Vienna shows off Slovak design

FOR Slovak hockey fans in the Austrian capital for the Word Championship, a visit to the Looshaus in central Vienna offers a chance to take in another Slovak success story: its design.

TOMÁŠ Brichta's original musical instrument design (left), part of the display.
photo: Courtesy of Design: Slovakia : 05

FOR Slovak hockey fans in the Austrian capital for the Word Championship, a visit to the Looshaus in central Vienna offers a chance to take in another Slovak success story: its design.

Entitled Design: Slovakia: 05, the exhibition tells the "successful stories of Slovak firms, personalities and talents" until June 4. It displays the best that has been designed on the Slovak scene over the past five years.

"It's the first detailed presentation of Slovak design abroad since the establishment of the Slovak Republic," say the organizers of the exhibition, curated by Ľubica Fábri from the Design In agency.

The Looshaus, one of Vienna's architectural jewels, was built in 1909 for the tailor's Goldman & Salatsch. Visitors can admire various industrial and graphic designs by around 20 Slovak artists while the exhibition is in town.

The exhibition focuses on an array of creative products, ranging from furniture and utilitarian glass items to mechanical devices and machines.

A special section is dedicated to the visual presentation of companies and institutions: Bratislava's new logo, corporate restaurant designs as well as graphic designs for international events such as the Bratislava Biennial Illustration.

Among the exhibits to be savoured are Etela Lučová's rattan chairs, Tomáš Brichta's original and funky musical instruments and Ferdinand Chrenka's colourful dentist's chair.

Other industrial designs in the exhibition are by Peter Bohuš, Ivan Čobej, Jakub Janiga and Bendis & Kierulf. Among the well-established graphic designers one can find works by Vladislav Rostoka, Rastislav Uličný, and Ferino Bakyta.

Glass designer Patrik Illo's works are on display in an individual exhibition, Fragile Design.

According to the organizers, the way society has developed since 1989 and the current state of Slovak industry do not provide optimal conditions for designers.

Despite that, the start of the 1990s saw the establishment of small design firms, which found success at home and abroad. The upholsterer Domark, the heater designer Hakl and the refrigerated display window producer Pastorkalt are three of the prominent successes.

The success looks set to continue. Several young Slovak designers have generated great interest abroad and exhibitions from graduating students also draw attention to the great potential of Slovak designers.

Design: Slovakia: 05 runs at Designzone Looshaus exhibition hall of the Raiffeisenbank building in Vienna.


Prepared by Spectator staff
from press release

Top stories

Stock image.

Twice as many Ukrainians work in Slovakia now than before the Russian invasion.


Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad