Real Wild Child
Ideal and Reality from 1900 to Today

“I’ve never done it before so I’m quite sure I’ll be able to cope”, Pippi Langstrumpf declares. This is the kind of self-assured attitude we would like our children to develop. Do we also give them sufficient opportunity to live their curiosity? Today’s overprotection of children by their ​“helicopter” or ​“lawnmower” parents and the rapid progress of digitalisation, which puts a brake on children’s innate urge to explore things by themselves, make this doubtful. Children survive the most absurd pedagogical concepts and they even endure war, social deprivation, neglect and abuse, but at what price?

This exhibition shows works by 170 international artists from 1900 to the present day. Strong on critical acumen and empathy and on irony and humour, they document children’s happiness as well as their frustrations. They remind us that it’s up to us to allow children a childhood that is worthy of being remembered.

Curators: Sabine Fellner, Elisabeth Nowak-Thaller

Exhibition design: Silvia Merlo