News

How did today's Museum of Military History (HGM) come about? Staff members of the Museum of Military History, together with colleagues from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, explored this question. The occasion for their research was the examination of historical architectural drawings and designs by the renowned architect Theophil Hansen (1813–1891), who designed the former Arms Museum – the present-day Museum of Military History.
Read the detailed report on the Museum of Military History's website here:
Auf den Spuren Theophil Hansens

The Cathrin Pichler Prize, endowed with €2,500 and sponsored by the City of Vienna, will be awarded to the artist Sunggu Hong in 2026. The prize recognizes artistic positions that contribute to academic discourse and open up new forms of knowledge production through specific methods and practices. The award ceremony will take place on July 3rd during the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna's graduation ceremony. Congratulations!

Dear students and colleagues,

in order to raise awareness in collaboration with all universities and as many people as possible, a demonstration by universities against the planned budget cuts will take place on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 13 h. It is organized by Universities Austria (Uniko) in cooperation with the Austrian Student Union ÖH.

The 23rd edition of Vienna Shorts presents more than 352 films from 66 countries – in competitions, retrospectives, late-night screenings, and live events, as well as thematic programs and screenings for young audiences. We are delighted to announce that students and alumni of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna are also represented in the program!

With the groundbreaking ceremony on May 13, the Bundesimmobiliengesellschaft (BIG) will begin the renovation, expansion, and extension of the so-called Ballonhalle in the Vienna Arsenal. The former military building, erected shortly before the end of the war in 1917/18 and now under heritage protection, will be adapted for new use by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Completion is planned for the end of 2027; the university will begin using the building in early 2028.

Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 18 h
VBKÖ, Maysedergasse 2/28 (4. Stock, Lift), 1010 Vienna
With Johan Hartle (Rector Academy of Fine Arts Vienna), andrea ancira, Nina Hoechtl (tumbalacasa ediciones), Thomas Geiger, Astrid Seme (Mark Pezinger Books)

Many thanks to all teachers, students, participants, enablers, supporters and attendees for their dedicated contributions and collaboration on Platz nehmen #5: Lets stick with the Unicorns!

The Austrian Booksellers and Publishers Association has awarded the publications Dead Dove: Do Not Eat Perpetual Stew and Rotting Sounds as two of the most beautiful books in Austria in 2025!

Anca Benera is a PhD student at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and received the Birgit Jürgenssen Prize in 2022. This year, she and her partner Arnold Estefán are representing Romania at the Venice Biennale with the exhibition Black Seas – Scores for the Sonic Eye.

In cooperation with UNIQA, the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is awarding the UNIQA Art Prize for the second time. The EUR 15,000 prize for emerging artists is aimed at graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and was established in 2024.

The Institute for Conservation and Restoration (IKR) and the Institute for Natural Sciences and Technology in the Arts (INTK) have been located at Kelsenstraße 2, 1030 Vienna, since the beginning of March. Offices for Architecture, the Master in Critical Studies, Art | Research | Support, and one of our research clusters are also located there. Kelsenstraße is not far from a future, new location of the Academy, the "Ballonhalle" – check the website regularly to stay up to date!