An exhibition of the MAK supported by the City of Vienna on the occasion of the Viennese Year of the Bicycle and the international conference Velo-City 2013. The Sound of Cycling: Urban Cycling Cultures in Vienna.

Mobility in urban agglomerations is a hot topic. Alongside a functioning public transport network, individual mobility also plays a significant role. The cityscape of the 21st century seems to be undergoing a transformation: the tried-and-true bicycle is experiencing a recurrence as a cheap means of transportation, a way to do one’s body good, an expression of sustainable behavior, and a fashionable lifestyle product.
 
TOUR DU MONDE. Bicycle Stories uses iconic bikes from the 20^th and 21^st centuries to tell of the quality and diversity of the designs exhibited by this classic mode of transportation. Selected examples from the EMBACHERCOLLECTION^® will draw visitors into a journey through the history of the bicycle, this cult object which successively transformed technology and form allow one to trace the recent history of innovation and design in general.
 
The collection of Viennese architect Michael Embacher includes legendary mass-produced models, one-of-a-kind custom creations, and curiosities ranging from children’s bikes to athletic and leisure bikes, cargo bikes, and folding models. These masterpieces of design, normally housed in a Viennese attic and not accessible to the public, continue to serve the architect as objects of daily use.
 
The stories embodied by these objects are a significant component of the exhibition. An app developed specifically for the collection facilitates chronological and technical cross-referencing between the objects and their stories. In Bicycle Diaries (London, 2009; Frankfurt am Main, 2011), the musician, all-round artist, and bicycle activist David Byrne describes the bicycle as a “machine of perception” for the city, for the country, and for people. Tales of his cycling experiences on trips to metropolises like New York, Berlin, Istanbul, and Buenos Aires accompany TOUR DU MONDE as a subtext of sorts and convey a sensual view of the collection’s items, which are organized according to their origins.

Curator Thomas Geisler, Curator, MAK-Design Collection





The exhibition TOUR DU MONDE. Bicycle Stories is accompanied by MAK/ZINE #1/2013 with contributions by Michael Embacher, Thomas Geisler et al., as well as an interview with David Byrne, German/English, app. 120 pages, MAK/Volltext, Vienna 2013. Available at the MAK Design Shop
 

A cooperation of MAK & departure – The Creative Agency of the City of Vienna