You have to love people who explore other creative disciplines beyond their own to push back the borders of what’s considered possible. One such individual was Austrian-born architect, Raimund Abraham, and the MAK exhibition gives physical form to his vision.
- Takes Abraham’s drawings and turns them into collages, models and prototypes
- Exhibition included in the normal entrance ticket
- Runs June 17 – Oct 18, 2020
- See also:
“Angles and angels”
You might almost consider Abraham as having lived a double life.
First, there’s the buildings: those he constructed as an architect include some that truly deserve the epithet iconic.
The Austrian Cultural Forum in New York, for example, holds a special place in Abraham’s portfolio. Built in just 25 feet of space (but with 24 storeys), it forms a landmark piece of the Manhattan cityscape.
Then there’s the imaginative designs that never troubled a brick or wheelbarrow. Abraham’s greatest influence comes, perhaps, through the wider vision and creativity expressed in these architectural drawings.
Visionary is the key word here. Abraham himself linked architecture to other creative arts in terms of challenging convention and exploring possibilities, at least on paper. Accordingly, he drew inspiration from music, literature, philosophy, and other disciplines.
The results include drawings with such redolent titles as Glacier City, the Tower of Wisdom or Earth-Cloud House, all of which might double up as the title of the next science-fiction bestseller.
The MAK’s exhibition pays tribute to that vision. Around 50 sketches, collages, models and prototypes give form to Abraham’s imagined architectural designs, turning concepts on paper into physical objects. These come from the MAK’s own collection and those of Una Abraham and the Architekturzentrum Wien.
Dates, tickets & tips
Admire Abraham’s architectural creativity from June 17th to October 18th, 2020. The MAK normally opens from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm (9pm on Tuesdays). Also opens Mondays if it happens to be a public holiday.
The museum’s entrance ticket includes access to the MAK’s exhibitions. Or you can use a Vienna Pass to get in once (my review).
How to get to the Abraham exhibition
For full travel tips, check the main MAK article. But basically head for Stubentor station on the U3 subway line or 2 tram and you’re there.
Look out for other exhibitions at the MAK, not to mention the fine permanent collections. Sometimes the display architecture leaves an even greater impression than the excellent exhibits (the carpet gallery being a particular case in point).
Address: Stubenring 5, 1010 Vienna