Strabag Kunstforum

The STRABAG KUNSTFORUM is a popular place for artists, art facilitators and employees to go with their questions about art and comprises the following activities:

The ARTAWARD: An annual art subsidy awarded to artists from four countries under the age of forty for their painting and graphic arts. In conjunction with the subsidy, works are acquired and individual exhibitions offered in the Strabag Art Lounge.

The ARTCOLLECTION: One of Austria's largest art collections, encompassing over 1600 works of contemporary painting and graphic arts at the office locations, above all in Vienna and Spittal/Drau.

The ARTLOUNGE: A spectacular, two-storey exhibition space under the roof of the Vienna Strabag House.

GIRONCOLI-KRISTALL: Attached to the Vienna Strabag House, this multifunctional art and event hall houses a permanent presentation of large sculptures by the Carinthian artist Bruno Gironcoli . The collection includes several bronze and aluminum castings on the company grounds.

The ARTSTUDIO: The newly renovated studio in the Strabag House provides space to live and work for several artists from Austria and abroad.

In the nineties, the former Bauholding Strabag Art Forum was founded at the initiative of Hans Peter Haselsteiner and Wilhelm Weiss in Spittal/Drau in Carinthia. The art subsidy was awarded for the first time back in 1994. Until 2002, it was presented in Spittal/Drau and the artists' works were shown in the exhibition rooms in Klagenfurt. With an eye on subsequent international expansion, the Art Award was transferred in 2005 to the newly built Strabag House, the Group headquarters located at the important business location in Vienna's Donau- City. Strabag SE is known as a construction company of pan-European dimensions and is a pioneer in the (South-) Eastern European market. Creating networks is not only essential in business and socially, but is also key in cultural circles. One of the goals of Strabag's Art Forum is to promote important cultural relationships through its comprehensive commitment.

 

Over 1600 works of contemporary painting and graphics from approximately 260 Austrian and international artists belong to Strabag Artcollection, one of the most important private collections in Austria. Starting in 2009, the collection - in connection with the Strabag Artaward International - is being extended with works of international artists from Eastern Europe as well as some sculptures.
Exposure to art opens up new aspects, values and emotions; this mental openness is also reflected in the transparency of the company's architecture. The works are shown at the offices and headquarters with an emphasis on Spittal/Drau and the Strabag Haus, Vienna. The collection is constantly growing with works of artists from all generations. The identification of the employees with "their" pictures contributes to an atmosphere of inspiration and increased attention to their own surroundings. Many employees discovered their enthusiasm for art and began to assemble their own small collections. The Kunstforum team supports them in this with advice.