Making Another Austria 2013

In the last few years Austrian fashion design has become the focal point of an increased  public interest, not only within Austria itself, but also internationally, gaining much acclaim for its high quality and diverse artistic approach.

Another Austria would like to take account of this particular moment. The exhibition is Austria’s official contribution to the International Fashion Showcase 2013 in London, under the auspices of the British Council and the British Fashion Council. It brings together a number of selected artistic positions and lends a current view into the fashion world of Austria and beyond.

As curator, it was of particular importance for me to conceive the exhibition so that technical approaches to material and production are given the same attention as individual interpretations of design. The aim of Another Austria was not only to stage the exhibition itself but also to connect fashion designers with a wider creative scene in Vienna and London. The trust engendered in the collaboration with the artists and designers was the driving force.

My numerous conversations with the participants during the selection phase were invaluable and helped to define the manner in which the work process evolved. In addition to the aesthetic vocabulary of the individual artworks, these open-ended, personal exchanges set the parameters of the curatorial conception and produced the resulting group show in its present form.

The impetus for this project was my work as editorial director of AUSTRIANFASHION.NET and my longstanding involvement with the multifaceted fashion scene. I am delighted to have been given the opportunity of making Another Austria, as this is the first time that Austrian fashion has been granted a public platform within the framework of London Fashion Week.

I would like to thank all participating artists and designers, the Vienna Municipal Department of Cultural Affairs and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, the Arts and Culture, as well as all supporting partners and sponsors. Special credit is due to the staff of the Austrian Cultural Forum and to my team in Vienna and London.

Another Austria invites the international public in London to experience contemporary creative work from another Austria – fashion, design, drawing, photography and animation are the media with which the artists and designers reach new limits.

Claudia Rosa Lukas