The exhibition Gustav Klimt. Pigment & Pixel at the Belvedere Vienna combines art and technology to offer new perspectives on Klimt’s painting techniques. The exhibition design presents original works, scientific analyses, and digital reconstructions across three sections. The first focuses on technological investigation: radiological imaging reveals hidden details beneath the surface of Klimt’s paintings, while transparent image carriers and cool blue lighting evoke the precision and atmosphere of a research laboratory. Another room explores Klimt’s legendary use of gold, highlighting how he applied gold leaf and the techniques behind his shimmering surfaces. Centered around the painting Judith I, the space resembles a treasure chamber, allowing visitors to experience Klimt’s gilding methods in a striking and tangible way.
The digital reconstructions of the three Faculty Paintings, lost in 1945, presented a particular design challenge. Originally intended for the ceiling of the Great Hall at the University of Vienna, the paintings were never installed. In collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, their original colours were reconstructed using artificial intelligence. The images are suspended from the ceiling, while a mirrored table allows visitors to experience them in reflection, as they would have appeared in their intended setting. The final section highlights Klimt’s nature depictions. Reproductions of his floral motifs line the walls, leading the eye to the adjacent garden—a direct connection between Klimt’s artistic inspiration and the natural world.
Lower Belvedere, Vienna20 February – 7 September 2025
