Never Final!

This exhibition focuses on the transformation of the institution under the directorship of Dieter Ronte (1979 –1989). Representative insights into the heterogeneous development of the collection are set against the cultural policy framework and programmatic decisions of the decade. During this period, the museum laid the groundwork for collaborations with private collectors, took on an active socio political role, and pursued strategic purchases that paved the way for the collection’s key focal areas in the following decades.

“Never Final” – a phrase coined by Hertha Firnberg – continues to define mumok as a dynamic site of ongoing transformation. In the exhibition, this idea unfolds through an open format featuring interactive furniture and dialogue spaces that present the museum as a platform for collective inquiry, learning, and research. Here, art is not simply presented but is jointly explored and critiqued.