The autonomy of the arts had been soiled by the concept of entartete Kunst and needed to be emphasized.
Unlike Gruppe 47 in Germany, the Austrian Art-Club was not specially aspired to literature, though pronounced writers like Ilse Aichinger and Ernst Jandl were members, as was H. C. Artmann before he got more occupied by the distinctive Wiener Gruppe.
Art-Club wanted to be a continuous platform for young painters, sculptors, authors and musicians.
Johann Muschik characterized in the late 1950s these particular members Wiener Schule des Phantastischen Realismus (Vienna School of Fantastic Realism).
Abstract painting occurred as well, for instance in the works of the young Hundertwasser, but also in a group called Hundsgruppe with among others Arnulf Rainer and Maria Lassnig.