Universität für Angewandte Kunst Wien

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The art collection was set up in 1979 by its Rector Oswald Oberhuber, who acquired a large number of works of art and thus began to transform the university's archives into an art collection. Erika Patka headed the collection until 2004 and developed its current structure. Under Rector Gerald Bast, the Costumes and Fashion collection with its 5500 historically significant items was integrated into the art collection.

What does the University of Applied Arts collect, and for what purpose? Acquisitions, donations - and how they are handled

Among the holdings of the collection one can distinguish several focal areas which are of importance both in an Austrian and in an international context. They include the following:
Artwork from the Wiener Werkstätte, Art Nouveau, Vienna Modernism
Architectural models of seminal modern ist Austrian buildings
Examples from all areas of 20th century applied and visual arts
The Costumes and Fashion collection with its historical holdings going back to the 18th century
The Oskar Kokoschka Centre (research library, photographic collection, archives, and, since 2005, the private library of Oskar and Olda Kokoschka)
The estate of the architect Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky

The importance of the holdings can be gleaned from the fact that we receive regular requests for art loans from major international exhibitions. In 2005 art loans were shown at exhibitions in Paris/Grand Palais, Brussels/Palais des Beaux-Arts, Bilbao/Guggenheim Museum, St. Petersburg/Eremitage, Frankfurt/Schirn Kunsthalle, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Stockholm/Svenskt Tenn, to mention just a few examples.

Revenue from art loans and royalty fees for images printed in publications allow - very limited - new acquisitions for the collections. In 2005, we acquired almost exclusively works by recent graduates of our university. With very few exceptions the works were created between 2002 and 2005. The collection also received seminal art items, documents and research material as gifts from former teachers, graduates and other patrons of the arts.

The university has no permanent premises for exhibiting the art collection. Therefore it is important to be able to participate in exhibitions organised by others, to organise temporary exhibitions, and to display art loans in the university building and in other institutions and settings. When not on display, the holdings are stored in various art storage facilities and require constant care and conservation measures.