa Schubert, energy consultant Marta Schulte-Fischedick, and Claudius Schulze, Artistic Director of the Vienna Climate Biennale, will be discussing the interface between art and science from 2:30 pm onwards. Other highlights include an intimate chat on Friday at 11:00 am with collector Galila Barzilaï-Hollander, as well as a discussion on Saturday about the relationship between art fairs and their home cities, followed by a round table with the international curators of Join the Conversation.
More information: viennacontemporary.at
