Operation is too expensive – victims Signa bankruptcy: looking for BA Art Forum

René Benko’s financial problems are apparently also dragging the art forum into the abyss. The exhibition institute on the Freyung is located in a palace of the bankrupt Signa Prime.

But, as UniCredit Bank Austria tells the “Krone”: “Signa was not only the landlord of the location, but also the most important partner and largest sponsor of the art forum for many years. The consequences of the loss of Signa sponsorship mean that the Kunstforum cannot continue to function, also for economic reasons. Additional high investments are required for future-oriented continuation of business operations, which cannot be realized under the given circumstances.”

The lease agreement for the Kunstforum was only concluded for one year each time. Bank Austria has made “great efforts in recent weeks to reach an agreement with the landlord on a long-term lease for the Kunstforum. To our great regret, this is no longer possible due to the changed preconditions.”

As a result, UniCredit Bank Austria has decided to “reorganize its sponsorship activities and expand its support to the Viennese cultural scene.”

The art forum board, in which Heinz Fischer, Helga Rabl-Stadler, Erwin Pröll and Anton Zeilinger sit, is preparing a petition to Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen. He must ensure that Bank Austria continues to operate the art forum. Or at least allow a transition period to find other operators so that the cultural institution can continue to function.

The institution has brought international and Austrian artists closer to more than eight million visitors in 170 exhibitions. The Gauguin show runs until January 19. Then we will consider whether the exhibitions about Anton Corbijn and Marina Abramović should be canceled in October.