In this talk at the Olympia Art & Antiques Fair in London Dr Christian Witt-Dörring and Wolfgang Pichler discuss the influential role of the Viennese Secessionist Movement (Wiener Jugendstil) in paving the way for modernity in Austria and for Modernism in general. Artists, designers and architects such as Otto Wagner, Josef Hoffmann, Adolf Loos, Josef Frank and Margarethe Schütte-Lihotzky among others will be discussed. Examples of highly reduced, virtually undecorated furniture and designs of that era will be examined alongside more decorative, ornamental examples of „Jugendstil“ which helped build a bridge between „Historicism“ and Modernism.

Dr Christian Witt-Dörring is an art historian and curator at MAK (Museum for Applied Arts, Vienna). He recently curated the exhibition 'Ways to Modernism. Joseph Hoffmann, Adolf Loos and their Impact' at MAK to great critical aclaim.

Wolfgang Pichler is an art consultant, curator and art critic in Austria. He works at the Kunstraum Arcade Moedling and the Loft 8 Gallery in Vienna.

The Olympia Art & Antiques Fair will take place between 19 – 28 June 2015. In its 43rd year it is London's original art and antiques fair and brings together 160 of the world's leading specialist dealers. Entry to the events and talks is free to fair ticket holders.

SPECIAL OFFER: Visitors of the ACF London can recieve a special 2-for-1 ticket offer by using this promotional code: ACFL2015 when buying tickets online.