Museum of Applied Arts celebrates 150 years

The Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) is celebrating its 150th anniversary with three special exhibitions.

The first two exhibits open in July and delve into the history of art and design at the contemporary arts museum, which was the first exhibition building to be opened on Vienna’s Ringstrasse on 12 May 1864.

In “Exemplary: From Arts and Crafts to Design” nine artists lead their own investigations into how MAK became a place for inspiration and discussion over forward looking art and design. Sweeping over the 21st Century, they consider how significant moments in MAK’s history fitted alongside shifts in perspectives towards design.

Also being presented in July is “After-Images: Exhibitions in Pictures”, showcasing historical and modern photographs from MAK exhibitions throughout the years, with a focus on the different presentations of content and spatial concepts.

But the highlight of the year is expected to be “Ways to Modernism. Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos and Their Impact” in December. This exhibit explores Viennese Modernism by looking closely at the work of two key leaders in this field of art, architecture, and design.

The “Exemplary: From Arts and Crafts to Design” and “After-Images: Exhibitions in Pictures” both run from 11 June until 5 October 2014. “Ways to Modernism. Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos, and Their Impact” is on from 10 December 2014 to 19 April 2015.

To find out more visit www.mak.at