Vienna · Austria
Stellprobe: Belvedere 21 Stages a Decade of Collection Acquisitions
Heimo Zobernig transforms the museum's recent acquisitions into an experimental spatial rehearsal
A Stage Rehearsal for the Collection
Belvedere 21 presents 'Stellprobe', an ambitious survey bringing together more than 150 works acquired over the last decade. The exhibition takes its title from the German concept of a stage rehearsal, where relationships between figures, objects and narratives are tested in space. Curators Stella Rollig and Luisa Ziaja have assembled this experimental arrangement across the ground floor, upper level, Blickle Cinema and sculpture garden.
Rather than a conventional chronological display, the installation functions as both review and speculation. It offers insight into the museum's collecting strategy whilst proposing a temporary vision of how the institution might evolve. The works span from sixteenth-century medieval panels to contemporary pieces, reflecting the breadth of acquisitions that have shaped the collection in recent years.
Expanding the Narrative
The selection reveals particular attention to historical figures previously underrepresented in the museum's holdings. Nineteenth and early twentieth-century women artists receive significant emphasis, alongside practitioners associated with the feminist avant-garde and those exploring migration experiences. This curatorial focus acknowledges gaps in art historical narratives whilst demonstrating the institution's commitment to broadening its scope.
The media on view reflects this diversity: paintings sit alongside sculptures, drawings, moving-image works, textiles, porcelain pieces and sound installations. Artists including Caroline Achaintre, Renate Bertlmann, VALIE EXPORT, Nilbar Güreş, and Heimo Zobernig himself feature alongside historical names such as Friedrich von Amerling and Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller. The result is a fragmentary but compelling snapshot of the collection's recent development.
Architecture in Play
Artist Heimo Zobernig has conceived the display as an intervention within Karl Schwanzer's atrium building. His installation incorporates used stage elements from Vienna's Volkstheater, creating a bold connection between the two exhibition levels. This architectural approach transforms the museum space into something approaching its titular rehearsal stage, where the relationships between works become as important as the objects themselves.
The temporary nature of the installation underscores its experimental character. By presenting these acquisitions as provisional arrangements rather than permanent displays, the exhibition questions how museums construct narratives around their collections. It suggests that collecting itself might be understood as an ongoing performance, with each new acquisition potentially reshaping existing stories.
Future Possibilities
Running from July through October 2026, 'Stellprobe' ultimately affirms the value of these newly acquired works whilst highlighting the museum's commitment to preserving them for future generations. The exhibition demonstrates how contemporary collecting practices can illuminate historical blind spots whilst maintaining dialogue with current artistic production.
Assistant curators Johanna Hofer and Katarina Lozo have supported the development of this extensive project, which will be accompanied by a series of events exploring the themes raised by the installation.
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