Vienna (Austria)

MAK Museum of Applied Arts

The MAK is a museum and space of experimentation for applied arts at the interface of design, architecture, and contemporary art. Its core competence lies in a contemporary exploration of these fields aimed at revealing new perspectives and elucidating discourse at the edges of the institution's traditions. The MAK focuses its efforts on securing an adequate recognition and positioning of applied arts. It pursues new approaches to its extensive collection, which encompasses various epochs, materials, and artistic disciplines, and develops these approaches to compelling views. The MAK is a museum for arts and the everyday world. In accordance with a modern understanding of applied arts, it strives to yield concrete benefits for everyday life. The MAK addresses our future by confronting relevant sociopolitical issues from the perspective and approach of contemporary art, applied arts, design, and architecture and, as a driving force, advocates for positive change of our society in social, ecological, and cultural terms. The interaction between applied arts and two of its special fields, design and architecture, on the one hand, and contemporary art on the other, promises a particularly powerful potential. Founded as the Austrian Museum of Art and Industry in 1863, the MAK is committed to a sustainable improvement of cooperation between art and the economic sphere. It supports collaborations and networks, especially in design and architecture, which facilitate the effective realization of the creative sector's innovative ideas and offers companies new perspectives for positioning themselves on the market. The MAK develops novel ways of collaborating with corporate sponsors particularly in the context of design and architecture labs.
MAK Museum for Applied Arts Vienna Fassade night

Access preferences

Barrier-Free Visits (Accessible entrance for pushchairs and wheelchairs)

A central concern of ours is ensuring that the museum is accessible to all visitors. All floors in the MAK main building and the MAK exhibition building, as well as toilets, feature barrier-free accessibility for visitors with disabilities (to include wheelchair-accessible passenger elevators). The MAK Design Shop and the Restaurant Salonplafond im MAK are on the ground floor and accessible via the museum without using steps. Persons accompanying visitors with disabilities have free admission to the museum.

Barrier-free entrance: Stubenring 5, Haupteingang/Main Entrance

Green Museum (Environmentally responsible)

PLANET LOVE & CLIMATE CARE IN THE MAK

The MAK is committed to sustainability and, to the best of its ability, strives to make an effective contribution to overcoming the global crisis threatening our climate and ecology. We wish to communicate this commitment to both our staff members and our partners-and especially to you, our Austrian and international visitors-both in the museum itself and online. The MAK has set itself the goal of being climate-neutral by 2030.

We have taken a significant step in this direction through our acquisition of the Austrian Ecolabel-the independent seal of approval with which not only business enterprises but also cultural institutions pledge themselves to quality and environmental protection.

LET’S GET ACTIVE TOGETHER!

The MAK stands for a holistic ecosocial approach that goes beyond climate neutrality and decarbonization to include protecting the biosphere and biodiversity as well as preserving and restoring ecosystems. In doing so, a central goal of the museum is to provide easy-to-understand orientation on essential but often complex ecosocial issues.

To this end, the MAK has outlined the salient features of a new mindset that unites PLANET LOVE with CLIMATE CARE, embracing a wide range of activities-a mindset that we will continue to develop through interactive programs.

THE POINT AT ISSUE

The museum’s work focuses on the current thematization of the global crisis threatening our climate and ecology and the presentation of possible solutions through exhibitions, art education, and other of the MAK’s programs. In doing so, we are particularly concerned to encourage designers, architects, and artists to engage more closely with questions of sustainability and thus to enhance the political, sociological, economic, and scientific relevance of the applied and fine arts in shaping our Climate Modernity.

We therefore invite you to be informed and inspired by such projects as the MAK DESIGN LAB, with its accompanying MAK LAB APP; by the temporary projects in the CREATIVE CLIMATE CARE GALLERY, launched in 2020; by the VIENNA BIENNALE FOR CHANGE, initiated by the MAK; as well as by a range of art education programs and discussion formats that include the MAK FUTURE LAB-and thus to actively support

PLANET LOVE and CLIMATE CARE ENGAGEMENT

Of prime importance for us at the MAK is civic engagement. We want to publicly support PLANET LOVE, CLIMATE CARE, preserving biodiversity, and restoring and maintaining ecosystems. And so we participate, amongst other things, in the activities of Museums for Future within the framework of Fridays for Future.

We support sustainable consumption, one aspect of which is buying less. As a first step, this means using what you already have. If something needs repairing, try to do it yourself or go to businesses that actively support sustainability, such as the Repair Network Vienna. If you need to replace something entirely, before buying it new first consider making it yourself, or borrowing, exchanging, or buying it second hand. If you do buy something new, buy it as far as possible locally and look for high-quality products (which are always better value in the long run). Buy regional and seasonal food products, without palm oil, with little meat, and without plastic packaging. Keep away from processed foods. Try to take your own packaging with you when you shop, and please, carefully separate your garbage. When visiting the MAK, we ask you always to use the garbage separation containers provided.

A MORE SUSTAINABLE USE OF RESOURCES

In the everyday operation of the museum too, we pay special attention to environmental and ecological sustainability. This includes using resources sparingly, taking into account products’ sustainability, longevity, and recyclability, and giving preference to ecolabeled products (bearing the Austrian Ecolabel, the Blue Angel, or the EU Ecolabell).

Interactive Tours (Virtual Content)

Here you can find Audio, Video & 3-D Tours, available for everybody to be seen from anywhere.

Sustainable Transport & Barrier-free Visits (Environmentally responsible)

ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY TRANSPORT

The MAK is centrally located and is easily reached on foot, by bike, or by public transport. In the immediate vicinity you will find a number of different public transport stops.

Stop Stubentor: U3, Tram 2
Stop Landstraße/Bahnhof Wien Mitte: U4, U3, S1, S2, S3, S4 and S7, City Airport Train/CAT

In addition, there are plenty of bike stands by the entrance to the MAK. And in an emergency, our porter can help you out with a bicycle repair kit.

Contact info

MAK Museum of Applied Arts,
Stubenring 5,
Vienna, Austria.
+43 1 711 36-0
office@MAK.at
https://www.mak.at/en