bold and free
rarely shown objects of the museum mingle their way boldly and freely into the permanent collection
year 2020
categories curating, art direction & teaching
staging & spatial Installationsfor
During the extraordinary times of 2020/2021, the MAK invited its visitors to a special expedition through the MAK’s permanent exhibition spaces. Rarely or never shown, special objects from the collection and hidden deposit treasures are staged by the design studio mischer’traxler together with curator Janina Falkner. Custodians, but also staff from the collections, restorers, art mediators, and the director – have selected over 100 previously hidden masterpieces for this show that are worth seeing. With bold gestures, the objects “elbow” their way into spaces that are already taken, slip between them demanding their space to shine. Unexpected associations, humorous constellations and paradoxical scenarios emerge from this spontaneously curated, moving-in of things. “bold and free! The Invasion of Hidden Objects” is the second collaboration between design studio mischer’traxler and the MAK Vienna, after the relaunch of the MAK DESIGN LAB. Creative approaches to masterpieces of applied art once again convey the diversity of the MAK collection in an unconventional and imaginative way.
Bright green requisites and props complement the presentations of the new visiting objects. They help to highlight unusual perspectives and exciting aspects. Stories are read crosswise, more boldly, more freely, sometimes more profoundly or even nonsensically. Above all, the selected objects are freed from classically linear narrative modes and contexts.
audio-tour through the exhibition, read by Louise Prack (actress).
mak.at/boldandfree
Even though the wedding dress has been in the MAK Collection for 102 years, it has never been exhibited in the museum...
In this exhibition everything was ready for the entry of the bride into the glass-cabinet
A velvet hood with mask from the 16th century snuck in a glass cabinet with its burglary tool to mingle with precious venetian glasses and vases—ready for the peccadillo
“a chair from Chiavari (1850-1860) has made it to the roof of the Dubsky Room and claims it for its own. ‘Bold and free!’ it seems to shout”
Janina Falkner (MAK)
captured from the 1st floor of the museum
and captured with the whole room
Giovanni Battista and Francesco Piranesi's etchings are approaching utopia
the dragon on the carpet looks like it would bite off his own tail, therefore the titel "ichteppich" image credit: mischer'traxer studio
The Mail-Art-Bike by Padhi Frieberger might be just right to remove the visitor furniture in the carpet showroom
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curators
Janina Falkner (MAK Vienna), Katharina Mischer, Thomas Traxler
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team
Katharina Mischer, Thomas Traxler, Monja Hirscher, Elisa Polner, Lena Hoyos
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graphic design and communication
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image credits
if not indicated otherwise,
all images by MAK/Georg Mayer