April 26, 1979, marked a milestone for what is now mumok – the Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien: the collections of the former 20er Haus were significantly expanded through extensive, art historically important permanent loans from Peter and Irene Ludwig of Aachen. This collection increase also necessitated additional exhibition space. Alongside the 20er Haus, the Museum of Modern Art opened in the Palais Liechtenstein. 
In 1981, the founding of the Austrian Ludwig Foundation by then Minister of Science Hertha Firnberg and the Ludwigs represented another major step.

The Dieter Ronte Era (1979–1989)
This exhibition focuses on the transformation of the institution under the directorship of Dieter Ronte (1979–1989). Representative insights into the heterogeneous development of the collection are set against the cultural policy framework and programmatic decisions of the decade. During this period, the museum laid the groundwork for collaborations with private collectors, took on an active socio political role, and pursued strategic purchases that paved the way for the collection’s key focal areas in the following decades.
“Never Final” – a phrase coined by Hertha Firnberg – continues to define mumok as a dynamic site of ongoing transformation. In the exhibition, this idea unfolds through an open format featuring interactive furniture and dialogue spaces that present the museum as a platform for collective inquiry, learning, and research.

Curated by Marie Therese Hochwartner and Dieter Ronte

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