Matthew Wong at the Albertina Museum, Vienna

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.

How did The Albertina get its name?

Maria Theresa Habsburg’s favourite daughter, Marie Christine, lived here 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.

It's a beautiful building, 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.

Matthew Wong Exhibition

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 despite the 131 year age gap, both saw art as an escape from inner demons–which Wong described as, “the impossibility of belonging to this world”–to the freedom of self-expression through art.

Matthew Wong Unknown Pleasures, 2019. © 2023 Matthew Wong Foundation.

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.

Matthew Wong, See you on the Other Side, 2019. © 2023 Matthew Wong Foundation.

Wong was largely a self-taught painter, much like Van Gogh. He was born in Toronto in 1984 and raised partly in Hong Kong. With a keen interest in photography, cinema and media, he only started painting in 2016.

Sadly, Wong spent his short life battling depression, and died by suicide in 2019 at the age of 35. He left behind 1,300 art works, astounding considering the relatively short amount of time he spent painting. Van Gogh, before also tragically taking his own life at 37, was similarly prolific and created 2,100 paintings in the span of just over a decade.

The exhibition runs until 19th June, 2025.

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