A memorial exhibition honoring Austrian artist Ernst Fuchs on the 10th anniversary of his death has sparked a heated controversy involving allegations of theft and artistic ownership. The Ernst Fuchs Museum is set to open a new exhibition featuring previously unseen works by the Fantastic Realist painter alongside early drawings by renowned Austrian artist Arnulf Rainer, who has strongly protested the display and accused Fuchs of stealing his artwork.

The exhibition, titled "My Studio is Deserted," opens Tuesday and marks the beginning of a new series designed to showcase Ernst Fuchs' works in dialogue with his contemporaries. However, the inclusion of Rainer's early drawings has created a bitter dispute between the late artist's estate and the still-living Rainer, who is famous for his later overpainting technique. According to reports in the Kronen Zeitung newspaper, two conflicting versions exist regarding how Fuchs came to possess Rainer's drawings.

The controversy stems from events in the late 1940s when young Ernst Fuchs maintained a studio in Haasgasse in Vienna's Leopoldstadt district. When Fuchs departed for Paris at the end of the 1940s, he allowed his colleague Arnulf Rainer to use the studio. Rainer subsequently moved in with fellow artist Maria Lassnig. Upon their eventual departure, Fuchs returned to find his studio significantly damaged, but among the scattered debris, he discovered numerous drawings which he decided to preserve. These rescued drawings now form the core of the planned exhibition.

Rainer has publicly disputed this version of events, claiming in the Kronen Zeitung that Fuchs essentially stole the works from the trash. The 94-year-old artist maintains that the drawings were failed attempts that he discarded and never intended for public display. Despite Rainer's vehement protests, exhibition organizers have announced that the opening will proceed as scheduled, refusing to bow to the veteran artist's demands.

The memorial exhibition aims to honor Ernst Fuchs, who died on November 9, 2015, at age 85. Fuchs was a co-founder and leading representative of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism, an artistic movement that gained international recognition. His extraordinary talent emerged early when he began studying at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna at just 15 years old. At the academy, he met fellow artists Arik Brauer, Rudolf Hausner, Wolfgang Hutter, and Anton Lehmden, with whom he would form the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism.

The artistic group became known for incorporating alchemical, Christian and Jewish mystical motifs, as well as depth psychological themes into their work. Their exhibitions were shown in major international venues including Japan, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris, quickly establishing them as stars on the international art fair circuit. The movement successfully bridged the gap between mystical-spiritual themes and modern artistic expression.

In 1972, Fuchs acquired the Otto Wagner Villa in Hütteldorf, Vienna, where he realized his artistic vision of creating a house as a living total work of art. Until his death in 2015, he remained artistically active and traveled extensively around the world. Fuchs described himself as a painter, architect, and visionary, and through Fantastic Realism, he created a unique bridge between the mystical-spiritual realm and contemporary art.

The current exhibition launches a series of special exhibitions planned for the Adolf Böhm Hall in the villa. Future shows will include a photography exhibition featuring works by artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser and a special exhibition of works by Arik Brauer, both close artistic friends of Fuchs. Museum officials explain that these exhibitions are designed to create an indirect dialogue with Fuchs' contemporaries and artistic companions. Despite the current controversy, the museum remains committed to its mission of celebrating Fuchs' legacy and his connections to the broader Austrian artistic community.