Editor’s Note
For over two decades, Vienna’s Blickfang fair has championed design that breaks from the mainstream. This year’s edition, featuring unique furniture, fashion, and more from 150 international brands, continues that tradition at the MAK.
The Blickfang design fair is taking place in Vienna for the 22nd time. Interested visitors can discover objects from around 150 brands from 17 countries at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK). On display are furniture, home accessories, fashion, and jewelry that stand apart from mass production.
The Blickfang design fair is considered one of the largest design shopping events in the German-speaking region. Hundreds of exhibitors from 17 nations are presenting their current collections on-site. They are carefully pre-selected each year by a panel of experts.
The aim is to bring not only established labels but especially emerging designers into the spotlight. In total, around 4,500 products are on display, including brightly colored vases, extraordinary earrings, porcelain vessels shaped like honeycombs, or durable wooden furniture.
The fair offers the opportunity to get to know the objects and their stories and to engage in personal conversations with the exhibitors. The focus is on durable materials, local production, and fair treatment of resources. Approximately 10,000 visitors are expected.
In the Japan Design Corner, pieces made of wood, ceramics, and textiles inspired by Japanese craftsmanship are on display. A special highlight is a solar lamp made of bamboo. Interactive workshops are also offered.
Visitors can also look forward to a special exhibition from the Czech Republic. Pieces include 3D-printed works by Martin Žampach, origami objects made of paper by architect Tereza Hradilková, and timeless fashion by Klára Holanová, among others.
The Viennese label The Form Follows was previously honored with the Future Forward Award, securing its place at the fair. The label consists of the design trio Iris Papst, Pia Kirchler, and Klemens Schillinger and designs furniture intended to be both functional and poetic. These are pieces that play with cheerful colors, clean lines, and fine details.
Designer Insa Decker from Germany was also awarded. With her label Babereti, she creates furniture that fits into every stage of life. Four modules made from local woods form the foundation and can be assembled into a bench, bed, shelf, or table as needed. Repair and reuse are intended to be a natural part of the concept.
Designer Yoomin Sun processes metal in her “Wirewirewire” series as if it were fabric. The result is knitted steel that is both stable and flexible. With this, she sets new standards in furniture design.
Furthermore, alumni from the fashion class of the University of Applied Arts Vienna are represented. Under the title “Common Grounds,” they showcase their art and attempt to answer how one finds their own identity in times of constant information flow.