Matthew Wong at the Albertina Museum, Vienna
- 6 hours ago
- 2 min read
Last week I was blown away by a temporary exhibition at the Albertina in Vienna.
This is one of the main museums in the city and it never disappoints. Not only does it contain works by modern and contemporary greats like Picasso, Monet, Chagall, Miró and Degas, the building itself was the largest residential palace of the Habsburgs.
So, even if you don’t set foot in the museum, sitting outside the entrance under the grand, leafy trees enjoying the view of the nearby opera house and architecture of the surrounding buildings is enough to transport you to Vienna of old.
But please do go on in! Currently, there’s an exhibition comparing the life and work of Canadian Chinese artist Matthew Wong with that of Van Gogh, an artist he strongly identified with. Kindred spirits in many ways, both saw art as an escape from inner demons–what Wong described as, “the impossibility of belonging to this world”–to the freedom of self-expression through art.
Matthew Wong’s paintings are equal parts mesmerising and melancholic. His painting style is evocative of Van Gogh’s in his use of vibrant colours, thickly applied paint and expressionist style.
But despite being highly decorative and pleasant to look at, there's a haunting aspect to many of the works. A small, seemingly powerless and isolated figure can be seen in some of the colourful landscapes, usually born of the artist’s imagination–in contrast with Van Gogh’s depiction of actual views outside his window.
Wong was a self-taught painter, born in Toronto in 1984, raised partly in Hong Kong. With a keen interest in photography, cinema and media, he only started painting in 2016. Sadly, he spent his short life battling depression, and he died by suicide in 2019. He left behind an astounding oeuvre of 1,300 art works.
The exhibition runs until 19th June, 2025.
How did The Albertina get its name?
Maria Theresa Habsburg’s favourite daughter, Marie Christine, lived in this palace with her husband, Albert. The two were said to be a true love-match and they founded the art collection. “Albertina” is their two first names combined. So cute!
About Story Inkubator
Story Inkubator was founded by writer-teacher, Kristina Jilly, an Australian living in Central Europe who's written for HBO Europe and RTL Television. She also writes online content about the art of storytelling, travel and cultural topics.