There’s a certain joy to be had when form and function combine in a manifestation of creativity. In other words, who doesn’t like a well-designed product? And the Blickfang design fair is full of them.
- International fair featuring independent designers
- Wide variety of products to see, discuss, and buy
- Hosted at the MAK Museum
- 2023 dates: Oct 20-22
- See also:
Showcase & shopping
(Press photo © Dominik Geiger)
Vienna’s relationship to design has not been without creative conflict, especially around the early 20th century, when the likes of Wagner, Hoffman and Loos sought to lead Austria away from the excesses and banality of the past. But then I studied biology, so don’t take my word for it.
Anyway, excellent and innovative design is no stranger to the city, making Vienna a suitable host for the annual Blickfang design fair on the premises of the MAK museum.
Vienna is just one tasty alternative in Blickfang’s menu of design events, with similar fairs in Switzerland and Germany. They also run an international shopping platform featuring independent designers.
So we’re talking broad perspectives, an eye for quality, and more than a hint of sustainable practices. And the Blickfang fair reflects these characteristics.
For example, you’ll find dozens of stands with the designers themselves on hand to explain their products and philosophies.
(The MAK museum provides the venue for Blickfang)
The result is a fair full of unique and rare items (all of which you can also buy, incidentally): fashion, home accessories, jewelry, furniture, and more….everything from flower pot holders to cribs and fine art wallpaper.
Standards are high: exhibitors must convince a specialist jury of their worth, much like the concept applied to Vienna’s Karlsplatz Christmas Market.
They had me at the entrance on my visit to the 2022 version, thanks to the exquisite chocolate designs of ChocoMe.
Two floors with bright, open galleries presented dozens of further stands, all exuding a sense of style sadly not shared by this unkempt writer. (And prices that had my wallet clenching in concern, if I’m honest.)
I’ll admit to a particular fondness for the products of timber and wood. For example, the quite beautiful Cutting Brothers 3D wooden maps or the solid oak custom drinks cabinet built by WOOD 4 EVER. Though a special mention goes to the mesmerising artwork and kinetic drawing machines of Robert Balke.
The location could not be more apt.
Vienna’s MAK museum enjoys the full title of the Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art. Design is a huge component of that description, with a Design Lab permanent exhibition, for example, and areas dedicated to the Wiener Werkstätte.
For the record, the MAK is one of my favourite museums; their exhibitions delight and inform in equal measure. So consider a double dose of design inspiration by visiting Blickfang and then the actual MAK museum.
2023 dates and tickets
The next Blickfang in Vienna looks scheduled for October 20th to 22nd. Opening times last time out were:
- Midday to 8pm (Friday)
- 10am to 8pm (Saturday)
- 10am to 6pm (Sunday)
Find details, tickets (and ticket info) from the Blickfang website, once available.
How to get to Blickfang
Simply follow the travel tips at the bottom of the MAK page. It’s a particularly central location on the Ringstrassen that form the edge of Vienna’s old town centre. The nearest subway and tram stations (Stubentor) are right opposite the main MAK museum entrance.
Address: MAK Exhibition Hall, Weiskirchnerstraße 3 , 1010 Vienna