What is so special about these decorations is that they include not only angels and stars but also, surprisingly, miniatures of everyday objects—from rowboats, handbags, and slide rules, to spiders and frogs. These unique ornaments enchant all who see them, even those who usually cannot relate to festive traditions. So a visit to the exhibition promises to provide an ideal foretaste of Christmas—full of joyful anticipation and sparkling with surprises.
 
Working in a field between handicrafts and mass production and employing traditional glassmaking techniques, starting in the first quarter of the 20th century in the Gablonz region of Bohemia, craftspeople produced fragile works of art in a range of impressive styles. Created with technical virtuosity from stranded glass beads with gold or silver inlays, delicate glass rods, skilfully fashioned bangles, and complex hollow glass shapes, these artworks soon became worldwide export hits—and cult objects for collectors, design afficionados, and all fans of aesthetically packaged nostalgia.
 
The exhibition BICYCLE & LOBSTER: Sparkling Tree Decorations from Gablonz is accompanied by the publication Sparkling Tree Decorations from Gablonz 1920–1980, MAK Studies 31, Waltraud Neuwirth Collection, edited by Lilli Hollein and Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel, with texts by Lilli Hollein, Petr Nový, Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel, August Ruhs, Nora Witzmann, and an interview with Waltraud Neuwirth. With photos by Christian Mendez and artistic object arrangements by Marlene Mautner. German/English, 224 pages with numerous color illustrations. MAK, Vienna/Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz König, Cologne 2025. Available at the MAK Design Shop and online at MAKdesignshop.at/en for € 42.

In addition a selection of Gablonz tree decorations is available in the MAK Design Shop.
The exhibition will be accompanied by an educational program for children and adults, to include guided tours, workshops with sparkling construction kits to create your own individual tree decorations, and a digital tool for do-it-yourself designing.

Exhibition dates
24.9.2025—1.2.2026

Opening: 

On the exhibition
Lilli Hollein, General Director, MAK 
Kathrin Pokorny-Nagel, MAK Curator and Head, MAK Library and Works on Paper Collection
Waltraud Neuwirth, Guest Curator

Admission is free to the opening