Austrian Cultural Forum New York
The Austrian Cultural Forum New York is one of Austria’s two cultural representation offices in the United States; the other is in Washington, D.C. It is part of the worldwide network of Austrian Cultural Forums of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs. History. The Austrian Cultural Forum New York was founded as the Austrian Institute in 1942 in New York City by Austrian immigrants to the United States for the purpose of preserving and disseminating Austrian culture. One of the leading figures of that time was émigré Irene Harand, who served  as the Institute's Vice President. In 1963, it opened offices at its current location at 11 East 52nd Street in Manhattan, as the official cultural representation office of the Austrian federal government. In 2002, the institution, now called the Austrian Cultural Forum, moved into a new building at the location of its former townhouse. The Cultural Forum is a division of the Austrian consulate in New York. Since October 2018, Austrian diplomat Michael Haider is the director of the Austrian Cultural Forum New York. His predecessors include Christine Moser, Andreas Stadler, Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, Wolfgang Waldner, Peter Marboe, Fritz  Cocron, and Wilhelm Schlag. Building. Architect Raimund Abraham was the winner among 226 submissions in a competition held in 1992 to choose a design for the ACFNY’s new building. Completed in 2002, the building is situated on a plot in Manhattan that is only wide and deep. It is considered as an architectural anomaly because despite its small footprint it is 24 stories and tall. The building’s facade is clad in glass and aluminum and gradually tapers to a narrow point as the building slants upwards in accordance with zoning laws. It houses exhibition spaces, a theater, a  library for books and audio recordings, offices, seminar and reception rooms, and apartments for the officers of the institution. The library is named in honor of Frederic Morton and has a collection of more than 10,000 books specific to Austrian art and culture. Activities. Since its founding, the ACFNY has served as a place for cultural exchange between Austrians and Americans and introduces Austrian artists at venues all over the USA. It is responsible for cultural and academic cooperation throughout the United States of America, with the exception of Washington D.C., which has its own cultural forum under the auspices  of the Austrian Embassy. In the ACFNY building, five floors are used as exhibition space for predominantly contemporary art. Some exhibits make use of and showcase the building's unique architecture. Concerts and performances are presented either in the in-house auditorium or at various venues in New York. In addition to films, AFCNY offers talks, readings, and book presentations.