Christoph Wimmer-Ruelland
He/Him/His
Designer / Artist / Art Direction / Curation
Christoph Wimmer-Ruelland (b.1997) is an Austro-Canadian designer and artist based between Vienna and Eindhoven. His practice revolves around displacing objects from their usual context in order to question their uses, codes, and the systems they embody. Rather than producing only new objects from scratch, he focuses on reassessing existing conventions in response to social and industrial transformations. A graduate from the University of Applied Arts Vienna and Design Academy Eindhoven, he develops a conceptual approach that combines design, art, research, spaces and exhibitions.
📖 Education / Academic Background
June 2025: MA Fine Arts and Design, Master, Cum Laude (honors), Design Academy Eindhoven
2023-2025: Design Academy Eindhoven, Contextual Design class, Prof. Afaina De Jong, Eindhoven, Netherlands
June 2022: Master of Industrial Design (Mag.des.ind.), Diploma, University of Applied Arts Vienna
2020-2022: Assistant and student representative, Department of Industrial Design 1, University of Applied Arts Vienna
2020: Assistant to artist Christian Ruschitzka, midsummer exhibitions, Southern Burgenland
2019-2020: ECAL (École Cantonale d'Art de Lausanne) - Industrial Design class,
Prof. Wieki Somers & Michel Charlot, Erasmus+ semester abroad, Lausanne, Switzerland
2018-2022: University of Applied Arts Vienna - Industrial Design 1 class, Prof. Stefan Diez
2016-2017: University of Applied Arts Vienna - Industrial Design 1 class, Prof. Paulo Piva
2015: French Baccalauréat Série S + Austrian Zentralmatura
2003-2015: Lycée Français de Vienne
🪜 Professional activity
November 2025: Opening of exhibition space, 1020 Vienna, Bureau Fomo
September 2025: Founding of Bureau Fomo with Hanna Gassner
(transdisciplinary duo for curation, artistic direction, exhibition concept and design), Vienna
Since July 2025: Creative direction at Architecture Bureau of Gassner & Partner Baumanagement GmbH, Vienna
Since 2025: Edition represented by fjk3 - Raum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Vienna
Since 2024: Represented by Vasto Gallery, Barcelona, Spain
2023: Best Newcomer Award (winner), Falstaff Living Design Guide
2021-2023: Production designer and assistant to the artistic and curatorial direction, fjk3 - Space for Contemporary Art, Vienna
2021: Curator and project manager for the exhibitions Andere brauchen Ihren Sitzplatz vielleicht notwendiger
and L'orage est parti, fjk3 - Space for Contemporary Art, Vienna
2021-2025: Founding member and part of the studio community Design in Gesellschaft (DING)
👀 Exhibitions
(* additionaly responsible for curation, concept and design of exhibition)
UPCOMING 2026
Positions on Freedom. Design and its Boundaries, the thing Fellowship, Museum for Applied Arts, Frankfurt
(↑ part of World Design Capital Frankfurt)
ARCHÉOLOGIE DU QUOTIDIEN, Pour Nous Gallery, Hyères
*Time Skip, first solo show, Galerie Rauminhalt, Vienna
*Unnamed Show, Bureau Fomo, Vienna Design Week, Vienna
Unnamed Show, Forum Stadtpark, Graz
DESIGN TRIENNAL, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
2026
Alcova, Fuorisalone 2026, Milan
Bar Laura, Vienna Design Week 20th anniversary tour, Fuorisalone 2026, Milan
*GARTENFEST, Bureau Fomo, Vienna
I ♡ VIENNA (and I’m in Brussels), Vienna Design Week 20th anniversary tour, Collectible Fair, Brussels
Days like this curated by bureau parso, Van Abbehuis, Eindhoven
2025
DUTCH DESIGN WEEK, Graduation show Design Academy Eindhoven, Eindhoven
*Near, far, wherever you are, Bureau Fomo, Vienna Design Week, Vienna
*OPEN STUDIO, Tag der offenen Tür 3 with Benjamin Nagy, Vienna
VIENNA VIBES, Galerie Zippenfenig, Milan Design Week 2025, Milan
2024
DING FEST, Gumpendorferstraße 22 (by Design in Gesellschaft), Vienna
COLLECTIBLE BARCELONA, Vasto Gallery, Barcelona
AUT NOW - 100 x Austrian Design for the 21st Century, MAK – Museum of applied arts, Vienna
*CODING, Design in Gesellschaft, Vienna Design Week 24, Vienna
FOKUS: TRASH, curated by the thing magazine, Vienna Design Week Festivalzentrale, Vienna
*DON’T MOVE THE FOUNTAIN, Vienna Design Week Festivalzentrale, Vienna + DUTCH DESIGN WEEK, Eindhoven
Design with a Purpose, Klima Biennale Wien + CampusVäre (Creative Institute Vorarlberg), Dornbirn + WEI SRAUM (Designforum Tirol), Innsbruck
Approches du déssaroi, Sofie Fatouretchi Royer, curated by Dr. Ema Kaiser, supported by Chanel, Palais Felix, Vienna
2023
UNDING, Design in Gesellschaft, Vienna Design Week 23, Vienna
WATER LILLY GROWING, MILES OF SHALLOW, Watertower Favoriten, Vienna
*DATE DING, Design in Gesellschaft, Vienna
KUNSTRASEN, MAK – Museum of applied arts, Vienna
Collectible Fair, Curated Section 23 curated by Leo Orta ‚What is your story?‘, Brussels
2022
*BOXING DAY, Design in Gesellschaft, Vienna
As Seen By, RIMOWA, Kantgaragen, Berlin
FOKUS: ORNAMENT, curated by Liv Vaisberg, Vienna Design Week Festivalzentrale im Gewölbe, Vienna
*DING DONG, Design in Gesellschaft, Vienna Design Week 22, Vienna
*MAK MENU, MAK – Museum of applied arts, Vienna
Angewandte Festival 22, University of applied arts, Vienna
*Weltmaschine, Kunstraum Zirkusgasse 38 (New Bar), Vienna
*SPRING DING 1, Design in Gesellschaft, Vienna
BLACK PAGES 01-100, fjk3 - Raum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Vienna
2021
*DING MARKET, Design in Gesellschaft, Vienna
*L’orage est parti, fjk3 - Raum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Vienna
*Offene Gesellschaft, Design in Gesellschaft, Vienna Design Week 21, Vienna
*Andere brauchen Ihren Sitzplatz vielleicht notwendiger, fjk3 - Raum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Vienna
Angewandte Festival 21, University of applied arts, Vienna
2020
Angewandte Festival 20, University of applied arts, Vienna
2019
Angewandte Festival 19, University of applied arts, Vienna
Vote,Vote,Vote!, Volkskundemuseum, Vienna
Show Modeklasse 19, University of applied arts, Vienna
Offshore Framing, Take Festival, Sophienspital, Vienna
Declared, a call for action (shortlist) - Galerie Rauminhalt, Vienna
2018
Essence 18 - Jahresausstellung Die Angewandte 18, Universität für angewandte Kunst, Vienna
🪟 Exhibitions as production designer and assistant to the artistic and curatorial direction at fjk3 - Contemporary Art Space
2023: Ján Mančuška, Incomplete Movement, fjk3 - Contemporary Art Space, Vienna
2023: Liesl Raff, Liaison, fjk3 - Contemporary Art Space, Vienna
2023: WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT, Jeremy Deller Prints and Posters 1993-2023, fjk3 - Contemporary Art Space, Vienna
2022: Vadim Fishkin - The Island of the Day Before, FJK3 - Contemporary Art Space, Vienna
2022: BLACK PAGES 01-100, fjk3 - Contemporary Art Space, Vienna
2021: I – in/finito, fjk3 - Contemporary Art Space, Vienna
🗞 Publications/Press/Awards
„Außenansicht - Design Botschafter aus Österreich während der Mailander Designwoche” - Die Presse Schaufenster, 10.04.2025
„Startstipendium - Bildende Kunst, Design, Fotografie und Medienkunst“ - Grant by Bmkoes (winner),Vienna, 05.09.2025
„Design with a Purpose“ - Publication Klima Biennale, designed by Andrea Ida, 21.09.2024
„AUT NOW - 100 x Austrian Design for the 21st Century“ - MAK publication, published by Lilli Hollein, Sebastian Hackenschmidt, Marlies Wirth, Vandasye, 18.09.2024
„As Seen By - An artistic journey through RIMOWA‘s iconic material“ - Book, designed by The Community Paris, 24.01.2024
„Der Himmel ist ein Schrottplatz“ - Die Presse Schaufenster, by Norbert Philipp, 05.09.2023
„NEW FACES: HETEROGENES KOLLEKTIV“ - Falstaff Living, by Stefan Diez, 20.06.2023
„10 Radical Designers At Collectible Fair 2023 Who Think Outside The Box For A Better Future“, Adorno, by Alma Fiala, 26.03.2023
„Seitenblicke“ - ORF 2, 23.03.2023
Falstaff Living AWARD - Best Newcomer (Winner), 22.03.2023
„Falstaff Living - Design Guide“ - Falstaff Living, 22.03.2023
„Collectible, Roca, Kachorovska“, Monocle on Design (Podcast with guest Leo Orta), 14.03.2023
„The Collectible design fair offers insects, offcuts and steampunk in Brussels“ - Financial Times, 03.03.2023
„As Seen By-Ausstellung von Rimowa bei ihrem letzten Stopp in Berlin“ - VOGUE (DE), 11.11.2022
„Weltmaschine“ - ORF 2, Kulturmontag, 03.11.2022
„FOKUS: ORNAMENT mit Liv Vaisberg“ - Die Presse Schaufenster, 09.09.2022
„L‘orage est parti“ - KubaParis, 21.09.2021
„Wenn ein Bett zum Sessel wird“ - Die Presse, 21.06.2021
„Andere brauchen Ihren Sitzplatz vielleicht notwendiger“ - ORF 2, Aktuell nach 5, 19.06.2021
„OFFSHORE FRAMING“ - Parnass Magazine, 28.05.2019
„Moon Exhibition“ - Forward Festival, 20.05.2019
🎙 Talks
"Es ist alles schon da - Sprechstunde mit Andrea Jungmann, Managing Director Sotheby's Österreich/Ungarn, Senior Director Sotheby's London, und Christoph Wimmer-Ruelland, Industrial Designer" - DNA Club, Wien, 08.06.2022
"ABISVN" - Raum für zeitgenößische Kunst Franz Josefs Kai 3, Wien 29.04.2022