Christine König Galerie

Profile

Christine König Galerie was founded in 1989/90 and together with three other art galleries moved to new premises in Vienna's Schleifmühlgasse in 1999. In conjunction with nearby Generali Foundation , Kunsthalle Wien , Vienna Secession , Wien Museum , the Museum's Quarter, and the galleries in Palais Eschenbach, this area in the vicinity of Naschmarkt and Karlsplatz which has long been of interest for its architectural history has now taken on added significance as the most important location of contemporary art in Vienna.

International in scope, the gallery is defined by an artist-centric perspective that platforms artists whose work responds to the complexities of contemporary society and culture. Ever since its founding the gallery has been the first to present a number of internationally known artists and their current works in Austria, such as Skip ARNOLD, Pierre BISMUTH, Werner BÜTTNER, Jimmie DURHAM, David GOLDBLATT, Leon GOLUB, David HAMMONS, Rebecca HORN, Pierre KLOSSOWSKI, Karin KNEFFEL, Jannis KOUNELLIS, Vicken PARSONS, Gerhard RÜHM, Ann-Sofi SIDEN, Nancy SPERO, Stanley WHITNEY.
Along with them a decidedly younger generation of artists - some of them Austrians - who are in important ways linked to this older generation have been introduced to the public: Adel ABDESSEMED, Anetta Mona CHISA & Lucia TKÁCOVÁ, Barbara EICHHORN, G.R.A.M. , Cameron JAMIE, Johanna KANDL, Constantin LUSER, Michaela MATH, Micha PAYER + Martin GABRIEL, Dan and Lia PERJOVISCHI, Andreas REITER RAABE, Anne SCHNEIDER, Sislej XHAFA.

For most of the exhibitions works and projects are created specifically with the premises of the gallery in mind. In this way a frame of reference develops over time that encourages to rethink and redefine the character of the gallery in cooperation with each individual artist in view of a society that is getting ever more complex and ever more on the move, and to search for new contexts. In addition, international exhibitions and projects documented by catalogues are initiated and organised for the artists associated with the gallery. Most of these artists are represented in European and American museum collections.
In the gallery's Third Room we put exhibitions on show that go along with the main show in the two front rooms. Furthermore, international gallery colleagues are invited for specific projects.

Until spring 2006 weekly LunchLectures on Saturdays at noon were presenting artists, curators, gallerists, architects, collectors, philosophers, who talked about their ideas and visions. This tradition is being carried on since 2008 with the CONVERSATION series, where artists are being interviewed by curators, philosophers etc. These CONVERSATION series takes place in irregular intervals.