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WUK - An Open Cultural Space
City: ViennaAddress : A-1090 Vienna, Währinger Strasse 59.
Tel.: +43 1 40121-0
e-mail: info@wuk.at
The WUK is a non profit organization based on three mainstays: The venue, the job training and counselling projects and the 130 autonomous groups working in the house.
The responsible legal structure is the "Verein zur Schaffung offener Kultur- und Werkstättenhäuser", which is funded by public subsidies, membership fees, donations and box office revenue. The building, which sees some 1,500 people coming and going every day, is owned by the City of Vienna, which made it available to the association free of charge. The board of the association is elected by and from among all WUK members every two years; together with a managing director, it forms the top level of the internal decision-making hierarchy.
70 employees ensure that day-to-day business runs smoothly. The organizational structure of the association has meanwhile reached the level of a medium-sized enterprise. The complexity of the house, which unites self-governed and enterpreneurial structures, requires a high degree of flexibility while at the same time demanding professionality and division of labour, which is reflected in the individual departments.
They basically cover the organization of events, public relations and communication, job traioning and counselling projects as well as internal organization and administration; they ensure that the WUK machine runs more or less smoothly as they straddle the gap between yuppies and anarchists, pure rank-and-file democracy and the structures required to make things work.
ACTIVITIES - THE 7 INDEPENDENT UNITS
Around 130 different groups, initiatives and individuals use the house for their (mostly voluntary) artistic, social or political work. They are organized in seven self-governing units. Each unit administers its spaces independently and decides on how to use them. New groups or users are admitted by the monthly plenary meetings. Some units offer spaces for guest groups.
Painting
A wide range of visual artists (painting, graphic design, installation, film and video) work in 13 studios.
Dance/Theatre/Movement
Lab, training and production venues for performances, dance, theatre and interdisciplinary projects.
Social Issues/Initiatives
Initiatives covering social, environmental and cultural policy issues.
Children/Young Adults
Self-determined learning and living in three kids' groups, one day-care centre and two schools, open to children and parents who want to participate actively in new forms of learning and the organisation of the groups.
Intercultural Issues
Commitment for other peoples, cultures and fellow(-wo)men in Austria.
Music
The musicians and bands rehearsing in the basement rooms cover a range of styles from punk to jazz.
Workshop
Spaces for experimental artistic design and "help to self-help". Some groups offer infrastructure use or classes.
EVENTS + LOCATIONS
The WUK is one of the main multidisciplinary venues in Vienna whose special athmosphere owes a lot to the location in an old 19th century industrial complex.
The programme is dedicated to scouting for new trends and to sub- and off-culture activities; it considers itself a platform for young artists and presents top-notch national and international events. It covers the spheres of theatre, dance, music, clubbings, kids' and young adults' events, symposia and discussions as well as workshops, visual art and interdisciplinary projects.
Performance Halls
To cater to the needs of a densely packed and highly diversified programme, two multi-functional halls and two smaller spaces are available: the "Big Hall" and "Foyer" (380 m2 and 175m2, capacity 250 seated and 550 standing) are the spaces for theatre, dance, concerts and parties, and the "museum spaces" (60 m2 and max. 40 seats each, historical ambiance) are used for workshops, seminars, smaller concerts and performances.
Contact: va.sekretariat@wuk.at
Kunsthalle Exnergasse
The non-profit gallery shows interdisciplinary/intermedia projects from the fields of painting, sculpture, graphic design, video, computer art, space-related art, performance and music; presentations change every month. The facility cooperates with galleries and other socio-cultural centres in Austria and abroad.
Exhibition space: 400 m2
Opening hours: Tue - Fri 2 pm to 7 pm, Sat 10 am to 1 pm
Contact: kunsthalle.exnergasse@wuk.at
Fotogalerie Wien
The "Assocation for the Promotion of Artistic Photography" presents current and transboundary photo art. Every year, it organizes about ten exhibitions of works by photographers from Austria and abroad. The facility cooperates and exchanges shows with galleries and institutions both nationally and internationally.
2 exhibition spaces: 100 m2, 50 m2
Opening hours: Tue - Fri 2 pm to 7 pm, Sat 10 am to 2 pm
Contact: office.f.w@xpoint.at
Projektraum Wien
A universally suited space (250 m2) for artistic projects and presentations from all disciplines.
Contact: hans.lindner@wuk.at
Kino im WUK
International avantgarde films, OpenScreen!
(S-8, 16 mm projections, 40 seats).
Austrian Filmmakers Cooperative.
Contact: office@filmcoop.at
Galerie IntAkt
Small exhibition space (25 m2) for women artists of all fields of art. International association of female visual artists.
Contact: intakt@wuk.at
Initiativenräume
2 spaces for events related to social issues and multi-cultural projects: 97 m2, 44 m2
Contact: info@wuk.at
