Natural stones from SCHUBERT STONE at the unique exhibition "handWERK" at the MAK in Vienna

The exhibition "handWERK. Tradiertes Können in der digitalen Welt" at the Museum für angewandte Kunst (MAK) in Vienna is dedicated to crafts as an essential part of human culture from 14 December 2016 to 9 April 2017. In six chapters, the show presents different aspects of handicrafts, spanning from history to current European perspectives, illuminating the resource-saving potential of handicrafts, revealing interfaces to digital technologies and presenting masterful workpieces from various disciplines.

The show strikes a chord with the times; after all, the terms "handicraft" and "handmade" are already used inflationarily in advertising and lifestyle media. The do-it-yourself movements are also enormously successful and creating a worldwide hype.

Experience the "old" material stone

In the chapter "Material & Tools", visitors learn about unique tools and see and understand different samples of natural materials such as fabric, leather, wood, metal, ceramics and natural stone arranged by colour and matching each other. The stonemasonry company SCHUBERT STONE in Vienna brings visitors closer to the material natural stone with different coloured samples of exclusive stone types. The natural stones used for buildings were formed in nature in a special way (under high pressure, under great heat, through reshaping, mixing, crystallisation, deposition, etc.) about 12,000 to 500 million years ago and show a cross-section of our earth's history, beginning in an earth age long before mammals (humans) populated the earth.

The stone craft is more than 12,000 years old

The material stone is the basis for the oldest buildings of mankind. Around 12,000 years ago, the world's first large stone temple complex was built in southern Anatolia and still exists to a large extent. On Göbekli Tepe, archaeologists discovered, among other things, more than 200 stone stelae up to six metres high and weighing 20 tonnes - built with muscle power alone. Only a fraction of the structures have already been excavated. So long before the pyramids in Egypt and South America, before the Greeks and Romans, cult sites were built of stone. This proves the extremely long durability of structures built with natural stone.

Stonemasons combine tradition and modernity

Without stonemasons, there would be no Cheops pyramid, no Colosseum, no figures or Capistrani pulpit at St. Stephen's Cathedral. Many of the stone buildings are over 2,000 years old and will last for centuries to come. In ancient Greece, stonemasons were highly respected figures in society; all they had at their disposal as tools were hammers and chisels. The stonemason's trade is one of the oldest crafts, but it also experienced its crises and enormous technological developments. The stonemasonry tools have developed further, the technology is partly digitalised and CNC-controlled. Today, stonemasonry is a modern craft that is aware of its traditions and still requires trained professionals who lend a hand.

Made to measure by stone professionals

The SCHUBERT STONE large slab showroom and the SCHUBERT STONE stonemason's workshop were established in 1989. Here, large slabs of up to 350x200cm are processed into kitchen worktops, washstands, luxury bathrooms, tables, fireplace surrounds, window sills, stone stairs and murals according to individual customer requirements. Computers with CAD, CNC-controlled machines, profile cutters, but also manual work are used. And a lot of creativity. Our stonemasons are true artists and create natural stone designs for your needs, from outdoor installations, indoor floors and steps to interior design. We have already been awarded design prizes for this. Take a look behind the scenes and experience how stone is worked today in our videos.

Tour of the SCHUBERT STONE show stonemasonry workshop