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13 September 2024
Fashion.at save-the-date tip for exploring contemporary design from Austria: 'AUT NOW' at the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts Vienna will open in a few days
How to describe Austrian design ad hoc? If Fashion.at had to summarize the essence of Austrian design in a few words, immediately, without thinking long, the answer would be: Puristic, where decoration becomes functional, practical with a focus on easy use, and humorous as the spice of the pragmatic soup composed of traditions and innovations, such as the serving plate for sausages 'Wiener Frankfurter' by the Vienna-based design duo Kim+Heep, or the 'Bong' by the Austrian company Gmundner Keramik, made of the traditional green flamed ceramics that have been produced in Gmunden, Upper Austria, for hundreds of years, dating back to the 15th century. The two pieces were presented as a preview of the upcoming exhibition 'AUT NOW. 100 × Austrian Design for the 21st Century' at the MAK - Museum of Applied Arts Vienna, which opens on September 17 and runs from September 18, 2024 to May 18, 2025.
It's announced that the exhibition offers a comprehensive look at contemporary Austrian product design through 100 objects designed and produced in Austria from 2000 to the present. These are divided into 25 thematic categories, such as 'Alpine,' featuring designs inspired by the Alpine region, including objects such as avalanche equipment and products by well-known brands such as the bong by Gmundner Keramik. The sausage serving plate by Kim+Heep will be exhibited in the 'Design Parlant' category, which translates from French as 'speaking design'. The serving plate communicates its function, its purpose, directly through its form, without the need for external explanations. In other words, the design speaks for itself. Design Parlant may be reminiscent of the idea of 'form following function,' where the appearance of an object or product intuitively indicates how it should be used or what it represents. The 'Design Parlant' example serving plate is self-explanatory and avoids excessive decoration, focusing instead on clear, functional and meaningful design elements.
The exhibition emphasizes the diversity and innovation of Austrian design, from furniture and lighting to health and mobility solutions. It explores how design addresses social challenges, new production techniques and sustainable practices. Categories such as 'Circular' and 'Material Opportunities' highlight products that focus on sustainability, material innovation and rethinking traditional everyday objects. Products featured in Material Opportunities include unbreakable eyewear by gloryfy.
Event tip: The exhibition is part of Vienna Design Week 2024, with the highlight event 'MAK Design Nite' on September 24, 2024. More details at https://www.mak.at/en/autnow.
Images from left: 'Bong' by Gmundner Keramik, 2023, material ceramic, presented in the category 'Alpine' at the exhibition 'AUT NOW. 100 × Austrian Design for the 21st Century' at the MAK - Museum of Applied Arts Vienna from September 18, 2024 to May 18, 2025. Photo: © Gmundner Keramik. Right: Serving plate 'Wiener Frankfurter' by KIM+HEEP, presented in the 'AUT NOW' exhibition category 'Design Parlant'. Photo: © KIM+HEEP.
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