Sustainability statement
Kunsthaus Bregenz is among the world’s leading institutions for contemporary art. Its excellent reputation is based on an annual series of four monographic exhibitions and projects with internationally renowned artists. Most of the exhibitions are developed specifically for the Kunsthaus Bregenz. KUB’s strength lies in the diversity of the ideas it presents and the uniqueness of their artistic realization. Particularly noteworthy are not only the tailor-made exhibitions but also the diversity of the artists represented, who come from all over the world and belong to different generations.
Art has the ability to create new and unexpected perspectives. KUB’s exhibitions constantly open up new points of view and prompt us to question established patterns of thinking. Sustainability and environmental awareness are also becoming increasingly important. Numerous recent exhibitions have explicitly pursued the goal of sensitizing visitors to issues related to sustainability and environmental awareness. The shows featuring the work of Otobong Nkanga, Monira Al Qadiri, Pamela Rosenkranz, and Bunny Rogers can be cited as examples. Kunsthaus Bregenz is developing into a pioneer in the communication and strengthening of environmental skills and sees the development of effective communication strategies in this context as one of its chief tasks.
Sustainable management is also a matter of course in developing and implementing KUB’s exhibitions. Transportation is reduced to a minimum, for instance, and works of art are increasingly created in close cooperation with local craftspeople and trades on site. Moreover, attention is paid to a resource-conserving approach in the procurement and use of materials. The institution specifically selects regionally produced materials that are reusable or renewable.
The Kunsthaus Bregenz designed by Peter Zumtor is one of the world’s most prestigious buildings for contemporary art. It is characterized by its concrete structure encased in glass. Since its opening, it has been carefully maintained and regularly modernized. Technical improvements in terms of environmental compatibility and energy efficiency are constantly being made. At the outset of the year, for instance, all conventional lightbulbs were replaced with LED light inserts. The comprehensive renovation of the lighting system has enabled Kunstmuseum Bregenz to conserve up to fifty percent of the system’s previous electricity consumption. The energy system has also been gradually optimized in recent years, such as with the addition of a heat buffer that stores the waste heat from the heat pumps. Together with the collector wall in the basement of the building, the pumps are part of a so-called “component-activated system,” which can be used in the most energy efficient manner. The energy from the collector wall is utilized for cooling and heating, and the heat distribution can be finely adjusted. As gas heating is only employed when there is an extreme need for heating, energy consumption is greatly reduced. Using the energy from the collector wall increases heat recovery, and in the summer the energy is used to pre-cool outside air. Each exhibition is adapted in terms of energy technology to make optimal use of the tolerance margins for fluctuations in humidity and temperature. Additional energy is saved in the lighting by using automated, daylight-dependent dimming. A further step is the integration of the PV system on the roof of the Kunsthaus Bregenz.
Thomas D. Trummer, October 2023
Please share your suggestions on the subject of sustainability and accessibility or let us know if you noticed something during your visit that we could do better.
We look forward to your feedback at: kub@kunsthaus-bregenz.at
