08.06.2026
The MuseumsQuartier mourns the loss of Elfie Semotan
The MuseumsQuartier is deeply saddened by the death of Elfie Semotan on June 6: Just a few months ago, on the occasion of the MuseumsQuartier’s 25th anniversary, the renowned Austrian photographer created the current campaign “25 Portraits of the MQ Generation” at the invitation of MQ Director Bettina Leidl. For this project, she photographed companions, artists, and personalities who have a special connection to the MuseumsQuartier.
The resulting series, “Generation MQ,” is a striking testament to her distinctive photographic vision. It is all the more touching that Elfie Semotan herself stepped in front of the camera for this project.
“I have enjoyed a long-standing and enriching collaboration with Elfie Semotan. In 2021, we organized the major retrospective ‘Haltung und Pose’ at Kunst Haus Wien. Most recently, Elfie Semotan devoted herself to the MQ campaign ‘Generation MQ’ with extraordinary passion and precision. She worked with the subjects with curiosity and a zest for life, paying attention to even the smallest details. Elfie Semotan was far more than an outstanding artist. Her death fills me with great sorrow. We will miss her dearly.” – Bettina Leidl, Director of the MuseumsQuartier Wien
With the passing of Elfie Semotan, Austria has lost one of the most influential figures in contemporary photography. As an artist of international stature, she understood better than almost anyone else how to bring people, attitudes, and stories to life. Her sense of atmosphere, her artistic radicalism, and her inexhaustible curiosity will live on in her work.
Current photo gallery marking the 25th anniversary of the MuseumsQuartier
Since May of this year, portraits from Elfie Semotan’s MQ campaign have been adorning the streets of Vienna. Semotan brought 25 personalities in front of the camera. She herself was photographed by Christoph Thanhoffer and serves as the “Plus 1” to the 25 protagonists. Swiss creative director Beda Achermann has artistically enhanced the portraits and overlaid them with works from the mumok and Leopold Museum. Personal quotes from the subjects complement the images. The result is a multifaceted portrait of the “MQ Generation,” which defines itself through shared actions, experiences, and ways of thinking.
Elfie Semotan described her relationship with the MQ as follows: “The MQ is important, a blessing, and an enrichment. It has everything I need to live.”
"Generation MQ" magazine
The publication “Generation MQ” accompanies the campaign and brings together all 25 portraits by Elfie Semotan, as well as texts featuring anecdotes and memories of the MQ shared by the subjects. The magazine is available for free at the MuseumsQuartier.
For further information
, please contact Anna Lena Schmidt, MA
, Press and Public Relations | Editorial Department
, M. +43 699 130 60 112,
anna.schmidt@mqw.at | presse@mqw.at
Press photos
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