Why viennacontemporary Is the Fair to Watch - and Return To

Discover why viennacontemporary in Vienna is the must-attend art fair spotlighting Central & Eastern Europe’s boldest galleries and emerging voices.

Vienna’s premier art fair isn’t just another stop on the cultural calendar. It’s a strategic heartbeat of the European art scene — with its ears pointed east.

vienna contemporary
Impressions from last year’s Vienna Contemporary © Tim Dornaus Cover Image: Highlights from the Munchies Art Club walkthrough on Instagram Header: Karina Mendreczky & Katalin Kortmann Járay at Tomas Umrian Contemporary — captured by Munchies Art Club co-founder Ernst Koslitsch

viennacontemporary Is Not Just Another Art Fair - It’s Where Europe Looks East and Artists Get Real

Every September, viennacontemporary transforms the city into a nexus of dialogue, deals, and discovery.

Held at Messe Wien, Halle D, the fair brings together more than 90 international galleries, showcasing a vibrant mix of established names and emerging voices, with a sharp eye on Central and Eastern Europe. But it’s not just about geography.

It’s about perspective.

What Sets It Apart?

While many art fairs chase headlines, viennacontemporary does something subtler and smarter. It champions the overlooked.

vienna contemporarry
Vienna Contemporary, Impressions From the last edition of viennacontemporary Booth: Lombardi—Kargl © kunst-dokumentation.com

It’s where you’ll find a Polish video artist next to a Viennese painter, next to a Georgian installation piece that quietly steals the show. This isn’t spectacle. It’s a curated conversation.

Not Just Booths: A Citywide Ecosystem

Expect more than just white walls. The fair’s supporting program includes:

  • Talks and panels with curators, artists, and thinkers
  • Live performances and art interventions
  • Partnerships with local museums and institutions
  • VIP events that actually feel intelligent

It’s a fair that feels embedded in Vienna.

A city that already pulses with imperial flair and subcultural edge.

Who’s Behind It?

With Abaseh Mirvali recently appointed as Artistic Director, the fair steps further into the international spotlight.

Abaseh Mirvali
Vienna Contemporary 2025 Abaseh Mirvali, Artistic Director Image courtesy of Press, viennacontemporary

Her background in cutting-edge curatorial work across the U.S. and Latin America promises a bolder, global perspective — without losing the fair’s Eastern European backbone.


In Short:

If you're an art collector, a curator watching regional shifts, or a cultural traveler who prefers substance over spectacleviennacontemporary is your September non-negotiable.

2025 Dates: September 11–14
Location: Messe Wien, Halle D
More Info: viennacontemporary.at

Don’t Miss: Vienna’s Other Art Events This September

While viennacontemporary leads the calendar, it’s not alone. September in Vienna is packed with satellite shows and alternative formats worth exploring:

  • Parallel Vienna
    An art fair turned urban intervention with artist-run spaces, off-locations, and wild discoveries. Expect chaos, concrete, and something unexpected.
  • Curated by…
    A citywide gallery festival where each participating space invites an external curator. The result? Dozens of exhibitions, one sprawling curatorial dialogue.

Together, they turn Vienna into one of the most vibrant art destinations in Europe, for one intense, unforgettable week.

What happens in the past? Here an overview:

Munchies Art Club does every year an un filtered walkthrough with real insights and discoveries. With no gatekeeping and sugarcoating.

We share what we like, stand out and caught our eyes.


Past Vienna Contemporary Highlights:

2024

Vienna Contemporary 2024: Kogo Gallery Highlights Baltic Artists Exploring Gender, Nature, and Identity
Vienna Contemporary 2024: Kogo Gallery presents Laura Põld and Sabīne Vernere, exploring nature, gender, and identity through ceramics and ink.

Special Aperrence - Kogo Gallery

Bruno Mokross: Curating ZONE1 at Vienna Contemporary 2024
Curator Bruno Mokross guides through the highlight section ZONE1, which presents 10 solo presentations by young emerging artists under 40 with a strong connection to Austria

Munchies Art Club in collaborations with Vienna Contemporary and Zone 1

Minda Andrén: Zeller van Almsick - Vienna Contemporary
Munchies Art Club presents three sneak peeks of artist Minda Andrén’s works, featured in Zone1 at the Vienna Contemporary Art Fair 2024, all curated by Bruno Mokross.

Minda Andren - Zone 1 - Vienna Contemporary 2024

Sebastian Schachinger: Redefining Time and Memory in Art
Explore the depths of time and memory with R. Sebastian Schachinger at Vienna Contemporary 2024, curated by Bruno Mokross in ZONE1

Sebastian Schachinger - Zone 1 - Vienna Contemporary 2025

2023

Vienna Contemporary Art Fair 2023: A Walkthrough At Kursalon Wien In Stadtpark
Vienna Contemporary Art Fair with Munchies Art Club Magazine: Review

Vienna contemporary


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