The best from Vienna’s galleries (2024)

There are countless galleries across Vienna that are home both to early masterpieces as well as contemporary art. But Vienna also has its own fully-fledged gallery district. Art lovers will find a wealth of contemporary works concentrated along Vienna’s Schleifmühlgasse. Venues such as the Galerie Georg Kargl and the Galerie Gabriele Senn are located here in the Freihausviertel district, just around the corner from the Naschmarkt where connoisseurs can still uncover real treasures at the flea market.The galleries show work by foreign and Austrian artists including Richard Artschwager (Kargl), Marcus Geiger, Cosima von Bonin, Marko Lulic and Barbara Mungenast (Senn).

Numerous Viennese galleries in the central 1st District also offer contemporary art: Galerie Steinek, for instance, has Gudrun Kampl, Clemens Wolf and Matthias Herrmann under contract. The Galerie Ulysses exhibits greats such as sculptor Bruno Gironcoli and sells Hermann Nitsch’s Schüttbilder and Übermalungen by Arnulf Rainer. Works by Austrian artists ranging from Herbert Brandl to Bruno Gironcoli and Arnulf Rainer to Franz West are also on display at the Galerie Elisabeth & Klaus Thoman. Creations by West and Rainer (as well as Joseph Beuys, Günter Brus and many more) can also be admired in the Konzett Gallery. The Galerie Suppan Fine Arts has Arnulf Rainer, Franz West and many other artists in its collection.

Lovers of Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) handicrafts dating back to about 1900 will be at the right address at Bel Etage in the city centre. Josef Hoffmann’s silver service, Michael Powolny’s ceramic cherubs, Lötz iridescent vases and complete interiors for living rooms and studies by Wiener Werkstätte designers all await their new owners there. Austrian masterpieces of the 19th and 20th centuries (including Klimt and Schiele) can be found in the Galerie Martin Suppan. The Galerie Kovacek houses Austrian artworks from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as glass pieces dating from the Renaissance to the present day. Austrian paintings spanning the period from 1900 to the present day can be found at the Galerie Kaiblinger.The Galerie Artziwna focuses primarily on paintings and sculptures by Austrian and international artists of the post-war period.

Furniture, antique clocks, paintings and crafts from the 18th and early 19th century can be found at the art dealer Stephan Andréewitch on Stallburggasse. As far as paintings are concerned, this Viennese gallery offers mainly Biedermeier miniatures, classicist landscape paintings and old masters. Porcelain vases, candlesticks and decorated Zwischengoldglas glassware from the Baroque through to Biedermeier round off the gallery’s offerings.

The Challery (Charity Gallery) is one of Vienna’s more unique galleries, where art is sold for good causes. The venue changes with each exhibition. The current address and other relevant information can be found at www.challery.net.

More information about galleries in Vienna: Association of Austrian Galleries of Modern Art