Wunderkammer VOLIERE

1. In the Grace of Freedom, Queen of the Night
2. Bird’s-Eye View
3. Ornithological Painting Gallery
4. The Magic Flute, Part Twelve
5. Gröna fåglar / Green Birds
6. Independent Musicians and Instruments
7. Wundervogel
8. In the Shadow of a Wunderkammer
9. Flower Garden
10. Reference Library
11. Baroque Stages
12. Large Yellow Bird Tree
13. Menagerie
14. Library of Open Books
15. Cabinet of Curiosities Fusion

VOLIERE is both a Wunderkammer and a menagerie. The concept of a Wunderkammer was already embedded in the design of Hotel Galántha’s foyer by its architects, BWM Designers & Architects, Vienna. The floor-to-ceiling shelves that line the lobby walls directly reference the legendary cabinets of the treasure chamber at Burg Forchtenstein. These rooms are among the few places in the world where the original idea of a Baroque chamber gallery can still be experienced: a space where the world’s vast diversity and beauty—divided into Naturalia (natural objects), Artificialia (artistic creations), Scientifica (scientific instruments), Mirabilia (mystical objects), and Exotica (wonders from distant lands)—is meticulously arranged and made tangible in elaborate display cases.

At the heart of the menagerie stands an oversized birdcage, designed as a focal point for the foyer. It serves as a tribute to both Joseph Haydn’s legendary, eloquent African Grey parrot and the Baroque aviary that once existed in the court gardens of Eisenstadt.

Like this historical menagerie, VOLIERE is entirely dedicated to birds—more precisely, to humanity’s relationship with them. Did you know, for instance, that many renowned opera composers, including Verdi, Wagner, and Rossini, kept parrots and even taught them their melodies? Or that as early as the late Gothic period, around 1400, painters used realistic depictions of birds to demonstrate their artistic mastery? Even Mozart’s most beloved opera features two birdlike characters among its main figures!

Designed as an art and curiosity cabinet, VOLIERE explores this human-bird fascination through contemporary artworks and iconic design pieces from early modernism. The collection is further enriched by a hand-picked library, featuring ornithological reference books alongside literary works inspired by birds.

With works, designs, and arrangements by: Anna Artaker, Thomas Baumann, Hugo Canoilas, József Csató, Josef Frank, Ernst Koslitsch, Leo Lunger, Edith Payer, Dagobert Peche, Katrin Plavčak, Felice Rix-Ueno, Magdalena Maller, Peter Weisz, and others.

Concept: Erich Bernard & Rita Guggenberger (Spatial Design), Vitus Weh (VOLIERE)
Curatorial Assistance: Sofie Mogensen (Finerum, Vienna) and Katharina Hoffmann
Library Consultation: Hans-Otto Hügel, Professor of Popular Culture (Mainz/Hildesheim)