anselm kiefer selected to create safety curtain artwork for the vienna state opera

Anselm Kiefer’S TAKE ON THE Safety Curtain project

German artist Anself Kiefer has been selected to create the 26th edition of the Safety Curtain at the Vienna State Opera House. Conceived by museum in progress —an immaterial laboratory exploring the future of museums— and the Vienna Opera, the Safety Curtain project is an exhibition series that, since its inception in 1998, has transformed the conventional role of safety curtains into a temporary display space for contemporary art.

Anselm Kiefer, Solaris (for Stanislaw Lem), 2023, Safety Curtain, museum in progress, Vienna State Opera, 2023/2024 | all images courtesy of museum in progress

Solaris by Anselm Kiefer at Center Stage

For the 2023 iteration of the Safety Curtain project at the Vienna State Opera House (find more here), the jury featuring Daniel Birnbaum, Bice Curiger, and Hans Ulrich Obrist, has chosen German painter and sculptor, Anselm Kiefer. Kiefer unveils his work Solaris, drawing inspiration from the homonymous 1961 science fiction novel by Polish writer Stanisław Lem. The book narrates the tale of a remote alien planet and the all-encompassing entity that inhabits it.

Spanning an expansive 176 sqm, Kiefer’s artwork is brought to life through an innovative process. The image is printed on plastic nets and affixed to the safety curtain with magnets. The work becomes a focal point not only before performances but also during intermissions and at the conclusion of each show. As the curtains rise and fall, Kiefer’s creation takes center stage, transforming the Vienna State Opera House into an immersive gallery that transcends the traditional boundaries between art and performance. Audiences have the opportunity to experience Solaris from November 8, 2023, through the end of June 2024.

Anselm Kiefer, Solaris (for Stanislaw Lem), 2023, Safety Curtain, museum in progress, Vienna State Opera, 2023/2024

the story of the safety curtain project

Each year since 1998, when the museum in progress (find more here) inaugurated the Safety Curtain project, a contemporary artist is invited to create a design for the safety curtain of the Vienna State Opera House. Approximately 600,000 attendees get to admire the artwork before shows and during breaks during the 8- or 9-month season.

Through the years, over twenty artists have participated in this endeavor, producing large-scale visuals exclusive to the opera house. Kara Walker, the inaugural artist in 1998, presented a curtain adorned with silhouettes of African American figures. Other notable contributors include Jeff Koons, who integrated toy monkeys and cartoon characters, and David Hockney, who added his distinctive flair by vividly painting the words ‘Wien Musik.’ Recent participations feature Cao Fei’s The New Angel,’ showcased in 2022, and Beatriz Milhazes’ Pink Sunshine in 2021.

Cao Fei, The New Angel, 2022, Safety Curtain, museum in progress, Vienna State Opera, 2022/2023

Beatriz Milhazes, Pink Sunshine, 2021, Safety Curtain, museum in progress, Vienna State Opera, 2021/2022

project info:

artwork name: Solaris
artist: Anselm Kiefer

exhibition name: Safety Curtain
conceived by: museum in progress | @museuminprogress, Vienna State Opera | @wienerstaatsoper and Bundestheater-Holding
location: Vienna State Opera, Austria
dates: November 2023–June 2024