SALZBURG.- In the early seventeenth century, under Archbishop Paris Lodron, the “Collegium Rupertinum” was a seminar for aspiring priests. The spirit of scholarship that has slumbered in the building to which it gave its name is now coming back to life in a center devoted to learning about and expertise in modern and contemporary art.

After several months of renovations, the galleries on three levels of the Rupertinum, with a total floor space of 4.300 sq ft, feature a contemporary look and state-of-the-art technology. The redesigned rooms on levels 1 and 2 benefit from more open floor plans and views of the neighboring Salzburg Festival district. On levels 2 and 3, 3.800 sq ft have been allotted to the newly created Generali Foundation Study Center, which houses a specialist library, archives, and an extensive video collection. The facilities also include a reading room with workstations and the Franz West Lounge with furniture designed by the artist on level 3.

“At long last, the remodeled galleries in the Rupertinum building are up to contemporary standards,” Sabine Breitwieser is pleased to note. “And we are extremely proud that the Generali Foundation Study Center, which holds one of the most important libraries and archives dedicated to contemporary art in Austria, makes the new Rupertinum a vital addition to the ensemble of institutions of learning and scholarship in Salzburg,” the Museum der Moderne’s Director adds. “We are proud that our efforts to raise the funds of € 950.000 for the renovation of the Rupertinum have been successful and pleased to see Salzburg’s standing as a center of art and culture enhanced,” State Minister of Culture Heinrich Schellhorn says.

Working with the renowned office Kuehn Malvezzi architects (Berlin/Milan), the allocation of functions and spaces at the Rupertinum was retooled to allow for a symbiotic union of exhibitions, preservation efforts, scholarly undertakings, art education programs, and a wide variety of forms of engagement with art. By encouraging hands-on research into its holdings facilitated by trained staff, the Study Center fuses visual immediacy and scholarly research for an immersive learning experience.

The Generali Foundation Study Center and the special exhibition on view in its rooms are accessible to the public free of charge; students and experts as well as members of the public who are curious about modern and contemporary art are invited to use the facilities.