Search Help

The basis wien website has two search options: Simple Search and Advanced Search. The Simple Search field is located at the upper right corner of every page in the database menu. To reach Advanced Search, click the appropriate link next to the search field or in the sub menu to the database.

Simple Search / Quick Search

Simple Search offers you the option of a quick keyword search. Searched for are names and titles, but no links. This means that your keyword returns all results on persons, institutions, exhibitions, publications, etc., that have the word in their names or titles. You can then select the particular data set and there find more information.

For a more targeted search, we recommend Advanced Search.

Advanced Search

Advanced Search offers you the option of specifying your search in various categories and combining different fields or specifying or restricting your query by selecting different search fields.

In the fields “City/Country”, “Institution” and “Persons”, please select an item from the automatic list that appears after you have entered at least three letters of your search term.

In the field “Persons”, you have the additional option of selecting several persons by clicking the plus sign. This opens a new field in which you can enter the name of another person.

Activate OR Search for Persons

In Advanced Search, the default mode operates with an “AND” search, that is, all search terms are combined and the corresponding hits displayed. With “Persons”, there is the additional option of an “OR” search. This function is activated by clicking the appropriate box. The results then show hits that contain either only one person (OR) or all persons (AND) searched for.

Search for Items in the Archive/Library

You can search for items in our archive and library under the category “Works”, “Publications” and “Archival Documents”.

The information in the basis wien database is fed by various sources. In addition to digital source material, most of which is directly accessible in our database, there is a large number of analogue items, (books, posters and other objects) that are stored in our archive. By activating this search function, you narrow your search to material that can be viewed in our archive and library (see Archive/Library, Visiting/Use).

Index of Persons

The Index of Persons provides an alphabetical listing of all persons contained in our database.

Search Results

Your search results are divided into categories; the number in square brackets shows the number of hits that resulted from your search query.

Within the blocks, the results in each category are arranged in descending order either chronologically or alphabetically.

A maximum of 500 hits are displayed. If your search query yields a greater number of hits, please restrict the query by entering additional search terms.

Reset Search

The function “Reset Search” deletes all terms in the search fields. You can then begin a new search.

If you wish to delete only individual entries (for instance, place, person or institution), you can do this by clicking the minus sign, which shows the selections from the automatic list.

New Search

If you are in the search menu, you can begin a new search with “Reset”. You can return to the search menu from the results pages via the link “New Search”.

Modify Search

If you wish to restrict or modify your search, you can do so by activating the link “Modify Search”, which will bring you from the search results back to your search query. Now you can remove individual search terms or add new ones.

Filters

On the result pages there are also filters that enable you to sort results.

Note

For technical reasons, it is not possible in our database to link exhibitions to other exhibitions. In order nevertheless to show connections between exhibitions or to list sub-exhibitions that are part of a larger exhibition (e.g., the Venice Biennale), these are listed as institutions. If your search for an exhibition turns up no result, we therefore advice you to carry out a search under the category “Institutions”.