The exhibition
Gustav Klimt - Pigment & Pixel

The exhibited pictures are presented thematically in a total of three rooms (sorted by colour according to blue, red and white). Mirrors, glass surfaces and lighting effects are used to bring the latest findings to the surface. Old becomes new. New becomes timeless. The staging team has really achieved something marvellous here.

Just as the title of the exhibition makes clear: Rediscover art with technology! So embark on this adventure!

Blue: Klimt seen through

With the help of infrared technology and X-ray images, corrections and changes in the creation process became recognisable. The researchers also discovered that Klimt’s paintings are not just made up of oil colours. Here, too, we are not yet revealing what else he used – and, above all, when. One thing in advance: Klimt refined his art right up to the end.

Red: Klimt in gold

Between 1901 and 1908, Klimt was particularly fond of using shiny metal or gold leaf to give his works even more expression. In addition to silver and gold, the artist even used platinum – an unusual choice at the time. Today we know how he went about achieving a stable and effective surface for his pictures.

Macro photography – i.e. high-resolution images – made it possible to explore the fine details of his technique – especially the use of gold leaf and the layers of colour.

White: Klimt restored

Between 1898 and 1907, Gustav Klimt painted the so-called ‘Faculty Paintings’ for the University of Vienna: ‘Medicine’, ‘Philosophy’ and ‘Jurisprudence’ adorned the ceiling of the Great Ceremonial Hall until a fire in 1945. What remains are black and white photographs – and the question of the original colours of the pictures. After more than 80 years, researchers have succeeded in digitally reconstructing them and displaying them in their original colours thanks to AI (artificial intelligence). So the mystery seems to have been solved! You can see the reconstruction in its original size – on the ceiling! Really impressive!