Discover Lisl Ponger's The Vanishing Middle Class Exhibition: Cultural Identity & Societal Critique

This exhibition by Lisl Ponger delves into the constructed nature of cultural identity and perceptions of the 'other,' focusing on the concept of the vanishing middle class. It presents a fictional museum, 'MuKul,' based on meticulous research and observation of real ethnological museums.

Lisl Ponger has long addressed the constructed nature of cultural identity, stereotypes of the 'other,' and issues of visual representation, with a particular focus on ethnology and anthropology. In the main space of the Secession, she realized a long-held project: the Museum of Foreign and Familiar Cultures, or 'MuKul.' This fictional museum concept culminates her artistic interests and is based on meticulous research and detailed observations of real ethnological museums. The exhibition within MuKul is divided into two parts: 'The Vanishing Middle Class,' which attempts to capture and document a threatened population group comprehensively, in the spirit of 'salvage ethnology,' and a special exhibition, 'Lisl Ponger. Wild Places,' featuring photographic works from 2000 to 2010. The exhibition on the vanishing middle class is structured into thematic rooms such as 'The Rise of the Western Middle Class,' 'The Middle Class in Danger,' 'From Playing by the Rules to Gaming the System,' 'Showpieces for Posterity,' and 'The Emerging Middle Classes.' It examines the historical development of the middle class, its relationship with democracy and neoliberal capitalism, the impact of tax havens and banking crises, and the emergence of new middle classes, for instance in China. The display includes genuine and counterfeit branded goods as status symbols, historical photographs, postcards from tax havens, life casts of middle-class individuals, board games, coins, and money envelopes. The design of both exhibitions follows the conventions of different cultural institutions. While the artist's photographic works are presented in a neutral white-painted room with subdued lighting, the rooms for 'The Vanishing Middle Class' are each bathed in a specific color, from the walls to the display case bases, with atmospheric lighting. By treating the Western middle class as a subject of study in the same way that 'exotic' peoples or groups from remote regions of the non-Western world are represented in often spectacular exhibitions, Ponger impressively reveals the mechanisms of many museums, allowing for a critical examination through this form of deconstruction.

General admission information and ticketing are available via a link to the Secession shop. The page indicates the museum is open today, and provides opening hours (Tue-Sun, 10 AM - 6 PM). Specific exhibition ticket details are not provided beyond the general ticketing link for the venue itself.