13 March 2026  Textile design often exists between disciplines. It combines artistic experimentation with the practical realities of fashion and industrial production. The exhibition "Textil – Abstrakt" at the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts Vienna focuses on the work of Austrian textile artist and designer Ursi Fürtler (born 1939), whose career illustrates this intersection over several decades. Opening on 17 March 2026, the artist's birthday, the exhibition runs from 18 March to 14 June 2026 and presents works from the 1970s to the present. Sketches for textile patterns are shown alongside sculptural fabrics, wearable textile objects and interior pieces such as folding screens. Together they reveal how textile design can function simultaneously as visual composition, functional object and material experiment. In recent years, the MAK has placed greater emphasis on collecting and presenting works by Austrian women artists and designers. Within this context, Fürtler's practice stands out for demonstrating how a medium traditionally associated with design can also develop a strong artistic language. From Textile Education to Professional PracticeFürtler's path began at the Modeschule Hetzendorf in Vienna, where she studied textile design. She later continued her education in graphic arts at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. After her studies she spent a year in Sweden working as a porcelain designer before turning increasingly toward textile work.From the 1970s onward she developed textile patterns that were produced by manufacturers in Austria and internationally. Among them was the Viennese textile company Backhausen. Her designs were also produced in Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and West Africa. Many of the works presented in the exhibition demonstrate her experimental approach to materials and printing techniques. Using stencil screen printing, she created layered geometric patterns with lines, dots and colour fields. Pleated synthetic fabrics and printed surfaces give many of her pieces a sculptural quality that changes with movement. Textiles Between Industry and Avant-GardeFürtler's work also intersected with Vienna's experimental fashion scene of the 1980s. Some of her textile objects and garments were presented during the avant-garde fashion event U-Mode, which brought together designers, artists and performers exploring new directions in fashion.Although the event series was short-lived, it reflected a moment when fashion in Vienna moved beyond conventional presentation formats and became part of a wider artistic environment. Textile designers contributed significantly to this development by experimenting with material, structure and form. Teaching and the Transmission of KnowledgeIn addition to her artistic practice, Fürtler was active as a teacher. After studying there herself, she later taught at the Modeschule Hetzendorf, contributing to the education of younger generations of textile and fashion designers.Her teaching activities were complemented by international engagements, including seminars at the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation and work with the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. Seen together, the works in the exhibition trace a career that moves between artistic exploration, industrial collaboration and education. They illustrate how textile design can connect artistic thinking with practical application — and how this intersection has shaped both design practice and design education in Vienna. Images, from left: Pleated printed textile garment by Ursi Fürtler made from synthetic fibre, around 2005. Middle: Abstract pleated textile wall hanging by Ursi Fürtler, 2010. Right: Geometric textile design collage for Backhausen by Ursi Fürtler, 1982. Photos: © MAK / Christian Mendez |