Artists

Balthasar Wigand, Rudolf von Alt, Stefan Oláh

Press release

The exhibition is dedicated to the work of three artists—Balthasar Wigand, Rudolf von Alt, and Stefan Oláh—and their engagement with the city of Vienna. Spanning two centuries, this exploration begins with Wigand, whose most significant works were created around 1820, it continues with Rudolf von Alt, the quintessential "chronicler" of 19th-century Vienna, and concludes with Stefan Oláh, who has revisited the city from diverse perspectives for over two decades.

Vienna, Vienna, only you adopts the vantage points of his predecessors, revisiting their locations and capturing, through his photographs, how the city and its surroundings present themselves today. The selection of subjects is far from random. It is guided by Wigand’s exquisite Vienna miniatures, set into opulent cassettes, and by five outstanding watercolors by Rudolf von Alt. 

The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to compare the "then" and "now" while discovering the works of these three artists from a singular perspective.

This journey takes visitors from the Spinnerin am Kreuz through the heart of Vienna, featuring landmarks such as St. Stephen’s Cathedral and Karlskirche, to Schönbrunn Palace and, finally, into the Gastein Valley. Oláh’s gaze is unflinching, devoid of judgment, yet profoundly analytical. He reveals places that have remained virtually unchanged over two centuries and others that have been irrevocably altered, sometimes to the point of being "built over."