Contemporary Witness Photography in Austria since (1945) action, reaction, interpretation at the Photographischen Gesellschaft Vienna

The Viennese artist house is the current home of exhibition pieces by three generations of photographers.

Icons like Ernst Haas, Inge Morath, Harry Weber, Franz Hubmann, Elfriede Melchjar, Heinz Simonis are the figureheads of a long list of 120 photographers.

Even the Viennese actionist artists of the 1960s and 1970s are part of the selection, with names like Hermann Nitsch, Rudolf Schwarzkogler, Günter Brus and Heinz Cibulka on the list. The Viennese group makes a good argument for itself with Valie Export and many others who gained more and more fame in the decades that followed. Such as Elfi Semotan, Margret-Wenzel Jelinek, Gerhard Trumler, Gerhard Heller, Horst Stasny, Alfred Seiland, Gerhard Sokol, Andreas Bitesnich – lest we forget Erwin Wurm.

Almost all important, living photographers are shown alongside a selected and focused selection of trendsetting, young and upcoming photography artists of today.

In keeping with the diversity of photography, even stereoscopy and the most modern 3D technologies, video and holography are part of the exhibition.

The exhibition’s underlying concept is of a rather unusual nature and puts an emphasis on the active participation of the visitors. Some motifs can be found here on GoSee.

The 'Photographische Gesellschaft' is the oldest society of photography in German-speaking countries. It was founded by Anton Georg Martin on the 22nd or March 1861 at the Akademie der Wissenschaften in Vienna.


Zeit-zeugen Fotografie in Österreich seit (1945)
(contemporary witness photography in Austria since (1945))
Photographische Gesellschaft Wien
until January 29, 2012
Künstlerhaus, Karlsplatz 5, 1010 Vienna