kurz und gut: GIRL MEETS MANGA

With the exhibition GIRL MEETS MANGA, the MAK is tracing the special role of mangas for the formation of female identity. Since the middle of the 20th century, mangas–Japanese comics–have become a significant phenomenon of contemporary Japanese culture and are gaining importance worldwide. Mio Wakita-Elis, Curator of the MAK Asia Collection, lets her personal biography and perspective flow into the exhibition and gives insights into her manga-influenced teenage years in the Greater Tokyo area during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Tue, 12.8.2025 7 pm — 7.30 pm

MAK – Museum of Applied Arts

MAK Exhibition View, 2025, GIRL MEETS MANGA: A Manga Biography from Tokyo (1985–1992)

A Japanese children's book with a girl in a red dress and a cat on the cover.

Manga image of a girl depicted in vivid colors and dynamic poses.

The cover of a manga comic shows a person on a horse in a dynamic pose.

A room with a window and a stuffed bear standing on a shelf.

As an integral part of her daily life, mangas contributed to the development of her personality and enabled reflection on social issues such as feminism, consumerism, and globalization. A wide selection of mangas as well as images, music, and everyday objects, illustrate the way Japanese comics are fascinatingly intertwined with social topics and real-life concerns of their readers. The epilogue draws a connection to the year 2025 with short stories by Viennese women who tell us how mangas influence their biographies in today’s globalized world.

Language: The tour is held in German.
Duration: 30 min.
Tour fee: € 3 + admission to the museum
Admission every Tuesday 6–9 pm
€ 8
€ 7.50 online
Meeting point: MAK Columned Main Hall
No registration necessary