Vienna’s Highly Anticipated Albertina Modern’s Opening Has Been Indefinitely Postponed as Austria Orders Museums to Close

Austria’s most prestigious art museums have been forced to close
as the country braces itself for an expected rise in coronavirus
cases and fatalities. The highly anticipated Albertina Modern is
caught in the middle of the public health crisis. Its opening was
due to take place tomorrow, March 13, but the launch has been
postponed indefinitely.

Austria is the latest European country to introduce drastic
measures that include shuttering museums to curb the spread of the
virus. Poland announced a similar move on Monday, and Italy, the
worst affected country in Europe so far, closed all of its museums
and major heritage sites on Tuesday.

Yesterday, the Austrian government banned all gatherings of more
than 100 people at indoor events, or 500 people outdoors. The
country has also instituted an entry ban on travelers from
Italy. So far, Austria has confirmed 157 cases of the
virus.

The Albertina’s general director, Klaus Albrecht Schröder, said
that the museum would adhere to the formal decree issued by the
federal museums directors board, which is trying to find a uniform
strategy for all of its institutions. They include the
prestigious Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, which is now
shuttered. A note on its website explains that, due to the decree
by the ministry of health and ministry of culture, the museum will
be closed until April 3.

The public opening of Vienna’s new Modern and contemporary art
museum will be postponed until late April or early May at the
earliest, a spokesperson tells Artnet News. Meanwhile, Vienna’s
historic Albertina Museum and its special exhibitions, will remain
closed until further notice, according to its website.

The Albertina Modern is the result of a three-year renovation of
the historic Künstlerhaus on the city’s museum-rich Karlsplatz.
The around €50 million ($56 million) project will focus on
post-1945 international and Austrian artists. Drawing on the
Albertina’s collection, the Essl Collection, and the Jablonka
Collection, the Albertina Modern has works by artists including
Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Gerhard Richter, Hermann Nitsch, and
VALIE EXPORT, among others.

Johanna Rachinger, the director general of Austria’s National
Library, warned the loss of admission fees and other incomes will
lead to a difficult financial situation for federal museums. “It
will be difficult to keep our budgets,” she said.

Museum directors across Europe are anxiously forecasting the
possible financial impact and cash-flow problems caused by
coronavirus. Attendance looks set to fall, and may be limited by
some institutions. The Museo del Prado in Madrid has cancelled
events in its auditorium and it is limiting attendance at its free,
late-night openings to 500 people while monitoring its most popular
rooms.

Artnet News understands that the UK’s culture ministry is asking
institutions to provide estimates of the problems they will face if
there is a significant drop in visitor numbers and income
generating activity.

The post Vienna’s Highly Anticipated Albertina Modern’s
Opening Has Been Indefinitely Postponed as Austria Orders Museums
to Close appeared first on artnet News.