![\"Ceramic](\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/ceramicssmall.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nThe best of ceramic art and design need not always lie behind glass in austere museums. The Pots und Blitz<\/em> design market showcases the work of independent artisans from Austria and abroad for your pleasure and possible purchase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (This way for creative ceramic design; press photo \u00a9 FOTOFALLY)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Pots und Blitz ceramics design market slides gracefully into a history in Vienna that dates back over 300 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 1718, Europe’s second-ever porcelain manufacturer opened here following some top-class dirty business tricks to capture the secrets to the production process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The porcelain tradition continues today through Augarten (whose premises include a lovely porcelain museum<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Staying on the history theme, wander into the Hofburg<\/a> in the city centre to find yourself impressed by a host of imperial porcelain<\/a>, such as a Minton dessert service gifted by Queen Victoria, examples of Imari (far eastern) porcelain, and enough Meissen to raise the eyebrows of any visiting monarch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But back to today…<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Pots und Blitz design market features handcrafted porcelain and other ceramics made by independent artists and artisans from Austria and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n (POTS und BLITZ press photo \u00a9 FOTOFALLY)<\/p>\n\n\n\n So you have the chance to admire (and purchase) products ranging from dishwasher-proof plates to jewelry, decorative figures, and sculpture…from delicate espresso cups to giant vases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The organisers work with an expert jury when selecting exhibitors, thus ensuring items on display are high quality (which I can confirm based on a visit to a previous edition).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cups, plates, bowls, and containers dominated the selection on my trip, but with plenty of other unique items on display, too. I particularly enjoyed Margit Russnig’s partly-fantastical figurines, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Russnig returned in 2023, along with over 40 other exhibitors.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the designers and creators tend to manage their own stands, you might also get a first-hand report on the concepts and process behind each piece on display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The venue certainly seems to match the market’s combination of longstanding tradition and modern flair. The MuseumsQuartier (MQ) plays a leading role in Vienna’s contemporary art scene<\/a>, but the event buildings themselves housed the court stables in centuries past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the time of writing, I don’t have any information on when any future Post und Blitz might take place. For the record, the previous edition took place from October 6th to 8th with opening hours of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adult tickets at the door were \u20ac6.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same folk organise another design event a bit later in the year. The Weihnachtsquartier Christmas design fair<\/a> brings together independent designers of all sorts of products and makes an intriguing location for gift shopping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more unique design, cross over from the venue to the Leopold Museum<\/a> in the MuseumQuartier’s main courtyard; the Vienna 1900<\/a> permanent display includes furniture and household items by the likes of Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and the Wiener Werkst\u00e4tte<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Find your way to the MuseumsQuartier<\/a>. As you face the main entrance from outside, go left and use the first entrance you come across. The event takes place in that outer tract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Walk on a little further to find the MQ Freiraum and MQ Salon<\/a> spaces. With a bit of luck, you may find an exhibition inside, and this is normally free to see.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Address: Arena 21, MuseumsQuartier, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Ceramics and porcelain<\/h2>\n\n\n
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How to get to Pots und Blitz<\/h3>\n\n\n\n