6 February 2026  Austrian ceramic heritage between use and designCeramics play a special role in Austria's cultural history. Among tableware and household ceramics, two names stand out for their long tradition and public recognition: Augarten Porcelain in Vienna and Gmundner Keramik in Upper Austria. While Augarten represents fine porcelain, Gmundner Keramik is closely linked to everyday culture. Founded on a local craft tradition that can be traced back to 1492, Gmundner Keramik has become one of Austria's most familiar ceramic producers. Its objects are used daily, yet they also carry a strong design identity. This balance between function and form has shaped how ceramics are perceived in Austria: not only as utilitarian products, but as designed objects with cultural meaning.Gmunden as a place of cultural activityBeyond production, Gmunden has developed into an active location for artistic and cultural exchange. The town is known for its openness to design, applied arts and contemporary culture. This attitude is reflected in long-standing collaborations between Gmundner Keramik and cultural institutions. In Vienna, joint projects with the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts have explored the intersection of art, design and craft. These include artist-designed ceramic editions created in dialogue with contemporary artistic positions, most recently with Markus Schinwald. While these activities take place in the capital, they point back to Gmunden as the production site where ideas are translated into material form.International exchange and the Academy of CeramicsIn recent years, the artistic side of ceramics has become increasingly visible in Gmunden itself. Since 2022, the Academy of Ceramics Gmunden has provided a structured framework for this development. Established as a cooperation between Gmundner Keramik and the OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH, the academy hosts artist-in-residence programs, workshops and exhibitions. Artists from Austria and abroad work directly with local ceramic experts, combining traditional techniques with contemporary artistic approaches. International exchange plays a key role, including collaborations with institutions such as the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics Museum.For an upcoming exhibition in Gmunden, running from 13 February to 3 May 2026, Gmundner Keramik has shared a small preview. The specific objects on display have not yet been announced, but behind-the-scenes images from the production process suggest an experimental and process-oriented approach. They offer glimpses into how artistic ideas emerge within an industrial yet craft-based environment. The exhibition continues a long tradition in which design in Gmunden is closely connected to artistic practice, showing that ceramics remain a living medium shaped by inspiration, dialogue and collaboration. Image: Hand-decorated ceramic plate seen from above during production, showing a looping brush pattern in green glaze that reflects the process of artistic design within contemporary ceramic making. Photo: © Gmundner Keramik |