Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien

Internal Newsletter May 2026

Dear colleague, dear students,

It's May again! Here are the most important news from the Academy, so you don't lose track.

Happy reading from the Public Relations Office!
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Academy

Ballonhalle: Ground-breaking ceremony for a modern institute building for the Academy in the Vienna Arsenal

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.

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Photo: eSeL.at - Joanna Pianka
 

News

Academy

That was Platz nehmen #5!

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!

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Zeichenperformance, Platz nehmen #5, Foto: eSeL.at - Lorenz Seidler

Academy

Congratulations to the winners of the Most Beautiful Books of Austria awards!

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!

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Dead Dove Do Not Eat Perpetual Stew, Saffi Adler, Mark Pezinger Books, 2025

Academy

Anca Benera and Arnold Estefán represent Romania at the 61st Venice Biennale

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.

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Anca Benera (links) und Arnold-Estefan, Foto: Vlad Cîndea
 

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Public Relations Office

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