Contemporary Art
Contemporary Art is a central focus at Dorotheum. Our biannual Contemporary Week features our main sales of Austrian and international art, complemented by a programme of online auctions throughout the year. Together, these sales offer collectors an exceptional selection of works of art. Dorotheum regularly achieves outstanding results at the highest international level.
A broad spectrum of artistic movements is represented, ranging from Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism and Conceptual Art to Informal Art, Kinetic Art, Op Art, Pop Art and Graffiti. The selection includes paintings and drawings, works on paper, as well as sculptures and installations by many of the most significant contemporary artists.
Among the department’s significant achievements is the world-record price of €1,367,800 for Maria Lassnig’s Wilde Tiere sind gefährdet (Wild Animals Are Endangered), the highest sum ever realised for a work of Austrian contemporary art. Dorotheum also holds the world record for a poetic abstract work (2015) by Martha Jungwirth and works by other leading Austrian artists such as Arnulf Rainer, Wolfgang Hollegha, Herbert Brandl, Brigitte Kowanz, Erwin Wurm and Franz West consistently achieve excellent results at auction.
Contemporary art from Germany also performs exceptionally well, with strong demand for works by Hans Hartung, Albert Oehlen, Konrad Klapheck, Heinz Mack and Günther Uecker. International stars such as Andy Warhol, Tony Cragg as well as Jean Dubuffet, Anish Kapoor, Yayoi Kusama, Georges Mathieu, Zdeněk Sýkora and Mikuláš Medek are firmly established highlights of Dorotheum’s auctions.
Italian post-war and contemporary art occupies a particularly prominent position at Dorotheum, with works by Lucio Fontana, Carla Accardi, Piero Dorazio, Alighiero Boetti, Emilio Vedova, Enrico Castellani and Mario Schifano regularly achieving top prices.
Our international team of specialists combines decades of experience with in-depth market expertise, offering private collectors and institutions alike the highest level of guidance in the acquisition and sale of contemporary artworks.
Our specialists are pleased to offer a complimentary and confidential consultation, without obligation.
Contact
Dorotheergasse 17, 1010 Vienna
20c.paintings@dorotheum.at
Tel. +43-1-515 60-358, 386
Current auctions
| Auction | Auction Date | Exhibition | Location |
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LIVE
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19.05.26 - 18:00
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09.05. - 19.05.2026 | Vienna | Palais Dorotheum |
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LIVE
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20.05.26 - 18:00
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09.05. - 20.05.2026 | Vienna | Palais Dorotheum |
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21.05.26 - 17:00
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09.05. - 21.05.2026 | Vienna | Palais Dorotheum |
Blog and videos
Specialists
Head of department
Dr. Bernhard Brandstätter
+43-1-515 60-289
Contact by E-Mail
Mag. Patricia Pálffy
+43-1-515 60-386
Contact by E-Mail
Düsseldorf
Dr. Petra Maria Schäpers
+49 211 2107747
Contact by E-Mail
Berlin
Joëlle Romba
+49 173 5238048
Contact by E-Mail
Milan
Alessandro Rizzi
+39-02-303 52 41
Contact by E-Mail
Rome
Flaminia Allvin
+39-06-699 23 671
Contact by E-Mail
Dr. Marianne Hussl-Hörmann
+43-1-515 60-765
Contact by E-Mail
Mag. Barbara Freisitzer
+43-1-515 60-559
Contact by E-Mail
International contemporary artists at Dorotheum's auctions
The international stars of the contemporary art category include Lucio Fontana, Paolo Scheggi, Enrico Castellani, Piero Manzoni, Robert Clark Indiana, Sean Scully, Anish Kapoor, Ilya Kabakov, Yayoi Kusama, Martin Kippenberger, Jörg Immendorff, Sigmar Polke, ZERO artist Günther Uecker, Georg Baselitz, Anselm Kiefer, Julian Schnabel, Alighiero Boetti, Antoni Tàpies, Lynn Chadwick, Damien Hirst, Heinz Mack, John Chamberlain, Tobias Rehberger, Chantal Joffe, Marie-Jo Lafontaine, Axel Hütte and Candida Höfer.
Contemporary Art from Austria
Austrian contemporary art is also widely represented by artists such as Erwin Wurm, Maria Lassnig, Arnulf Rainer, Franz West, Herbert Brandl, Friedensreich Hundertwasser, Martha Jungwirth and the protagonists of Viennese Actionism, namely Otto Muehl, Hermann Nitsch and Günther Brus.