WestLicht photography gallery in Vienna

When I visited Vienna last summer, besides almost immediately noticing how pretty and “put-together” the city appeared, I quickly became fascinated with all the posters advertising festivals, stores, exhibits and other miscellany around town.

In a city renowned for its art, design & creative culture, the posters stood out quite a bit. One in particular was for a Polaroid photography exhibit at the WestLicht gallery.

The WestLicht gallery is located near many of the other museums Vienna is famous for, but not on the main drag. Tracking down the gallery space in the rain, my friend and I stumbled in (and somehow managed to avoid paying—not really sure how that happened…). When I visited, the gallery space included an entire collection of old Polaroid cameras, a small bookstore and what even looked like a bar.

The WestLicht has been around for a while and often puts on interesting exhibits. I liked it more than the bigger museums in Vienna not just because the space seemed more friendly and approachable, but also because they tend to market more to the hipster mindset.

Keeping with the photography theme, just next door to the WestLicht gallery was the show room for Austria’s own Impossible Project.

Visiting The Impossible Project in Vienna

The Impossible Project (which I’ve mentioned on occasion in this blog) is actually an Austrian company that has brought Polaroid film back to life. The Impossible Project Space in Vienna is a small shop where you can buy the new Impossible film (for Polaroid cameras) and other photography equipment. Not to mention other kitschy gifts/souvenirs for photography lovers.

Both the WestLicht photography gallery space & the Impossible Shop are representative of why Vienna is so popular with art & culture lovers. Vienna’s long history with art & design isn’t just history—the city still very much thrives on a certain type of aesthetic. Whether it’s fashion shopping or dead composers, Vienna is without a doubt, a city of art.