Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein

The Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein (Upper Austrian Art Association), often abbreviated OÖKunstverein, is a gallery and art association for contemporary art based in Linz, Upper Austria. It was founded in 1851 and, after being dissolved by the authorities in 1938, was re-established in 1948 as an explicit successor organisation. It is the second-oldest art association in Austria outside Vienna, after the Salzburg Kunstverein founded in 1844. Its premises are located in the Ursulinenhof in the Oberösterreichisches Kulturquartier in Linz. The association was created with public support to give audiences the opportunity to see the progress of art in general and of Upper Austrian art in particular, to stimulate interest, to secure and improve the precarious existence of artists through honourable means, and to gain recognition for their works. Its founding was not uncontroversial: in the mid-19th century, 96 Upper Austrian artists, 21 of them from Linz, already belonged to the Vienna Kunstverein founded in 1830. The founding assembly and first exhibition took place in 1851 in the Nordico, the former Kremsmünster suburban palace. As early as 1855, with the help of the provincial government, the association founded and until 1866 also administered the Oberösterreichische Landesgalerie. The gallery's foundation stock was built through systematic purchases. Within the monarchy and the entire German-speaking world, it was the first gallery to emerge from the population itself, founded by an art association and thus naturally dedicated to the public. Activities included sales exhibitions, at which works by major contemporary painters from outside Upper Austria were also shown, including Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Jakob Alt, Rudolf von Alt and Franz Alt, Friedrich Gauermann, Moritz von Schwind, Carl Spitzweg and Hans Makart. Among its most prominent members were Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Honoré Daumier, Carl Spitzweg, Gustav Klimt, Käthe Kollwitz, Alfred Kubin, Egon Schiele, Vilma Eckl and Tina Blau. Adalbert Stifter, alongside Dominik Lebschy vice-president, substantially shaped the association's history in its early years. In 1913 the OÖ Künstlerbund März split off. In 1938 the association was struck from the register by official order. The Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein newly founded in 1948 by Franz Zimmermann was expressly created as a successor association. In 1955 the Mühlviertler Künstlergilde was formed. The association's archive was handed to the Oberösterreichisches Landesarchiv in the early 1960s and contains membership lists, correspondence with artists and exhibition catalogues covering the period from 1851 to 1961. Today the association sees it as its central concern (quoted 2013) to expand and promote the significance of contemporary art, which can always be read as a seismograph of social change, with full commitment. In consistent exhibition activity, alongside works by its own members, projects by guest artists are presented on a large scale. From 2002 to January 2020 the gallery was directed by Ingrid Hahn; since the beginning of 2020 Simone Barlian has served as curator and head of business affairs. The programme continues with exhibitions, openings and participation in events such as the ORF Lange Nacht der Museen.

The Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein was founded in 1851 (and re-established in 1948) and has its seat in the Ursulinenhof in the Oberösterreichisches Kulturquartier in Linz, Upper Austria. It is the second-oldest art association in Austria outside Vienna, after the Salzburg Kunstverein founded in 1844. With public support, it aimed to give the public the opportunity to see the progress of art in general and of Upper Austria in particular, to stimulate interest, to secure and improve the precarious existence of artists through honourable means, and to gain recognition for their works. The founding was not uncontroversial. In the mid-19th century, 96 Upper Austrian artists, 21 of them from Linz, already belonged to the Vienna Kunstverein founded in 1830. The founding assembly and first exhibition took place in 1851 in the Nordico, the former Kremsmünster suburban palace. As early as 1855, with the help of the provincial government, the association founded and until 1866 also administered the Oberösterreichische Landesgalerie. The gallery's foundation stock was created through systematic purchases. Within the monarchy and the entire German-speaking world, it was the first gallery to emerge from the population itself, founded by an art association and thus naturally dedicated to the public. Activities included sales exhibitions, at which works by major contemporary painters from outside Upper Austria were also presented, such as Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Jakob Alt, Rudolf von Alt and Franz Alt, Friedrich Gauermann, Moritz von Schwind, Carl Spitzweg and Hans Makart. Among the most prominent members were Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, Honoré Daumier, Carl Spitzweg, Gustav Klimt, Käthe Kollwitz, Alfred Kubin, Egon Schiele, Vilma Eckl and Tina Blau. Adalbert Stifter, alongside Dominik Lebschy vice-president, substantially shaped the history of the Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein in the first years. In 1913 the OÖ Künstlerbund März split off. In 1938 the Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein was struck from the register by official order. The Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein newly founded in 1948 by Franz Zimmermann was expressly created as a successor association. In 1955 the Mühlviertler Künstlergilde was formed. The association's archive was handed to the Oberösterreichisches Landesarchiv in the early 1960s and contains, among other things, membership lists, correspondence with artists and exhibition catalogues covering the period from 1851 to 1961. The association sees it as its central concern (quoted 2013) to expand and promote the significance of contemporary art, which can always be read as a seismograph of social change, with full commitment. In consistent exhibition activity, alongside works by its own members, projects by guest artists are presented on a large scale. From 2002 to January 2020 the gallery of the Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein was directed by Ingrid Hahn. Since the beginning of 2020 Simone Barlian has served there as curator and head of business affairs. The association has been led by presidents including Johann Ungnad von Weißenwolff (founding president), Dominik Lebschy (1855–1869), Franz Xaver Weidinger (1930–1933), Anton Lutz (1934–1938 and 1948–1963), Fritz Fröhlich (1960s), Wilhelm Traeger (1974–1980 or 1970–1974), Heribert Forstner (until 1992), Manfred Hasenöhrl (1992–2005), Reinhard Dyk (2005–2007), Edeltraud Hauner-Schöpf (2007–2008), Peter Paszkiewicz (2008–2010), Christiane Steinlechner-Marschner (2010–2016) and Gerald Hanisch (since 2017).

• 2020

  Simone Barlian became curator and head of business affairs.

• 2002

  Ingrid Hahn became director of the gallery (until January 2020).

• 1955

  The Mühlviertler Künstlergilde was formed.

• 1948

  The association was newly founded by Franz Zimmermann as an explicit successor association.

• 1938

  The Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein was struck from the register by official order.

• 1913

  The OÖ Künstlerbund März split off from the association.

• 1855

  With the help of the provincial government, the association founded the Oberösterreichische Landesgalerie and administered it until 1866.

• 1851

  Founding assembly and first exhibition in the Nordico in Linz.

A historic, publicly oriented art association and gallery dedicated to contemporary art, presenting both member and guest artists in Linz.

• 2026

  KONTRASTE

  Exhibition at Galerie OÖKunstverein, 2–22 October 2026.

• 2025

  STAY_VANISH_BECOME

  Lena Lieselotte Schuster, Pascal Marcel Dreier, Paris van der Thunder. Curated by Victoria Windtner.

• 2025

  Closure of Openings / Unruhige Kontaktzonen

  Pascal Marcel Dreier.

• 2025

  CALIBRATION MUM: I PREFER NOT TO

  Elisa Jule Braun, exhibition as part of Ars Electronica Festival 2025.

• 2012

  Best of SPRING

  Part of Nextcomic-Festival Linz 2012, a project by Herbert Christian Stöger.

• 2012

  EISEN://ZEIT

  Gabriele Kutschera.

• 2010

  die arche

  Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein as guest at the Künstlerhaus Wien.

• 2010

  Believe in Doubt

  An exhibition of photographic and filmic works from the Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein at the Austrian Cultural Forum Bratislava / Zelená 7.

• 2010

  Albert Herring, A Comic Opera in three Acts by Benjamin Britten

  Exhibition at the Landestheater Linz.

1. 1Startseite - OÖKunstvereinooekunstverein.at
2. 2Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Oberösterreichischer Kunstverein - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org