The opening of a documentary exhibition at the Vienna International Centre on January 22, 2026, marked the launch of a traveling exhibition showcasing the contributions of Austrian museums to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The exhibition was curated by Doris Rothauer on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) and in cooperation with ICOM Austria. The exhibition is part of Austria's bid for the chairmanship of the UN Security Council.
Art and culture are the cornerstones of our society and our development. Maintaining world peace and international security, in turn, is the basis for a healthy and effective art and culture.
Austria, as a cultural nation, makes an important contribution to achieving the UN's global development goals through its arts and cultural institutions. Traveling exhibition This contribution is made visible by using best practice examples from the local museum and cultural landscape to show how art and culture can provide people with orientation and security, strengthen communities and ensure social sustainability in times of massive uncertainty and crisis.
The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals Their dimensions of social, ecological and economic sustainability serve as a content-related reference framework for the best practice examples shown in the exhibition, with a focus on museums and festivals.
The exhibition is divided into eight themes:
- Museums and the 17 SDGs
- Accessibility and inclusion
- Community building and participation
- Environmental and climate protection
- Diversity and cultural diversity
- Sustainability in design and architecture
- Protection of cultural heritage
- Austria's foreign culture
Each topic is presented with its relevance to the SDGs and a number of best-practice examples.
The presentation at the Vienna International Center serves as preparation and a briefing for the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum at the beginning of April in the Hofburg Palace, where the exhibition will be on display again. Planned international stops include Accra/Ghana, Astana/Kazakhstan, Paramaribo/Suriname, Pretoria/South Africa, and Buenos Aires/Argentina.
