!!!Secession

Secession, "Vereinigung bildender Kuenstler (Association of 
Visual Artists) Oesterreichische Secession", founded in Vienna in 
1897 by 19 former members of the  Kuenstlerhaus led by G.  Klimt. Like 
similar contemporary movements in other European cities, the Secession 
fought against the historicist tendencies represented by the 
Kunstakademien, against the loss of artistic quality due to a lack of 
innovation and for the freedom of individual artistic work ( 
Jugendstil). The movement organised its own exhibitions (the 
association´s Secession building built by J. M.  Olbrich 
was opened in 1898) and the association´s official magazine, 
"Ver Sacrum" (1898-1903), were meant to attract the 
attention of a broad international public. French, English and German 
work had a decisive influence on the art of surface decoration 
(especially in graphic arts) which was typical of many Secession 
artists at that time, showing sometimes floral, sometimes geometric 
ornaments. Forms of expression were also influenced and determined by  
Impressionism. The aim of making art an integral part of life and 
living made many artists dedicate themselves to all fields of  
Industrial Arts ( Wiener Werkstaette). In 1905 some of the most 
important members (G. Klimt, K.  Moser, C.  Moll, O.  Wagner et al.) 
left to organise their own exhibitions under the name "Kunstschau 
Wien" ("Artshow Vienna") from 1908. Subsequently, this 
group and the  Hagenbund artists´ association took over the 
Secession´s leading position as the forum of 
"modernism" in Austria. The Secession and the Kuenstlerhaus 
were merged in 1939, the Secession was re-established as an 
independent association in 1945 and the organisation of exhibitions 
with international artists participating was taken up again. It was 
still the aim of the Secession to promote its individual members, who 
formed a heterogeneous group of artists, and thus also contemporary 
art as a whole. In 1973 A.  Hrdlička proclaimed a short-lived 
"Counter Secession", which was presided over by A.  Frohner.

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The Graz Secession ("Kuenstlerverband Graz, Secession") was 
founded in 1923; it played an important role in promoting the 
appreciation of  Expressionism in Austria (e.g. W.  Thoeny, A.  
Wickenburg, F. Silberbauer et al.). The Innviertel Artists´ 
Guild and the MAERZ association (for Upper Austria and Salzburg) also 
took over the programme of the Secession after 1920.

!Literature
R. Waissenberger, Die Wiener Secession, 1971; C. Nebehay, 
Ver Sacrum 1898-1903, 1975; O. Kapfinger et al., Die Wiener 
Secession, 2 vols., 1986; C. Nebehay, Secession Kataloge und 
Plakate der Wiener Secession 1898-1905, 1986; E. Patka (ed.), Ornament 
and Flaechenkunst from Vienna, 2 vols., 1988; P. Baum (ed.), 
Secessionism and Austrian graphic art 1900-20, exhibition catalogue, 
Linz, 1990; Vereinigung bildender Kuenstler Wr. Secession (ed.), Die 
Wr. Secession. Vom Ausstellungshaus zum Kunsttempel, 1997.


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