HALLE FÜR KUNST Steiermark

The Halle für Kunst Steiermark, formerly known as Künstlerhaus Graz and Halle für Kunst & Medien, is a dedicated exhibition space in Graz for showcasing fine arts.The focus of this place is contemporary art.The Kunstverein Medienturm has been in charge of the programmatic direction and management of the building since January 2013.

The house features a spacious and lofty ground floor, highlighted by a grand hall. This hall includes an apse and a slightly elevated floor towards the north. On the eastern side, there is a room that is lower, longer, and smaller in size. The entrance on the east is adorned with a spacious staircase that leads to a small foyer. From this foyer, two elegant staircases gracefully spiral down to the basement. From this point, you can conveniently access sanitary rooms as well as two exhibition rooms.

These exhibition rooms have the same floor plan as the ones on the ground floor, but they do not have an apse. The height of the room is lower in this location. There are eight pillars in the hall that support the ceiling. There is a secondary entrance to the building, located next to the main entrance, which features a flat ramp for easy access. After undergoing renovations from 2010 to 2012, the building now boasts a generous 670 m² of exhibition space and an additional 1100 m² of usable space.

Building history

Since 1903, the art associations have been collecting money for a fund dedicated to building a house for artists.In 1909, the municipal council of Graz made a decision to allocate a specific plot of land in Graz’s Stadtpark, near the Burgtor, for the purpose of establishing an artists’ house.In 1910, a petition was initiated by 1,327 respected citizens who were unofficially encouraged by a committee member of the City Beautification Association. They appealed against the decision.A deep conversation about alternative locations took place.

Considerable amounts of money had already been contributed to the building fund by 1938.After the annexation of Austria, the art associations were forcefully dissolved and the Künstlerhaus building fund was confiscated.The associations were finally able to resume their activities in 1948 and reclaim the assets that had been confiscated by the Nazis. These assets were then used for the construction of the Künstlerhaus.The Cooperative of Fine Artists, now known as the Union of Fine Artists in Styria, voluntarily gave up their reimbursement and instead obtained a certified right to have a say in the use of the Künstlerhaus.

The Künstlerhaus Graz was constructed in 1951 and is located at Burgring 2 in the city park. It officially opened on June 20, 1952, featuring an exhibition of artists from Styria. The building includes a large hall, an adjoining apse, and a separate graphics room.The construction of the project was made possible through the support of the state of Styria and funding from both the state and federal government. The funds that had been confiscated in 1938 had been depleted due to inflation. The city provided the necessary land for the project.The Graz city building authority literally constructed it using the rubble left behind from the war.The design of the artists’ house was created by architect Robert Haueisen, who took inspiration from the Vienna Secession and designed it as a separate exhibition building.

The initial director was Leo Scheu, a painter who had experienced the weight of National Socialism.The purpose of the Künstlerhaus Graz, as stated in its statutes, is to showcase the artistic works of creative artists from Graz and Styria. Additionally, it aims to provide a space for various artists’ associations to hold exhibitions.Some of the notable art associations in Graz are the Graz Artists’ Association, the Graz Secession, the Styrian art association Werkbund, and the Association of Styrian Visual Artists. Additionally, there are the Professional Association of Visual Artists Austria, Group 77, and the Art Forum.During the renovation in 2020, a plaque on the building indicated that the state of Styria, as the owner, had dedicated it to visual artists indefinitely.

From 2003 to 2012, the Künstlerhaus operated as a department of the Universalmuseum Joanneum, with artistic direction provided by Werner Fenz and others.The exhibition dates have been communicated to the mentioned associations.

The building underwent a complete renovation between 2010 and 2012, carried out by the Graz architects Alfred Bramberger in collaboration with the Federal Monuments Office.In 2012, the Künstlerhaus was separated from the Joanneum at the initiative of Kulturlandesrat Christian Buchmann. As a result, its management was re-advertised.Sandro Droschl, the head of the Kunstverein Medienturm, was selected as the winner during the ordering process.The Künstlerhaus was completely independent in all aspects, including organization and finances, and did not have any supervisory board overseeing its operations.

Droschl’s contract, which was initially set to expire in 2015, was extended to 2016. Additionally, he achieved success in the subsequent tender.Under the leadership of Droschl, the Künstlerhaus adopted a more international focus.In 2018, there were public conflicts between long-established artist associations. These associations raised concerns about the reduction in exhibition time allotted to them. Originally, they were given six months, but it had been reduced to just 2.5 weeks for all five associations combined.The Graz Secession, the Styrian Association of Visual Artists, and the Professional Association of Visual Artists jointly submitted a total of 66 white canvases as a protest against a competition advertised by Droschl.

Since 2020, the Künstlerhaus has undergone further reorganization and structural adaptations under the continued direction of Sandro Droschl. Additionally, there was an increase in the budget. After rumors circulated about the name “Kunsthalle Steiermark,” the building was eventually reopened in 2021 with a new name, “Halle für Kunst Steiermark.”