The Essl Collection has been officially transferred to the ALBERTINA in Vienna
The Essl Collection has been officially transferred to the ALBERTINA in Vienna. This marks the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Essl Collection as well as the Albertina itself. And at the same time, this acquisition of one of the largest private collections of contemporary art represents a milestone in the history of the Austrian Federal Museums.
With its over 6,000 works, the Essl Collection numbers among the world’s largest private collections of its kind. Groups of works by figures including Karel Appel and Arnulf Rainer, Franz West and Georg Baselitz, Maria Lassnig and Alex Katz, Erwin Wurm and Anselm Kiefer, VALIE EXPORT and Cindy Sherman, and photographs by artists ranging from Andreas Gursky to Candida Höfer characterise this collection’s unique richness and special profile.
In 2014, the Essl Collection was in danger of being caught up in the financial turbulences surrounding the group of companies owned by the Essl family. But that same year, the collection—in no small part thanks to the efforts of Dr. Hans Peter Haselsteiner—was placed under the ownership of a new company, thus ensuring its survival. Now, its permanent loan (until 2044) to the ALBERTINA places the Essl Collection beneath the umbrella of the Austrian Federal Museums.
“With this forward-looking cooperative arrangement, the Essl Collection has been saved for Austria. These highly important works of contemporary art by artists from Austria and abroad complement the collections of the Federal Museums in a unique way, making this a win both for art and for the Republic of Austria,” commented Minister of Culture Thomas Drozda.
“In the ALBERTINA, we have found an ideal partner for the future of the collection,” said a cheerful Karlheinz Essl.
Klaus Albrecht Schröder: “Today is a shining moment in the ALBERTINA’s over 200-year history.To my mind, this transfer of the Essl Collection to the ALBERTINA opens up an entirely new chapter in the history of this tradition-steeped museum and of contemporary art in Austria.”
source: press release Albertina
