With Aging Pride, the Belvedere has dedicated a comprehensive museum exhibition to the highly topical, socio-political subject of age. It is the first exhibition to contrast historical and contemporary artistic positions on the concept of age with regard to gender roles, the assignment of these roles, and inter-generational solidarity.

These days, the aging process is seen as a deficiency in the public eye. Terms such as ‘anti-aging’ give the impression that aging is something pathological. The prevailing cult of youth endeavours to hide the traces of aging. Aside from negative stereotypes, however, age also indicates power, experience, wisdom, contemplation, lust for life, and triumph over societal conventions. Aging is not only a biological process but a cultural construction, which emerging sciences such as cultural gerontology have dedicated themselves to investigating.

In this show, curator Sabine Fellner demonstrates how artists have succeeded in differently perceiving the possibilities and limitations of age while transcending exaltation and pessimism. In the presented works, artists illustrate how age in all of its facets can be thoughtfully integrated into our lives. In addition to numerous works from the Belvedere collection, the exhibition presents high-profile loans from national and international museums.

Including works by Tina Barney, Max Beckmann, Werner Berg, Renate Bertlmann, Herbert Boeckl, Eva Brunner-Szabo, Aleah Chapin, Heinz Cibulka, John Coplans, Lovis Corinth, Edgar Degas, Carola Dertnig, Ines Doujak, Sepp Dreissinger, Michael Endlicher, Eric Fischl, Josef Floch, Lucian Freud, Adolf Frohner, George Grosz, Johannes Grützke, Barbara Klemm, Heidi Harsieber, Alfred Hrdlicka, Regina Hügli, Birgit Jürgenssen, Alex Katz, Anastasia Khoroshilova, Gustav Klimt, Herlinde Koelbl, Anton Kolig, Broncia Koller, Käthe Kollwitz, Oskar Kokoschka, Nikolaus Korab, Nina Kovacheva, Brigitte Kowanz, Maria Lassnig, Annie Leibovitz, Karin Mack, Karl Mediz, Elfriede Mejchar, Ishiuchi Miyako, Marie Louise von Motesiczky, Ron Mueck, Shirin Neshat, Roman Opałka, Martin Parr, Ewa Partum, Pablo Picasso, Margot Pilz, Arnulf Rainer, Paula Rego, Egon Schiele, Claudia Schumann, Joan Semmel, Cindy Sherman, Fritz Simak, Kiki Smith, Annegret Soltau, Margherita Spiluttini, Evelin Stermitz, Fiona Tan, Juergen Teller, Joyce Tenneson, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Rosemarie Trockel, Spencer Tunick, Nurith Wagner-Strauß, Jeff Wall,  Max Weiler, Rebecca Warren, Todd Weinstein, Nives Widauer, Martha Wilson und Herwig Zens