Focus on Collecting 7

Objects from the André Marcus Collection

The presentation FOCUS ON COLLECTING 7: Objects from the André Marcus Collection shows exceptional objects bequeathed to the MAK in two generous donations by André Marcus, a cosmopolitan currently living in Prague.

8.9.2021—10.10.2021

MAK Forum

Arts and crafts objects by Otto Wagner, Josef Hoffmann, Jutta Sika, and the Wiener Werkstätte: A selection from both donations with a focus on applied art from Vienna around 1900 is on display. One of the highlights of the presentation is a desk designed by Otto Wagner in 1905 for the Austrian Postal Savings Bank and produced by Thonet. Furthermore, a writing set by Josef Hoffmann, formerly owned by Andy Warhol, is among the impressive objects.

André Marcus was born in Milan in 1950 into a Jewish family from Romania. He grew up in Paris and received his university education in Geneva. In 1974, he relocated to New York where he founded several companies. In the mid-1980s, he there also began collecting art with a thematic focus on turn-of-the-century Vienna. He purchased the objects at auction houses or renowned galleries—above all at the branch of the Viennese gallery Metropol on Madison Avenue. In 1992, he was drawn back to Europe where he lived in Monaco for 15 years. In 2007, Marcus relocated to Prague where he still lives today. In order to return the art with Viennese provenance to its original location and honor it in its historical context, André Marcus donated important objects from his collection to the MAK in 2019 and 2020.

CURATOR
Sebastian Hackenschmidt⁠

In the context of the series FOCUS ON COLLECTING, the MAK presents significant new acquisitions or donations to the public.