Twenty-five years after the MQ opened, this exhibition looks back on the turbulent history of one of the world’s largest cultural complexes. Through drawings, plans, models, and works of art, the exhibition traces a broad arc from the Baroque Court Stables to the “Messepalast“ and on to the planning and construction of the MQ.
The focus is on the history of the MQ and the architecture of Manfred and Laurids Ortner, who won the international competition in 1990 to design a contemporary cultural forum. Their winning project came under media and political pressure. In the meantime, the Messepalast was used by cultural initiatives such as the Wiener Festwochen, Depot, basis-Wien, and T0 (T-Null), among others. What was ultimately built starting in 1997 differs significantly from the architects’ original plans, not only due to the absence of the “Reading Tower,“ which was conceived as a landmark visible from afar. What remains is the idea of conceiving the MQ not as a static monument, but as a living space that can continually change and respond to new challenges and demands. In this sense, the exhibition also aims to open up perspectives for the future of a multifunctional urban space that has become an indispensable part of the city.
Curated by Andreas Nierhaus
MQ Freiraum
