Museum of Applied Arts

TYPOMANIA

Curator’s Choice by Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel

Under the title Curator’s Choice, the MAK Poster Forum offers the curators of the MAK the opportunity to present special themes and areas of the collection. Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel, head of the MAK Library and the Collection of Graphic Art/ Archive, is the first curator of this new format, focusing on one of the most important aspects of poster art: typography. This exhibition ranges from the first posters understood as artistic signatures by artists such as Gustav Klimt, Leopold Stolba, Alfred Roller, and the Rudolf Larisch school during the founding of the Vienna Secession, through examples of the blending of typography and illustrations in the interwar period, as seen in the works of Friedrich Kiesler and Joseph Binder, to contemporary poster designs by Arnulf Rainer, Melk Imboden, Niklaus Troxler, and Stefan Sagmeister.

BLOCKCHAIN:UNCHAINED

New Tools for Democracy

BLOCKCHAIN:UNCHAINED: New Tools for Democracy invites you to explore design strategies and new technologies as tools for democratic participation in an interactive and playful manner. This exhibition utilizes interactive elements and a visual narrative style to foster a new understanding of designing democratic decision-making processes while illustrating complex topics such as blockchain and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), making them tangible for all. A core inquiry of the event is how digital tools can invigorate participation in museums—especially at the MAK—and beyond. Visitors are encouraged to collaboratively generate ideas for decentralized co-creation, experiment with speculative approaches, and discuss both the opportunities and challenges that digital tools present.

GIRL MEETS MANGA

A Manga Biography from Tokyo (1985–1992)

This exhibition explores the unique role of manga in shaping female identity. Since the mid-20th century, manga – Japanese comics – have emerged as a significant phenomenon in contemporary Japanese culture, gaining global importance. Mio Wakita-Elis, curator of the MAK Collection Asia, weaves her personal biography and perspective into the exhibition, providing insight into her upbringing as a teenage girl in the Tokyo area during the 1980s and early 1990s, a time deeply influenced by manga. Integral to her everyday life, manga contributed to her personal development and facilitated reflection on societal issues such as feminism, consumerism, and globalization. A wide selection of manga, alongside images, music, and everyday objects, illustrates the fascinating interconnection between Japanese comics and the societal themes and real concerns of their readers.

POWERFUL PATTERNS

Meisen Kimonos from the MAK Collection—A Friis Donation

In celebration of the generous donation of approximately 60 pieces from Henriette Friis, the MAK is hosting an exhibition featuring Meisen kimonos and haoris from the early 20th century. This showcase will display vibrant and often large-patterned garments from the Taishō and Shōwa periods, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of this unique style of kimono. Frequently mimicking intricate kasuri and ikat fabrics through advancements in stencil printing, their designs occasionally evoke op art, reflecting Japan's interaction with European modernity. Historically, silk was exclusive to Japan's elite, but advancements in production techniques and the onset of aniline dyes in the late 19th century dramatically increased its accessibility. Consequently, the Meisen kimono became an affordable staple for the 'new woman' in the early 20th century.

WATER PRESSURE

Designing for the Future

The WATER PRESSURE exhibition at the MAK explores design with a focus on future challenges and solutions. This exhibition combines the creative power of design with visionary concepts from science to address the global challenge of preserving the vital substance of water while promoting its sustainable and equitable use. Water exists in nature in all three states of matter: liquid as water, solid as ice, and gas as water vapor. The exhibition highlights issues such as water access, pollution, and sustainability, acknowledging that while access to clean water is recognized as a human right, around 2 billion people worldwide lack it, and approximately 3.5 billion do not have safe sanitation. The overuse of water resources, along with the drying and pollution of rivers, lakes, and groundwater, exacerbates this crisis.

TURNING PAGES

Artists’ Books of the Present

The book as an artistic medium is central to the works of Louise Bourgeois, Heinz Gappmayr, Sol Lewitt, Rosemarie Trockel, and many contemporary young artists in both the Austrian and international scenes. In this exhibition, artists utilize books as tools to craft poetic visions and expand the boundaries of conceptual art. Through these artists' books, important dialogues regarding gender roles and socio-political issues are sparked. Moreover, books serve as vessels of cultural memory and commemoration. Emerging artists engage with the medium, pushing beyond traditional limits of image, text, and material, all against the backdrop of the digital landscape. Visitors to the exhibition can explore and read the books using a specially designed, expansive display, allowing for varied perspectives. A catalog will accompany the exhibition.

ELIGIUS AWARD 2025

Jewelry Art in Austria

In collaboration with Kunst im Traklhaus in Salzburg, the MAK is once again offering insights into the contemporary jewelry scene in Austria. For the sixth time, the MAK is showcasing the entries for the 'Eligius Award for Body Jewelry and Jewelry Objects', established by the federal state of Salzburg in 2005, and awarded every three years. The works by the artists nominated for the Eligius Award 2025 will be displayed in the MAK Forum.

JOHANN STRAUSS: FRANTIC ECSTASY

Feminist Free Dance in Posters 1900–1933

The MAK will participate in the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of Johann Strauss in a unique and unexpected way. This poster exhibition illustrates the beginnings of expressionist dance, which were closely tied to the Viennese waltz. It showcases how the height of this artistic dance form, greatly inspired by Strauss's music, was experienced in Vienna between 1900 and 1930. Expressionist dance deviated from the prescribed movements of the waltz and embraced individual expressions of rhythm, gesture, and emotion. Notable dancers such as Anny Day-Helveg, Maria Ley, and Gertrude Barrison interpreted dance as a reflection of their inner selves. Grete Wiesenthal, a prominent ambassador of the Viennese waltz, reinvigorated the dance style through her performances. The MAK Poster Forum will exhibit around 50 posters that showcased these sensational performances.

HITO STEYERL

The humanity has the ball out of one ear and out of the other

Hito Steyerl (b. 1966), a Berlin-based artist, filmmaker, and author, sheds light on societal processes evoked by the latest technologies and develops interdisciplinary works at the forefront of visual arts. In her first solo exhibition in Austria titled 'The humanity has the ball out of one ear and out of the other' (after Karl Kraus, Nacht, 1918), Steyerl reveals the structures of political dimensions within everyday and pop culture. The exhibition juxtaposes two works: the multimedia installation 'Hell Yeah We Fuck Die' (2016), which uses words that, according to Billboard magazine, were most frequently used in the English-language music charts of the 2010s and seemed to reflect a mood of crisis. In a new video installation (2025), Hito Steyerl analyzes cross-genre developments in artificial intelligence (AI).

MAK FILM FORUM

Valentina Triet, Josef Dabernig

With Valentina Triet and Josef Dabernig, the MAK Collection of Contemporary Art invites audiences to decipher visual codes of fashion and fitness. The artists intertwine concepts of abstraction and community, which are inscribed onto the body as a canvas.

DRESSED UP

Sparkling Tree Decoration

This exhibition features a remarkable collection of hundreds of items from the Waltraud Neuwirth collection, highlighting the peak years of Christmas tree decorations from the 1920s to the 1950s. Set in the MAK Kunstblättersaal, it transforms the space into a dazzling realm filled with shimmering decorations. Objects such as slide rules, airplanes, lobsters, and architecturally inspired designs break traditional boundaries, presenting a fresh perspective on festive ornaments. Originally crafted during the Biedermeier period using handmade decorations from apples, ribbons, and nuts, Christmas ornaments quickly evolved into mass-produced items. The exhibition showcases a variety of materials including hollow glass, glass beads, rods, as well as wood, foil, chenille, and leonine wire, bringing a sparkle to both the eye and the Christmas tree. Additionally, it includes lesser-known yet captivating Christmas tree decorations from the 1960s to 1980s, enticing even those who do not celebrate the holiday.

TURNING PAGES

Artist's Books of the Present

Artist's books play a central role in the practice of Louise Bourgeois, Heinz Gappmayr, Sol Lewitt, Rosemarie Trockel, and many emerging artists from both the Austrian and international scenes. The works featured in the exhibition initiate dialogues about gender roles and socio-political issues. Additionally, the book serves as a medium of cultural memory and remembrance. Young artists are experimenting with the book format, transcending traditional boundaries of image, text, and material, all against the backdrop of the digital age.

100 BEST POSTERS 24

Germany Austria Switzerland

The 100 Best POSTERS 24 exhibition showcases exceptional poster designs from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This competition highlights outstanding graphic and typographic solutions while also reflecting current trends and successful design practices. Now in its 19th edition, this event is a testament to the vitality of poster art. The association 100 Beste Plakate e.V. is accompanying the competition with an extensive publication.

HELMUT LANG

Focusing on Helmut Lang’s vision of design and identity from 1986 to 2005, this exhibition underscores Lang’s role as a pioneer who embraced innovative artistic strategies long before he exited the fashion industry in 2005 to concentrate on his art practice. With a groundbreaking intermedia approach, Helmut Lang revolutionized traditional norms and set new benchmarks in clothing, graphic design, staging, architecture, experimental branding, interdisciplinary collaboration, and digital communication, reflecting an uncompromising foresight. In 1998, he became the first designer to stream a runway show online, preemptively anticipating the global transformation in fashion experiences. Concurrently, he introduced more than 1,000 taxi-top advertisements to promote the new website, which became a hallmark of New York City. Lang’s work transcended the notion of clothing, serving as a medium of communication and an integral part of a broader cultural narrative. His fashion presentations, termed “Séance de Travail” (work session), alongside his flagship stores in New York and Paris, advocated for a strategic reevaluation that favored experience over simple consumption. Collaborating with artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Jenny Holzer, Robert Mapplethorpe, Jürgen Teller, and others, he cultivated a new visual language that blurred the lines between creative disciplines, solidifying his role and influence within fashion and culture to this day. The exhibition provides an unprecedented glimpse into the visionary designer and artist’s mindset, opting out of showcasing physical garments in favor of a contemporary, mixed-media presentation that includes large-scale, site-specific installations alongside selected original materials from both the MAK Helmut Lang Archive and the artist’s personal archives.