As I had an all-inclusive ticket for the Belvedere Complex, I also went to the Belvedere 21. This building is actually new for me - it didn't exist back when I visited Vienna for the first time in 2005.
The Belvedere 21 is a striking modernist museum and cultural center located in Vienna’s Landstraße district, serving as the venue for 20th- and 21st-century contemporary art within the Belvedere museum complex. Originally designed by renowned Austrian architect Karl Schwanzer as the national pavilion for the 1958 World Expo in Brussels (where it won the Grand Prix d'Architecture) the pavilion was disassembled, moved to Vienna, and opened in 1962 as the "20er Haus" (Museum of the 20th Century). Following extensive modern renovations, it reopened in 2011 as the 21er Haus before officially being rebranded as Belvedere 21 in 2018.
In order to get there, however, first I needed to take a tram, as where I was was slightly far to walk given the hot weather. As I went to the tram stop, i stumbled upon the Monument in Honour of the Soviet Army, which is depicted in the above photos.
And then I found the building. It featured plenty of interesting pieces, and I have to admit, not all of them were easily comprehensible to me. The museum showcases post-1945 Austrian art alongside international contemporary positions. Its programs heavily feature temporary rotating exhibitions, multimedia installations, post-war works, Vienna Actionism, and the estate of Austrian sculptor Fritz Wotruba. As is typical with contemporary pieces, sometimes it requires some explanation for the viewer to understand what the art is about. And this time, I unfortunately didn't have it.
In any case, I spent some time wandering the halls and the galleries, and checked out contemporary Austrian art. After this, I slowly headed out and started finding lunch.
