{"id":85903,"date":"2025-09-24T06:09:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T05:09:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=85903"},"modified":"2026-02-01T19:13:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T18:13:54","slug":"bicycle-lobster-exhibition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/bicycle-lobster-exhibition\/","title":{"rendered":"Bicycle &amp; Lobster exhibition"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"149\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstersmall.jpg\" alt=\"Close up of a Christmas tree branch\" class=\"wp-image-85901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstersmall.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstersmall-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>A seasonal treat at the MAK with a lovely little exhibition of Christmas tree decorations from Jablonec nad Nisou (German name Gablonz) in Czechia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mostly made from inlaid glass beads and wire<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many unexpected motifs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Around 800 examples from 1920-1980<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A mix of art, design, and Christmas spirit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Runs Sept 24, 2025 &#8211; Feb 1, 2026<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/mak\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"7100\">MAK overview<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/entertainment\/christmas-in-vienna\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"627\">Christmas in Vienna<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sparkling Tree Decorations<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstermak1.jpg\" alt=\"View of an exhibition\" class=\"wp-image-85898\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstermak1.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstermak1-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Wide view of the exhibition; press photo \u00a9 MAK\/Christian Mendez)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When the Japanese began making costume jewelry in earnest back in the day, the glass workshops of Bohemia (particularly Gablonz) saw their traditional export markets disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But like all good entrepreneurs, they simply applied their expertise in another direction: Christmas tree decorations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fast forward many decades and we&#8217;re the beneficiaries of that decision: the <em>Bicycle &amp; Lobster<\/em> exhibition at the MAK showcases the creativity and handcrafted artistry of the Gablonz workshops in a glittering display of around 800 such decorations from the years 1920 to 1980.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have the generosity and expertise of Waltraud Neuwirth to thank for the opportunity. She donated her private collection of 3000+ such ornaments to the museum where she herself once worked as a curator.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstermak3.jpg\" alt=\"Lobster-shaped Christmas decoration\" class=\"wp-image-85900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstermak3.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstermak3-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(Lobster, Christmas tree decoration from Gablonz\/Jablonec nad Nisou; glass beads and glass bugles with wire; press photo\u00a9 MAK\/Christian Mendez)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The broad exhibition display itself certainly conjures up an innocent Christmas spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Light glistens on ornaments either artfully hung from thread or resting in presentation boxes much like those you might pull out when you start decorating the tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You almost expect to hear carols in the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The exhibition room itself enhances that traditional Christmas feeling with its wooden spiral staircases, wood and glass display cabinets, and raised bookshelves all along one wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By now, though, you may be wondering about the title <em>Bicycle &amp; Lobster<\/em>. If you think only of baubles and balls when it comes to Christmas tree decorations, then you&#8217;re in for a surprise.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstermak2.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas decorations in a box\" class=\"wp-image-85899\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstermak2.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/lobstermak2-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(View of part of the exhibition; press photo \u00a9 MAK\/Christian Mendez)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ornaments are largely constructed from inlaid glass beads and rods with (invisible) connecting wire. And they come in an astounding variety of motifs: some purely decorative, some symbolic, and some a mix of the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider the pieces a melting pot of industrial organisation, design, handicraft, and art. A coming together of form, colour and handcrafted ingenuity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So you find the kind of figurative decorations you might expect: snowmen and Santa. But also figures from folklore. Bags, bicycles, and butterflies. Stars, scissors and spiders. Fish and fruit. And much more\u2026including, of course, balls and baubles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The large titular lobster, in particular, reveals the artistry and complexity behind the individual pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What you won&#8217;t see, though, is an actual Christmas tree. The decorations have space and context to sparkle on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if all this has you hankering to design your own ornaments, two touchscreens let you do just that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tickets\">Dates, tickets &amp; tips<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Enjoy the sparkly joys from Gablonz from September 24th, 2025 to February 1st, 2026. An entrance ticket from or for the MAK includes the special exhibitions within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Much of the exhibition obviously coincides with the Christmas season, so you&#8217;ll find huge swathes of handcrafted decorations at Vienna&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sightseeing\/christmas-markets\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1680\">Christmas markets<\/a>. I hear the MAK even plans its own version for a short period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The nearest market to the MAK museum is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/christmasmarkets\/stephansplatz-christmas-market\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4379\">Stephansplatz one<\/a>. But for the best decorations, I usually recommend the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/christmasmarkets\/schoenbrunn\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"153\">Sch\u00f6nbrunn<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/christmasmarkets\/freyung\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"215\">Freyung<\/a> markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get to the decorations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>See the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/museums\/mak\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"7100\">main MAK article<\/a> for travel tips. Once inside, go up one floor to find the Works on Paper room (Kunstbl\u00e4ttersaal).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Address: Stubenring 5, 1010 Vienna<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/0\/embed?mid=1G1JqCaIFJT9xk7v01SX4IL93otIsKj2D\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A seasonal treat at the MAK with a lovely little exhibition of historical Christmas tree decorations from Jablonec nad Nisou<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":85901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-85903","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-museums","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85903","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85903"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85903\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88506,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85903\/revisions\/88506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85903"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85903"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85903"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}