free as a bird

A resounding invitation to all – and especially to children and their adults, vogelfrei encourages its guests to invent birds and other flying creatures while resisting their extinction. The artist duo Gerda Steiner & Jörg Lenzlinger initiate a spatial narrative from a bird’s-eye view – a wondrous beginning with an open-ended outcome. Their installation provides space up to the ceiling for fantastical beings to be discovered. created and built on-site.

A wild decoy bird world grows with: cunning turtledoves and bashful vultures, organized chickens and enamored dragons, cockatoos, hummingbirds and cheeky finches, icy siskins, hungry smacks, award-winning goldfinches, fantastic crossbills, great tits, and Salzkammergut swallows, impatient alpine parrots, lavender swans, well-traveled gallows birds and generous magpies, zizibes and birigoes, 
excited nest sitters and extravagant fledglings, bird droppings, seductive egg dances, and as-yet-undiscovered swarms.

The former restaurant is transformed into a hub of anarchic ornithological diversity. Its final appearance remains uncertain. There is great curiosity about the unbridled inspirations of its visitors. A vibrant, interactive installation created from an extensive selection of found materials, inviting wonder and encouraging experimentation. Those who want birds need courage for the wild.

A project by Gerda Steiner & Jörg Lenzlinger, conceived by Katharina Lackner and Julia Stoff.

Opening hours: 

The exhibition can be viewed at the following times: 

June 21st and 22nd Opening (times to follow) 

June 23 – July 5, 2024: 
Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m 
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m 

July 6 – September 8, 2024: 
Thursday to Monday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m 
Tuesday and Wednesday only for groups with advanced reservation