MAK – Museum of Applied Arts

The MAK, Museum of Applied Arts (German: Museum für angewandte Kunst) is a major arts and crafts museum located at Stubenring 5 in Vienna's 1st district, Innere Stadt. Founded in 1863 and opened in 1864, it is Austria's leading institution for applied arts, design, architecture, and contemporary art. The museum has occupied its current building since 1871 and holds particular distinction for its pioneering digital initiatives: it maintains the largest online collection among Austrian Federal Museums, with over 300,000 objects accessible digitally, and in 2015 became the first museum worldwide to acquire art using bitcoin, purchasing Harm van den Dorpel's screensaver "Event listeners." Since 2004, the building has been illuminated in the evenings by James Turrell's permanent outdoor installation "MAKlite."

The Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry was founded on 7 March 1863 by Emperor Franz Joseph I, with Rudolf von Eitelberger, the first Professor of art history at the University of Vienna, appointed as director. The museum opened provisionally on 12 May 1864 in rooms of the Ballhaus building adjacent to the Vienna Hofburg, adapted by architect Heinrich von Ferstel. Its model was London's South Kensington Museum (founded 1852, now the Victoria and Albert Museum), conceived as an exemplary collection for artists, industrialists, and the public, and as a training institution for designers and craftspeople. In 1867, the affiliated k.k. Wiener Kunstgewerbeschule (Vienna School of Arts and Crafts, now the University of Applied Arts Vienna) was established, uniting theoretical and practical training; it moved to Stubenring 3 in 1877 after construction of an extension. A pivotal moment came in 1897 when Arthur von Scala became director, bringing Otto Wagner, Felician von Myrbach, Koloman Moser, Josef Hoffmann, and Alfred Roller to work at the museum and school. Conflicts with the Arts and Crafts Association led to Archduke Rainer's resignation as protector in 1898 and new statutes; around 1900 the museum and school received separate administrations, finally separating completely in 1909. In 1907, the museum absorbed most of the collection of the Royal Austrian Trade Museum. The institution published the journal Mittheilungen des k.k. Österreichischen Museums für Kunst und Industrie from 1865 to 1897, then Kunst und Kunsthandwerk from 1898 to 1921, which gained international reputation, and later alte und moderne kunst from 1955 to 1985. After the First Republic's establishment, former Habsburg holdings including oriental carpets were transferred to the museum. In 1936 and 1940, sculpture collections were exchanged with the Kunsthistorisches Museum for arts and crafts from the Albert Figdor collection and the Kunsthistorisches Museum's own holdings. Following Austria's annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938, the museum was renamed Staatliches Kunstgewerbemuseum in Wien and expanded through confiscated private collections between 1939 and 1945. Since 1998, provenance research has led to numerous restitutions. The museum was renamed Österreichisches Museum für angewandte Kunst in 1947 and reopened in 1949 after war damage repairs. In 1965, the Geymüllerschlössel in Vienna's 18th district became a branch, housing Dr. Franz Sobek's clock collection and Biedermeier furniture. The Arenbergpark flak tower served as the MAK Contemporary Art Depot (MAK Tower) from 1994, housing major parts of the contemporary art collection until its closure to the public due to lack of official approval. Since 2006, the museum has jointly operated the Josef Hoffmann Museum in Brtnice/Pirnitz (Czech Republic) with the Moravian Gallery in Brno. In 1994, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture was established in Los Angeles in the former residence of architect Rudolph M. Schindler.

The MAK's collection encompasses furniture, glass, ceramics, textiles, design, and jewelry. It holds the archives of the Wiener Werkstätte and objects by figures including Lucien Gaillard, Josef Hoffmann, and James Turrell. The museum's contemporary art holdings are substantial enough to have required dedicated depot space at the MAK Tower. The collection's historical strengths reflect its original mission as an exemplary collection for artists, industrialists, and the public, with significant accumulations from the Habsburg era, the Royal Austrian Trade Museum, and exchanges with the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The Geymüllerschlössel branch preserves an authentic Biedermeier interior with 160 Old-Viennese clocks from 1750 to the late 19th century and furniture from 1800 to 1840, offering insight into the diversity of Biedermeier interior decorating.

Among the museum's signature holdings are Dr. Franz Sobek's clock collection of 160 Old-Viennese clocks spanning 1750 to the second half of the 19th century, and Biedermeier furniture from 1800 to 1840, displayed at the Geymüllerschlössel branch. The museum possesses objects by Josef Hoffmann, a leading figure of the Vienna Secession and Wiener Werkstätte, whose birth house in Brtnice/Pirnitz is now a joint branch with the Moravian Gallery in Brno. The contemporary art collection includes James Turrell's "MAKlite," a permanent outdoor illumination installation active since 2004, and Harm van den Dorpel's screensaver "Event listeners," acquired in 2015 as the first museum purchase using bitcoin. The archives of the Wiener Werkstätte constitute a crucial resource for studying this influential design collective.

The museum's main building at Stubenring 5 in Vienna's Innere Stadt was constructed from 1868 to 1871 by Heinrich von Ferstel in Neo-Renaissance style, forming an ensemble with the University of Applied Arts Vienna. The museum has occupied this site since 1871. Since 2004, the building's exterior has been illuminated in the evenings by James Turrell's permanent outdoor installation "MAKlite." The Geymüllerschlössel branch in Vienna's 18th district, acquired in 1965, presents period interiors with its clock and furniture collections. The MAK Tower, a former combat flak tower in Arenbergpark erected during World War II, served from 1994 as the MAK Contemporary Art Depot but is currently closed to the public due to lack of official approval. The Josef Hoffmann Museum in Brtnice/Pirnitz, Czech Republic, operates as a joint branch with the Moravian Gallery in Brno since 2006. The MAK Center for Art and Architecture in Los Angeles, founded in 1994, is housed in the former residence of architect Rudolph M. Schindler.

The MAK, Museum of Applied Arts is located at Stubenring 5 in Vienna's 1st district, Innere Stadt, on the Ringstraße. It is a state museum (staatliches Kunstgewerbemuseum) within the Austrian Federal Museums system. The museum provides an audio guide as a web-based application accessible on mobile phones. Its digital presence is extensive, with over 300,000 objects displayed online, representing the largest online collection among Austrian Federal Museums. The museum offers additional digital resources including digistories and a blog covering a broad range of topics. The Geymüllerschlössel branch remains open to visitors, while the MAK Tower is currently closed to the public. The Josef Hoffmann Museum in Brtnice/Pirnitz and the MAK Center for Art and Architecture in Los Angeles extend the institution's reach internationally.