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Sisi Museum

I., Michaelerkuppel (Hofburg)
 533 75 70
www.hofburg-wien.at
Daily 9am-4.30pm

In Vienna there is no way to go around Elisabeth (1837-1898). As Sisi she is presented everywhere in cheap souvenirs, elegantly and gracefully carved in stone in the Volksgarten and since 2004 she has her own museum as well. Wife of Franz Joseph (1830-1916), ‘empress nolens volens’ (the story goes that the marriage was never executed), is being regarded as a princess. Since she has been the victim of an attack in Geneva, she has become immortal. For the first time a complete picture is given to the life of the precious but melancholic beauty from Wittelsbach who reflected herself as a young Bavarian poetess to Heinrich Heine. You can admire the dress from her bachelor party, her dressing gown, umbrella, fans and gloves, and you can get in the court’s reconstructed parlour car. Even the stilet that killed her, is being displayed here. 

Technisches Museum

899 98-60 00,
www.tmw.ac.at
Mo-Fr 9am-6pm, Sa-Su from 10am

Radically changed since a woman is in charge. Gigantic exhibition, well ordened, playful, lots of interactive pieces and several activities, nice atmosphere. Once a resort where museum pieces were covered with dust, but now the history is being presented in a lively manner. Truly delightful.

T-B A21 – Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary

Himmelpfortgasse 13/9
 513 98 56,
www.tba21.org
Tue-Sa 10am-6pm

Francesca von Habsburg, married to Karl von Habsburg-Lotharingen, grandson of Karl I, the last emperor of Austria-Hungary, has established an art institution in 2002 that only supports art of the 21st century. For that collection she now has found her hideout in the shades of the Stephansdom. Here she presents her collection to insiders – e.g. every Viennese who is at the very least somewhat interested in art – who have abbreviated it as T-B A21. 21 Stands for 21st century.

Downstairs the institution is settled, upstairs the private compartments of the most magnificent art patron of Vienna.
The daughter of grande industrial and art collector baron Hans-Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza, who died in 2003, and who donated one of the world’s largest private collections to the Spanish state, no longer plays a role in the gossip columns. She wants to be earnest without imitating her father.

In this collection the contemporary aspect is only one side of it. With the co-operation and the cross-over with cultural centers as Basel, Barcelona and Miami she only wants to address how modern artists work and live. The arch duchess is mostly concerned with the media and video artists. Her favourites are Janet Cardiff, Doug Aitken, Carsten Höller and Olafur Eliasson and they generally haven’t broken through yet. Because of Francesca von Habsburg, enfant terrible Christoph Schlingensief is able to exhibit some of his excentric installations.

 

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