Wes Anderson is known for the consistently quirky aesthetic that’s served as the centerpiece for his most celebrated films, such as The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel. This fall, Anderson and his partner, illustrator and costume designer Juman Malouf, will bring their distinctive artistic sensibilities to a special exhibition at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
For the project, Anderson and Malouf will select from more than four million objects from all 14 collections of Austria’s largest arts institution, including artworks and artifacts both on public display and tucked away in storage. The exhibition, which is the first that Anderson and Malouf have curated, will showcase a unique selection of historic artifacts like ancient Egyptian mummies, Greek and Roman treasures, and Austria’s crown jewels. Objects from the Museum of Natural History in Vienna will also be included.
The unique showcase, titled The Spitzmaus Mummy in a Coffin and Other Treasures from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, will be on display from November 6, 2018 through April 28, 2019. Although the art history museum has remained largely mum (pun intended) about the mysterious project, there are a few details we do know.
In a brief teaser video, Kunsthistorisches Museum curator Jasper Sharp gives clues about the kinds of objects that viewers can expect to see, among them original Old Master paintings and precious artifacts from the Imperial Treasury. According to Sharp, the project is “unlike anything the museum has done before.”
Our takeaway? When Anderson and Malouf collaborated on The Grand Budapest Hotel in 2014, the film won Academy Awards for its innovative production design, makeup, costume design, and original score. So it’s not unexpected that the museum world would welcome these two artists’ creative contributions with open arms—what’s surprising is that it hasn’t happened sooner.
After its presentation in Vienna, the guest-curated exhibit will travel to the Fondazione Prada in Milan.
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