::Public Netbase in the Museumsquartier
censorship in the run-up/during the preparations to the opening

On June 28-30, the official opening of the Museumsquartier will be celebrated in a spectacular 3-day-show. Apart from the focus on media and politics, this huge arena for art caters to the tastes of the broad masses. Konrad Becker and Martin Wassermair, director and manager of the Public Netbase, sharply criticize this concept: "The decision to organize the opening as a cultural picnic indicates the formation of a centre of comfort. But arts and culture must be neither comfortable nor pleasant."

However, their point of view is not exactly cherished by the Museumsquartier holding. Recently Wolfgang Waldner, manager of the Museumsquartier, even rejected their request to put up an artistic media installation on the prominent forecourt during the Museumsquartier's opening. Now they have no choice but to place the installation in a peripheral area. Before this, a list of participating artists had to be disclosed to the Museumsquartier. For Public Netbase, this "a reduction of autonomy and a sort of structural censorship."

The Museumsquartier's reservations against Public Netbase seem to indicate their fear that the critical institution might disturb the harmony of the grand opening just at the moment when members of the austrian right wing government start to sing the song of praise for the big cultural project. There are also rumours that even Jörg Haider will not let the opportunity pass to take part in the official opening. Accordingly, the level of nervousness is rapidly rising throughout the Museumsquartier with one month still to go.