New Mumok Director's First Exhibitions Explore Childhood and Emotion

Vienna's Museum of Modern Art (Mumok) is ushering in a new chapter with the appointment of Fatima Hellberg as its new director. After 15 years under Karola Kraus, Hellberg, born in Malmö in 1986 and formerly of the Bonner Kunstverein, officially assumed her role last fall. Her curatorial vision is now coming to light through two parallel opening exhibitions, signaling a departure from her predecessor's tenure.

Traditionally, Mumok's new director's inaugural shows set a programmatic tone. Edelbert Köb's 2002 exhibition focused on Austrian artists, while Kraus's 2011 opening, "Museum der Wünsche," featured numerous loans, many by female artists. Hellberg's approach, developed with chief curator Lukas Flygare, emphasizes a theatricality and staged quality. The exhibitions aim to foster a more intense and emotional connection between the art and the audience, moving beyond the conventional sterile white cube of contemporary art spaces.

One of these exhibitions, "Figur des Kindes" (Figure of the Child) by Georgian artist Tolia Astakhisvili, is housed in the museum's lower levels. The installation's design, described as labyrinthine and reminiscent of a construction site or even a birth canal, aims to symbolize the emergence of the new from the foundations. Visitors enter through a dark red passage, immersing themselves in an environment that probes the viewer's innate childhood curiosity and sentimentality.

Astakhisvili, who has spent over two decades creating "artificial archaeologies of emotional spaces," uses the exhibition to explore themes of discovery, memory, and the transient nature of moments. The show intentionally plays with ambivalence, encouraging viewers to confront their own roots and engage with the unknown. This exhibition marks Astakhisvili's first museum show in Austria, highlighting Mumok's commitment to showcasing significant contemporary artists under its new leadership.