Josef Frank, Architect and Designer: An Alternative Vision of the Modern Home brought to the forefront of public attention the work of one of the 20th century’s most accomplished yet under-recognized architects and designers. It was the first examination of Frank’s career undertaken in the United States.

In the years after the First World War, Josef Frank was one of the leading modern architects in Austria and among its most accomplished designers. In 1933, fearing the rise of fascism, he immigrated to Sweden where he became the chief designer for Svenskt Tenn, the leading Swedish interior design firm. During World War II, Frank relocated to New York, where he lived and worked from 1941 to 1946 before returning to Sweden. Drawn from public and private collections in Austria, Sweden, and the United States, the exhibition traced the stages of Frank’s career trajectory and development. The object selected illustrated the ways Frank’s work in textile design, the decorative arts, and architecture all contributed to his innovative vision for the modern home.

On view at Bard Graduate Center from May 9–July 21, 1996, the exhibition was curated by Nina Stritzler-Levine, Christopher Long, Kristina Wangberg-Eriksson, and Christian Witt-Dorring.