Viennacontemporary


viennacontemporary is an international fair for contemporary art in Vienna, Austria. Since 2015, it takes place annually in the fourth week of September at the Marx Halle, located in St. Marx, a part of Vienna's third district. Besides its focus on Central- and Eastern Europe, viennacontemporary presents international and Austrian galleries showcasing young and established positions of contemporary art.
The art fair is accompanied by a series of supporting events, which take place in cooperation with Austrian museums and other art institutions and aim to promote and strengthen Vienna's importance as a center for contemporary art and culture.
Every year, around 110 galleries exhibit at viennacontemporary and around 30.000 visitors attend the fair.

Background

In 2012, the team surrounding chairman of the Board Dmitry Yu. Aksenov, managing director Renger van den Heuvel, and the two artistic directors Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt and Vita Zaman organized Viennafair, a fair for contemporary art in Vienna. In 2014, Vita Zaman left the team. In 2015 the fair rebranded as viennacontemporary and moved to Marx Halle. Christina Steinbrecher-Pfandt served as artistic director from 2015 to 2018. In 2019, the fair appointed Johanna Chromik as the new artistic director.

Marx Halle

Built in the end of the 19th century by architect Rudolf Frey, Marx Halle was the first building in Vienna to have a wrought iron structure. Once a popular local cattle market, the newly renovated industrial style building nowadays serves as a venue for large-scale events, concerts, and fairs. It is situated in the center of the creative quarter Neu Marx in Vienna's third district. Around one hundred companies with media-, creative- and scientific backgrounds are located in this area. The hall measures 175 meters in length and covers an area of 20.000 square meters. Marx Halle is part of the Austrian cultural heritage.