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
- 2020 dates: Oct 9-11
- See also: Vienna Design Week | Fesch’Markt Wien
“Design hearts beat faster”
Vienna’s relationship to design has not been without 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 creative design is no stranger to the city, so Vienna makes a suitable host for the annual Blickfang design fair, held 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, innovation, 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 from across Europe with the designers themselves on hand to explain their products and philosophies.
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 bottles of organic gin to lampshades made of petals.
And standards are high – exhibitors must convince a specialist jury of their worth, much like the concept applied to Vienna’s Karlsplatz Christmas Market.
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.
For the record, the MAK is one of my favourite museums; the exhibitions delight and inform in equal measure. So be sure to make it a double dose of design inspiration by visiting Blickfang and then the actual MAK museum.
2020 dates and tickets
Blickfang 2020 takes place from October 9th to 11th. Opening times at the last event were:
- Midday to 9pm (Friday)
- 10am to 8pm (Saturday)
- 11am to 6pm (Sunday)
A standard day ticket cost €12 at the door in 2019, with a small discount if you bought in advance from the Blickfang website.
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 opposite the main MAK museum entrance.
Address: MAK Exhibition Hall, Weiskirchnerstraße 3 , 1010 Vienna