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The Wien Museum is dedicating a comprehensive mid-career survey to Vienna-based artist Leopold Kessler (b. 1976 in Munich) — the largest exhibition of his work to date in Austria.

For the past two decades, Kessler has gained international recognition for his precise interventions, always with a critical eye on the use and privatization of urban space. His subtle —and often unauthorized — actionsin public settings are both celebrated and controversial. His interactive machines, frequently disguised as pieces of urban furniture, also continue to draw attention.
One such piece, the bright orange Akademiekabel (Academy Cable), ran across the city, drawing electricity from an outlet at the Academy of Fine Arts to power Kessler’s private apartment. Another work, the Nordbahn-Zeh—an oversized toe with a constantly growing nail that passersby could clip — was installed in Vienna in 2022 and quickly became a local icon.

The exhibition Leopold Kessler. Works in Public Space not only showcases his most well-known projects but, for the first time, also offers insight into his early sculptural work and the conceptual groundwork that underpins many of his pieces.