Missing Link
Album curated by: Sebastian Hackenschmidt, 2025
In the fall of 1970, Angela Hareiter (born in Vienna in 1944), Otto Kapfinger (born in St. Pölten in 1949), and Adolf Krischanitz (born in Schwarzach/Pongau in 1946) formed the group Missing Link after meeting while studying architecture at the Technical University of Vienna (since 1975 Technical University). In their work, Missing Link followed in the footsteps of an avant-garde movement that also included Raimund Abraham, Günther Domenig, Eilfried Huth, Hans Hollein, Walter Pichler, Haus-Rucker-Co., and Coop Himmelb(l)au, and which is primarily associated with the term “The Austrian Phenomenon” coined by Peter Cook.
The estate of the architect group Missing Link was acquired by the MAK in 2014 and consists mainly of paintings, drawings, photographs, posters, texts, and documents, which have been inventoried in the MAK’s art collection (Missing Link Estate, KI 23091). The six large sculptural objects were added to the contemporary art collection (GK 704-709).
On the left, the sculpture “Il dolce far niente” (MAK inv.no. GK 709), on the right, the installation “Stilleben Weltattrappe” (MAK inv.no. GK 708)
MAK/Georg Mayer and MAK/Christian Mendez, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Since 2014, smaller collections and individual works by and related to Missing Link have also been acquired, in some cases through generous donations, and added to the MAK collection. Particularly noteworthy are the sketchbooks (KI 23555) and the drawings from the context of the Vienna Types or the Vienna Studies (KI 23582 und KI 23677).
The scientific cataloguing of this extensive collection took place between 2019 and 2022; since then, over 1,000 illustrated data sets have been available in the MAK’s online database. The Missing Link catalog of works was published as an accompanying publication to the MAK exhibition Missing Link – Strategien einer Architekt*innengruppe / Missing Link – Strategies of an Architectural Group in 2022. In addition to the collection available in the MAK Collection Online, it also includes other items that are located in other archives and institutions or in private ownership.
Discover selected projects from Missing Link:
Goldenes Wienerherz – Missing Link / Golden Heart of Vienna – Missing Link
Sia con alt – Eine Strategie aus Wien / Sia con alt – A strategy from Vienna
Karl 365 – Ein Umweltspiel / Karl 365 – An environmental game
Bauhof Spiluttini / Spiluttini building yard
Treffen auf dem Feld / Meeting in the field
16. November: Eine Utopie in 9 wirklichen Bildern / November 16: A utopia in 9 real images
Asyleum – Großes Hutobjekt / Asyleum – Large hat object
