TAKEOVER – Street Art & Skateboarding

Turning the Museum into an Urban Playground

Abstract

In the summer of 2019, the ‘old’ Wien Museum opened its doors one last time. The galleries had been emptied for a substantial renovation and expansion project, affording unprecedented opportunities for interaction. Located right in the city centre, more than 2000 m² were turned into a playground for street art and skateboarding.

The museum invited prominent local protagonists, affording everyone the opportunity to discover the scenes in entirely new ways. The building was split into two zones: on the ground floor, it was DIY and skateboarding; the first floor was a ‘Hall of Fame’ featuring main figures of Vienna’s street art scene. More than 80 artists took possession of the museum’s walls. Old exhibition furniture was turned into a skate park using concrete. There was much to discover and much to do—from breakdancing to workshops on various painting styles.

Street art and skateboarding still polarise, even though they have the status of pop cultural phenomena with a growing number of exhibitions. Yet the question remains: how can these outdoor practices be brought into a museum without losing their original spirit?

This case study gives an insight into the making of a collaborative project that became an overwhelming success: How the museum became a meeting spot for street artists, skateboarders and visitors of all ages; the difficulties we faced and the support we got, and especially how we made the first exhibition of Viennese street art.