The Lower Austrian Provincial Exhibition 2026 will focus on a topic that has long been overshadowed and yet affects everyone: mental health. Under the title WENN DIE WELT KOPF STEHT - Mensch. Psyche. Health., the Lower Austrian provincial exhibition in Amstetten-Mauer is dedicated to the complex interplay between mental illness, social attitudes and artistic forms of expression. It sees itself as an invitation to look at the human psyche with empathy, curiosity and historical mindfulness - and as an attempt to initiate an open dialog about a field that is more present than ever, but still characterized by uncertainties and prejudices.
The fact that the Landesklinikum Mauer will be the venue for this provincial exhibition is far more than just an organizational decision. As one of the most important psychiatric facilities in Lower Austria, this place has been shaping the treatment of mental disorders for 120 years. For the first time, a provincial exhibition is being held in an active clinic - making visible what otherwise takes place behind doors and walls. The impressive Art Nouveau architecture, the history of the institution and the everyday interaction between patients and staff form not only a backdrop, but also a foundation for the content. The project sees itself as a sign of transparency and a contemporary approach to mental health that demands both openness and sensitivity.
The exhibition in the management building guides visitors through key stages in the historical and social understanding of mental illness. Topics such as the search for the "seat of the soul", the development of sanatoriums and nursing homes, changes in treatment or the criticism of the anti-psychiatry movement are linked with current challenges and issues. The result is a multi-layered view of a field that is in a constant state of flux and whose history is closely interwoven with social, political and scientific developments.
Lower Austrian Provincial Exhibition 2026 Amstetten - Mauer, Landesklinikum Mauer © NÖ Landesausstellung
The permanent establishment of a place of learning about the Nazi medical crimes in House 18 also sends out an important signal. Based on current research, it is intended to make the history of the sanatorium and nursing home during the Nazi era visible, facilitate remembrance and promote a critical approach to this chapter. The freely accessible site will continue to exist beyond the national exhibition and add an important, ethically anchored dimension to the site.
A newly developed guidance system links the various themed areas and buildings on the hospital site to form a curated circular route that links the historical background, architectural features and content of the exhibition. This turns the site itself into a narrative space that allows visitors to experience the past, present and future of mental health.
The 2026 State Exhibition is not only a cultural event, but also a socio-political statement: for removing taboos, for compassion, for a more conscious approach to mental illness. It invites you to look at the world - even if it is sometimes upside down - with new eyes.
March 28 to November 8, 2026
www.noe-landesausstellung.at
