In a way that is virtually unparalleled by any other institution, the MAK stands for the fruitful combination of the past with the future, something which can be clearly sensed and experienced when visiting its extensive collection, large exhibition halls, themed special exhibitions and discourse-centered programme of events. Bringing together applied arts, design, architecture, and contemporary art is one of the museum’s core competencies.
Founded under Emperor Franz Joseph I in 1863 as the Imperial Royal Austrian Museum of Art and Industry, the
MAK is one of the most magnificent buildings on Vienna’s Ringstraße. Its collection of over 900,000 objects and prints from across five centuries—from the famous Thonet bentwood chairs and furniture designs from the age of Viennese Modernism to contemporary design solutions to the challenges of our age—makes the MAK one of the most important museums of its kind in the world.