Gugging

In the late 1950s, psychiatrist Leo Navratil of the Maria Gugging Psychiatric Clinic, which is located on the outskirts of Vienna, Austria, had his patients produce drawings for diagnostic purposes. The following year he discovered artistically talented individuals in his ward - a finding that was confirmed by Jean Dubuffet, the French artist who coined the term Art Brut. His first book Schizophrenie und Kunst (Schizophrenia and Art) was published in 1965. Attracted to the clinic by this work, many Viennese artists visited Gugging. In 1970 the first exhibition of the "Gugging Artists" took place in a Vienna gallery. Thereafter the "Gugging Artists" were frequently presented in galleries and museums. The "Center for Art- and Psychotherapy" was founded by Navratil in 1981. He invited artistically talented patients to live in the house, which serves as living space, studio, gallery and meeting place. With the founder's retirement in 1986, Johann Feilacher became his successor. Feilacher stressed the role that art played at Gugging and went on to change its name to the "House of Artists". Within Europe, the "House of Artists" or “Haus der Künstler” is regarded as a model for psychiatric reforms based on art therapy as a means to reintegrate clients into society.

Presently, a cultural center is located next to the house of artists. It is known as the "Art / Brut Center". It consists of a museum, a gallery and a public studio. The museum contains the works of the Gugging artists and it also hosts traveling Art Brut exhibitions which include artists such a Martin Ramirez and Adolf Wölfli. The museum building also hosts a public studio that is open to all but is mainly used by individuals who have undergone or are receiving psychiatric treatment.

Together the museum, the gallery, the "House of Artists" and the public Atelier are known as the Art / Brut Center Gugging.