Sustainability

The Museums of the City of Linz – the Lentos Kunstmuseum, the Nordico Stadtmuseum, and the VALIE EXPORT Center Linz, a cooperative venture with the Kunstuniversität Linz – are among the cultural driving forces of the city. In pursuit of their mission as venues for encounters and dialogue, they are dedicated in particular to the presentation of Linz as a city of contemporary art, media art, and the open access to the arts and culture. In addition to the organisation of exhibitions, their focus includes taking care of their holdings and expanding them and conducting research on them, outreach activities, the publication of catalogues featuring their collections and exhibitions, and lively loan activities involving national and international partners. Other important fields of activity include the operation of museum shops and renting out venues for various types of events.

Over and above the promotion of the city’s cultural development, the museums of the City of Linz accept that it is part of their task to follow the guidelines of sustainable development and to provide a social model in that respect.

Under this aspect, the museum is a significant player in society, serving – admittedly ideally –the functions of

a repository of the cultural heritage,

an educational venue outside the school and university system,

an exponent and initiator of regional culture,

a partner and promotor of artists,

a venue marked by a non-discriminatory, inclusive approach,

a responsible and attractive employer,

a significant location factor and economic stimulus,

a model operation in matters concerning the climate , and

a business operating on the guidelines of sustainability, providing a model for society.

Questions of an ecologically responsible, sustainable lifestlye are a key concern for many contemporary artists and are therefore addressed both in individual works and in themed exhibitions, forming an integral part of the museum programme.

In addition, measures have been adopted over the past few years to adapt our operations not only to the climate goals, but also to our self-defined expectations. They include

redesigning and greening the Nordico forecourt,
consistent reuse of materials in exhibition design,
upgrading exhibition lighting at the Nordico to LED, and
the certification of the museum according to the Österreichisches Umweltzeichen.

We are committed to pursuing the path we have chosen in future. Not all ideas and ideals can be realized overnight., which makes it all the more important to dig in and to realize improvements step by step.

Our detailed concept of sustainability for downloads (PDF)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

A world that offers a dignified, prosperous and fulfilling life to all. A world that uses our planet gently by keeping consumption responsible and growth sustainable, thus making life worth living. A world without poverty, hunger, injustice, inequality.

This is the vision of Agenda 2030, which the United Nations are seeking to realize. To this end, the UN has formulated seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Together, they constitute an agenda for the sustainable transformation of our society at social and ecological levels. The seventeen Sustainable Development Goals are an ambitious appeal to each and everyone of us, both as individuals and as institutions, to make a contribution to the sustainable development of our planet and to ensuring the future of life on earth.

The museums of the City of Linz fully subscribe to this urgent call for action and are stepping up to make a contribution. Their special focus will be on

inclusive and equitable quality education (SDG 4),

gender equality (SGD 5),

the provision of sustainable energy (SDG 7), and

the combat of climate change (SDG 13).

While the first two of the topics mentioned above have shaped our museum activities for many years and have come to be taken for granted in our everyday practice, the last two SDGs hold significant development potential for the future. Many isolated measures have been realized already, which has resulted in an extensive sensitization for the topics concerned. However, a great deal still remains to be done, especially in the energy sector, parts of which require significant investment.