Vienna Design weeks

[i]Vienna presents itself as a lively location for product design [/i] 3 - 21 October 2007 Vienna The VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs will concentrate all the dynamic variety of contemporary Austrian design under a single roof for the first time. It will represent a self-confident Austrian-Viennese entry to the international calendar of festivals and fairs. For a period of two-and-a-half weeks Vienna will present itself as a pulsating creative location. Under the label VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs a variety of important institutions and protagonists as well as partners from the world of business will come together. Creative designers will link with the producers of design objects. The VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs, which will be held annually, hone the perception of design, illustrate different approaches and, above all, stimulate a delight in design. The Neigungsgruppe Design / Tendency Group Design (Tulga Beyerle, Thomas Geisler and Lilli Hollein) attracted attention last year with the conception and implementation of two successful events which are now to form the basis for the VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs. Firstly, these are the Passionswege (Paths of Passion), a curated design route through the centre of Vienna being supported by the Vienna Economic Chamber and the Federal Ministry of Education, the Arts and Culture: shops will present interventions by designers to form an inspiring synthesis of experimental design and established, commercial and, above all, Viennese locations. In addition this year, for the second time, the Tendency Group Design will organise the International Design Conference DESIGN 07 to be held on 8 and 9 October by the University of Applied Arts Vienna. The conference is supported by the departure wirtschaft, kunst und kultur GmbH for the second time and, additionally this year, by the Vienna Economic Chamber. In series of discussions, a number of which will be held parallel, around 30 Austrian and international speakers along with about 600 expected visitors will examine the theme of "The Middle". The VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs also work with design institutions and design platforms that will establish their own thematic focal points in the exhibition and events programme. The following partners have already confirmed their participation: Hofmobiliendepot-Möbel Museum Wien (The Imperial Furniture Collection), MAK Museum für angewandte Kunst / Gegenwartskunst (Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art), designforum, Dorotheum, Liechtensteinmuseum, Walking Chair Gallery, das Möbel, the Technisches Museum Wien, and the Blickfang Design Fair. All dates and event locations will be listed on the homepage and in the guide to the VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs. Within the framework of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs the Tendency Group Design plans to introduce a guest country each year. This time the exhibition "Swiss Design" will be shown in the Freiraum/quartier21. Curated by Pierre Keller, who is also head of the renowned design university ECAL in Lausanne, this show is an initiative by the cultural section of the Swiss embassy within the context of the European Football Championships 2008. The VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs will end with the fourth design retail fair Blickfang Wien at the MAK from 19 to 21 October. The VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs are organised by the Tendency Group Design, an initiative started by Tulga Beyerle, Thomas Geisler and Lilli Hollein. Asked about their motivation in founding this association the three design experts replied: "We believe in the potential of Austrian design. In a country that is internationally recognised primarily on account of its excellent achievements in the areas of art and culture, we find it particularly appropriate that design should be emphasised as a cultural factor." The Tendency Group Design will undertake the positioning of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEKs in terms of content, as well as the coordination of the individual projects and partners. The main sponsors of the event are the Vienna Economic Chamber and departure wirtschaft, kunst und kultur GmbH. Visit the official site: http://www.viennadesignweek.at/