This exhibition explores the vibrant and complex atmosphere of Vienna around 1900, a pivotal period for Modernism. It showcases the artistic and intellectual achievements that emerged from this era of innovation, contrasting the city's splendor with its underlying social challenges.
The Leopold Museum presents a comprehensive exploration of Vienna around 1900, a period of immense artistic and intellectual activity that laid the groundwork for Modernism. This exhibition, spanning three floors and featuring approximately 1300 exhibits, showcases masterpieces from the Leopold Museum's collection and eminent loans. It delves into the dichotomies of the era: the capital of both high society and intellectual movements, the elegance of the Ringstrasse alongside urban poverty, and the co-existence of conservatism and revolutionary new ideas.
The exhibition captures the 'emancipation of dissonance' described by Arnold Schönberg, reflecting the era's unique consolidation of cultural efforts. It covers diverse disciplines including painting, graphic arts, literature, music, theater, dance, architecture, medicine, psychology, philosophy, jurisprudence, and economics, illustrating Vienna's role as a laboratory of ideas and a catalyst for renewal. The presentation is curated by Hans-Peter Wipplinger in dialogue with experts.