KUNST HAUS WIEN, which was founded in 1991, has two exhibition areas: the Hundertwasser Museum and the exhibition rooms devoted to international temporary exhibitions. These are supplemented by the MuseumShop and the Café Restaurant Dunkelbunt. KUNST HAUS WIEN was established on the basis of the philosophy and artistic principles of the Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928 –2000). The building itself, formerly the Thonet furniture factory, was architecturally remodelled according to Hundertwasser’s own designs.

The Hundertwasser Museum presents a unique cross-section of the oeuvre of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, including key paintings as well as graphic works, applied art, architectural designs and examples of the artist’s ecological commitment.

Since 1991, KUNST HAUS WIEN has presented international temporary exhibitions of works by such artists as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray, David Hockney, Jean Dubuffet, Joan Miró, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Christo and Jean Tinguely. KUNST HAUS WIEN’s programme now focuses on four main areas of emphasis: the artists of classical modernism; encounters with art from various non-European cultures; the artistic positions, contemporaries, philosophy and ideas of Friedensreich Hundertwasser; and artistic photography.

KUNST HAUS WIEN, which was a private institution until 2007, is now – together with the Jewish Museum, Mozarthaus Vienna and Haus der Musik – one of the cultural institutions of Wien Holding. Since 2007, Dr. Franz Patay has been the Director of KUNST HAUS WIEN.