VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2025: Passionswege

Between the kitchen and the carving workshop. The Passionswege are the heart of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK. This proven format brings design and craftsmanship together. This year, two collaborations will once again generate fresh impetus and showcase traditional craftsmanship.

The Passionswege are *the* central format of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK. Since 2006, they have brought together international and Austrian designers with Viennese craft businesses. Beyond conventional business models, open, experimental processes foster an intense exchange of knowledge, culminating in direct workshop presentations. In this way, Vienna’s traditional businesses remain visible, and craftsmanship is experienced as a vital part of the city’s living history. Active exchange is crucial; otherwise, one risks stagnating. The antidote to this? Stepping out of the comfort zone and embracing adventure.

And this year’s edition of the format promises nothing short of adventure. German design star Kai Linke is collaborating with the legendary Viennese carving workshop Stadlhofer. Meanwhile, the internationally celebrated duo Swedish Girls – who describe their design style as “smart and sexy” – is partnering with the unconventional culinary trio Cucina Alchimia, which specializes in all manner of creative reuse. “Initially, it seemed like a serendipitous yet exciting match,” Mira Bergh and Josefin Zachrisson recount. The two Swedish designers, who primarily work with metal, are currently in high demand internationally. They divide their time between Stockholm and Milan, blending the best of both design worlds. “We love Italian culture, and life in Milan suits us perfectly. At the same time, Milan shows us what we appreciate about Stockholm,” says Mira Bergh, with Josefin Zachrisson adding: “In Milan, we feel more vibrant; in Stockholm, more focused – balance is key.”

This balance is precisely what they will need to find in their collaboration with Cucina Alchimia – essentially a core task of the Passionswege. After their initial meeting – a week filled with dinners and extensive discussions – they already discovered common ground with the experimentally-minded chefs: “We are united by the goal of fostering community. Furthermore, we share a conceptual and experimental approach,” the duo states in unison.

Embracing Wood

Kai Linke, too, approaches his work with a similar spirit of experimentation and a profound connection to craft. The renowned German designer from Frankfurt am Main, representing this year’s guest region Frankfurt RheinMain, is collaborating with the Viennese carving workshop Stadlhofer as part of the Passionswege. Stadlhofer is dedicated to preserving traditional woodcarving, a mission that complements Linke’s meticulously crafted works – distinguished by innovative forms and material combinations – almost seamlessly. “Working with one’s hands is indispensable to me,” states Linke. “It is only through the act of creation – through sensing, experimenting, and even failing – that a material and its form truly reveal their essence.” For him, design is more than merely mediating between an idea, material, and human; it also entails a responsibility to work sustainably and resource-efficiently.

Moreover, this collaboration with Schnitzstube Stadlhofer aligns perfectly with Linke’s philosophy: “Traditional craftsmanship preserves an incredible wealth of knowledge about materials and how to work with them.” However, as Linke stresses, this only truly functions through dialogue with contemporary design and thinking, “for it is only then that truly new creations can emerge, uniting tradition and innovation.” The trend of merging innovative technologies with manual traditions not only opens up new creative avenues but also secures the economic viability of many craft enterprises. Thus, once again, a constructive dialogue is fostered that preserves tradition while simultaneously injecting fresh impetus into contemporary design. Yet another core mission of the Passionswege…

Swedish Girls X Cucina alchimia

 

The internationally celebrated design duo Swedish Girls – Mira Bergh and Josefin Zachrisson – will encounter the Viennese culinary collective Cucina Alchimia at Passionswege 2025. With their humor and playfully critical perspective, Swedish Girls challenge the mundane and reimagine it. Their conceptual-experimental methodology aligns with Cucina Alchimia’s interactive, material-aware, and performative work. “We believe design is best when it is brave and stays true to a vision,” the duo states. This approach will undoubtedly shape their dialogue with Cucina Alchimia, which has established one of the city’s most exciting food culture venues with its restaurant and studio in Vienna’s 13th district. Therefore, expect poetic and playful interventions that infuse design, taste, and societal questions with irony, because, as the Swedish Girls put it: “When you make topics visible in unexpected ways, they become more accessible. However, we deliberately leave things open for interpretation.” swedishgirls.org
cucina-alchimia.org

Kai Linke x Schnitzstube Stadlhofer

 

German designer Kai Linke, who, incidentally, hails from this year’s guest region Frankfurt RheinMain, will meet the traditional Schnitzstube Stadlhofer at Passionswege 2025, a workshop that blends Alpine craftsmanship with Viennese roots. Linke, himself well-versed in artisanal processes, will work closely with the experienced carvers and course instructors Franz and Andrea Stadlhofer. Together, they will immerse themselves in the diverse techniques of chip, flat, and relief carving. “Carving holds a deeply meditative quality – one immerses oneself in a world of patterns, repetitions, and intricate details. It demands concentration, patience, and dedication,” says Linke about the craft, whose fascination the Stadlhofers keep alive in Vienna. Known for his concept-driven furniture, he merges his design sensibility with rural folk art traditions. The result is objects that, through deliberate design, bridge preserved knowledge, individual expertise, and storytelling power.
kailinke.com
franz-stadlhofer.at