The exhibition “Gustav Klimt and the Künstler-Compagnie at Peleș” brings to the forefront an essential yet lesser-known stage in Gustav Klimt’s oeuvre: his early period, when, before becoming the leader of the Viennese avant-garde, the artist carried out an extensive decorative program in Romania.

Between 1883 and 1886, Gustav Klimt, together with his brother Ernst Klimt and Franz Matsch, united within the artistic collective Künstler-Compagnie, created a series of monumental works for Peleș Castle. These decorative interventions, now classified in the “Treasury” category of the national cultural heritage, are an integral part of the castle’s architecture and cannot be moved.

Through large-scale images, curatorial texts, and video materials, the exhibition presents these fixed works—some accessible exclusively to visitors of the National Peleș Museum—offering the public a rare perspective on “Klimt before Klimt.” The project contributes to completing the broader image of Klimt’s oeuvre by placing his early creations in Romania alongside the mature works now held in major museums around the world.

Curated by researcher Dr. Antonela Corban, the exhibition is based on the volume Gustav Klimt and the Künstler-Compagnie at Peleș (Junimea Publishing House, 2024) and is organized at the initiative of the Austrian Cultural Forum Bucharest, in collaboration with the National Peleș Museum and the cultural association “Un concept Luna,” in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute and MINA Museum.

The exhibition is accompanied by the documentary Gustav Klimt and the Künstler-Compagnie at Peleș, directed by Carmen Lidia Vidu, with Sabina Costinel (image, editing, and animation) and Julien Javions (sound), which explores in detail the creations of the three Austrian artists at Peleș. In addition, MINA Museum proposes an immersive screening that spectacularly reinterprets elements from Gustav Klimt’s creations.

The exhibition will officially open on March 4 at 16:00, במסגרת an event organized within Classix Festival 2026, in the presence of curator Antonela Corban and the Deputy Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum Bucharest, Andrei Popov.

Public exhibition period – Gustav Klimt and the Künstler-Compagnie at Peleș Exhibition
March 4 | Opening: 16:00
March 5 – March 19: schedule according to the “Vasile Pogor” Museum Iași
(Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00 – 17:00)

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The Classix in Focus series represents the festival’s space for interdisciplinary dialogue and networking, connecting artists, professionals from the cultural industries, and figures from the academic and creative environment. The program highlights topics relevant to the contemporary artistic scene, exploring both directions directly related to classical music and broader contexts that shape the creative industry, arts education, and the relationship with audiences.

Through collaborations with international guests and experts in fields such as music, literature, visual arts, cultural management, and new technologies, Classix in Focus creates rare opportunities within the Romanian cultural landscape. Each edition becomes a platform for authentic exchange of ideas, generating bridges of collaboration between generations, disciplines, and cultures.

With a dynamic and accessible format, the series has so far included 26 panels, lectures, exhibitions, openings, film screenings, book launches, and various cultural interventions, consolidating its status as an essential component of the Classix DNA and a forum for contemporary artistic reflection.
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Access to the exhibition is free, and the last museum entry is at 16:30.
By attending the exhibition, participants consent to the use of photographic images and audio and video recordings for the purpose of promoting the festival’s activities.
The festival supports young artists and facilitates public access to events through the Classix in Art scholarships.

www.classixfestival.ro
#OurContemporaryClassicAffair
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