California’s culture and lifestyle are often thought to epitomize beauty, optimism, technological innovation, and future potentiality. In this conference, we will explore the cultural history of California, particularly its Viennese influences, through the example of the émigré architect Richard Neutra (1892–1970), who was crucial in the development of ‘Californian Modernity.’

The point of departure for this conference is Richard Neutra’s architectural practice, which found its ideal environment in Los Angeles. Neutra designed beautiful minimalistic houses that connected inside and outside and promoted the physical and mental health of their inhabitants. An international group of speakers will analyze the diverse and entangled sources of Neutra’s work and thought, including his interest in psychoanalysis and his concept of biorealism. We will discuss the links between the ideas of the 1920s avant-garde in Europe and the hippie avant-garde of the 1960s and 1970s in California. The conference thus aims to explore the global history of what might be called Californian Modernity—which continues to exert a profound influence on contemporary culture—and to deepen our understanding of the complex relationships between architecture and landscape, health and space, and of the cultural entanglements between Europe and the United States in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. The conference is the result of a collaboration between the IFK | University of Art and Design Linz, the Wien Museum, the Research Unit Art History at the Institute of Art, Building Archaeology and Restoration at TU Wien, and the Filmarchiv Austria.

The exhibition Richard Neutra. California Living will be on display at Wien Museum MUSA from 13 February to 20 September 2020.

CONCEPT: Andreas Nierhaus (Vienna), Johanna Richter (Vienna), Oliver Sukrow (Vienna)

PARTICIPANTS: Klaus Benesch (Munich), Lyra Kilston (LA), Barbara Lamprecht (Pasadena), PJ Letofsky (LA), Joaquin Medina Warmburg (Karlsruhe), Monika Platzer (Vienna), Harriet Roth (Vienna), Elana Shapira (Vienna), Tobias Zervosen (Munich)