At MuseumsQuartier, mumok brings together modern and contemporary art in a dark, stone-clad building designed by Ortner & Ortner. Its collection spans classical modernism, Pop Art, Fluxus, minimal and conceptual art, Viennese Actionism and works by artists including Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. Displays change, so the works on view depend on the exhibitions running during your visit. Look out for the museum’s treatment of postwar Austrian art and experimental practices, or check the current exhibition programme before you go.
A collection across modern art
Founded in 1962 as the Museum of the Twentieth Century, mumok now focuses on modern and contemporary art. Its collection covers classical modernism, Pop Art, Fluxus, minimal and conceptual art, Viennese Actionism and more recent work. The collection includes around 10,000 pieces, though the number on view at any one time is smaller.
Works associated with Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Joseph Beuys, Nam June Paik and Gerhard Richter are among the names represented. The collection also includes Austrian artists and work connected to the country’s postwar art history. Themes and exhibitions change, so a visit does not follow a single permanent route through the collection.
Viennese Actionism and experimental work
Viennese Actionism is one of mumok’s particular areas of focus. The movement’s radical performance practices emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, and the museum’s collection places them alongside other responses to the social and artistic changes of the postwar period.
Photography, film, painting, sculpture and installation all feature in the collection. Displays can bring together different media and movements, from expressionism and cubism to Pop Art and photorealism. Some collection works may be out of view when temporary exhibitions take over the galleries, so check what is showing if you have a particular artist or movement in mind.
The building in MuseumsQuartier
Ortner & Ortner designed mumok as a dark, sharply edged volume clad in basalt stone. Its heavy exterior stands apart from the historic surroundings of MuseumsQuartier, where the museum is one of several institutions devoted to art and culture.
Inside, the galleries are described as bright and spacious, a contrast with the solid exterior. The building opened to the public in 2001. Its architecture is part of the visit, but the changing exhibitions and collection displays are the reason to allow time to explore beyond the entrance.
Planning your visit
The museum is at Museumsplatz 1 in Vienna’s MuseumsQuartier. It has a coat check, restrooms and a restaurant, as well as wheelchair-accessible entrances, lifts and restrooms. Family programmes and activities for children include guided tours and drawing workshops.
Tickets in advance are recommended. Staff pay close attention to bags and personal belongings, so follow their instructions during your visit. If you want to focus on a particular artist or section of the collection, check the exhibition information before setting out; the rotating displays mean that not every work is always on view.
Häufige Fragen
What kind of art is at mumok?
The collection spans classical modernism, Pop Art, Fluxus, minimal and conceptual art, Viennese Actionism and contemporary work. It includes painting, sculpture, photography, film and installation.
Are works by Picasso and Andy Warhol at mumok?
Both artists are represented in the collection, alongside artists including Roy Lichtenstein, Joseph Beuys and Nam June Paik. Displays rotate, so check what is currently on view.
Is mumok accessible for wheelchair users?
The museum has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, elevator and restroom.
Is mumok suitable for children?
Yes. The museum has family-oriented programmes, including guided tours and drawing workshops for young visitors.
