Vienna Design Week celebrates 20th anniversary

The Vienna Design Week (VDW) is celebrating its 20th anniversary. As Austria’s largest curated design festival, the initiative has gained international recognition since its founding by Lilli Hollein, Tulga Beyerle, and Thomas Geisler.

To mark the milestone, the MAK museum will present a comprehensive retrospective of all previous VDW poster campaigns from September 29 to November 1. These posters have historically defined the festival's public image, balancing institutional frameworks with creative freedom.

This year's festival is centered in an iconic office high-rise in Vienna-Hietzing. Director Gabriel Roland emphasized the importance of engaging with design, noting its pervasive influence on daily life. The event features a wide spectrum of creativity, including collaborations between designers and craft businesses, installations in unconventional spaces like former cold storage rooms, and exhibitions exploring everything from furniture to jewelry.