Handwerk & Design

At the event, masterful technical execution meets a pronounced awareness of good design. Individually, and sustainably produced in local small businesses, the artisanal products incorporate the latest ideas and innovations. Here you can discover things that are not found in any catalogue.
The Handwerk & Design exhibition is part of Internationale Handwerksmesse and showcases the high art of skilled craft, top-class handicrafts, and artistic design. The SCHMUCK münchen special exhibition is a major event in the field of contemporary art jewellery. FRAME together with the international exhibitions EXEMPLA münchen and TALENTE münchen is another highlight.

Humans are makers: we have always designed our environment according to our own needs and it is never solely about functionality, it is always equally about beautyorg. The focus of «Handwerk & Design» is entirely on this creative aspect of craftsmanship. Once a year, creators from Germany and abroad showcase their art here.
Metal-free unique furniture that relies entirely on centuries-old wood joints, handmade lamps made of glass, fountain pens made of wood, headdresses made of straw or "Suiddys" made of high-quality woollen fabrics, a mixture of jacket and hoody for men: «Handwerk & Design» offers 11,000 square metres full of perfection in craftsmanship and design!

Arts and crafts network: schools, associations and collectives
In addition to the individual exhibitors, dozens of national and international schools, artists' associations and collectives will also be presenting themselves at the fair in 2025. The ‘Astonish’ collective, an international group of seven women who met in the traditional jewellery-making town of Idar-Oberstein and whose award-winning jewellery showcases stones of all kinds in a completely new way, is already a constant at «Handwerk & Design». Julia Obermaier, for example, makes jewellery from gemstones that look like erasers. GEDOK Munich also has a regular place at «Handwerk & Design». For almost 100 years, the association has been promoting women working in the arts from a wide range of fields. A selection of works from the field of arts and crafts can be seen at the fair, for example, bags made of paper by Maria Verburg or illuminated objects by Gertrud Hahn. A new addition is ‘Jewelry Links’, a Turkish collective that reinterprets traditional jewellery using unconventional materials. 

Those interested in learning more about training opportunities in the creative trades can do so at ‘Wege zum Design’ and at the Akademie für Gestaltung und Design. 

Of flowers and brooches: jewellery between tradition and innovation
Jewellery is traditionally particularly well represented at «Handwerk & Design». Whether unusual one-off pieces for everyday wear, jewellery made of precious metals and precious stones, or artistic jewellery that tells stories. From personal memories to political statements: there is nothing that cannot be expressed with jewellery. Traditional and contemporary techniques and materials go hand in hand. Unk Kraus makes colourful brooches out of corn starch, Christine Demmel creates delicate flowers out of hand-painted parchment, and Christoph Straube's illusionist enamel painting is so deceptively real that you can hardly believe your eyes.

Special shows at the highest level
Among the highlights of «Handwerk & Design» are the three special shows EXEMPLA münchen, SCHMUCK münchen and TALENTE münchen – Meister der Zukunft, which are organised by the Chamber of Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria. The work selected for these competitions must first convince a jury of experts. Those who succeed are richly rewarded: experts and interested parties travel from all over the world to see the most innovative work in the industry.
Creative craftsmanship for the performing arts

EXEMPLA münchen is the largest of the special shows. This year, it is dedicated entirely to the "World of the Stage" and shows the indispensable role of craftsmanship in the performing arts. From stage technology and acoustics to the literal boards that mean the world, from the hand-carved masks of the Japanese NOH theatre to paper theatre. In live workshops of EXEMPLA münchen craftsmen and women work directly on site – allowing visitors to experience up close how stage sets, costumes and masks are created. Theatre is an illusion? Not at all! Opera and theatre turn out to be a tangible reality in the crafts.

TALENTE münchen – Meister der Zukunft
The special show TALENTE münchen – Meister der Zukunft ventures a look into the future of creative trades. Selected designers up to the age of 35 have the opportunity to present their work to an international audience. From glass, textiles, and ceramics to paper and wood, every conceivable area of craftsmanship is represented. What counts here are fresh ideas, surprising explorations of materials, thinking things differently, a spirit of research and pushing boundaries.

SCHMUCK münchen
The special show SCHMUCK münchen plays a significant role for «Handwerk & Design»: artists, gallery owners, collectors, and jewellery enthusiasts travel from all over the world to this "summit meeting of goldsmiths", as the most innovative works from the field of artistic author jewellery have been exhibited here for more than 65 years. SCHMUCK münchen 2025 is curated by art historian and jewellery expert Dr Jurgita Ludavičienė from the Lithuanian National Museum of Art in Vilnius. From nearly 800 submissions from more than 50 countries, she has put together an exhibition with over 60 participants at the highest international level, including bold and quiet works, and pieces with humour. The highlight of SCHMUCK münchen 2025 is the awarding of the Herbert Hofmann Prize, the "Oscar" of jewellery art.

The fair is rounded off by the FRAME stands, where jewellery galleries from Canada to Poland and South Africa showcase hundreds of other jewellery artists from all over the world.


The printed city map will be available at the trade fair. The online version will be available from mid-February 2025 on the website www.ihm-handwerk-design.com


How to get there
Fairground of Messe München, Germany.
Location: Hall B1.

«Handwerk & Design» at Internationale Handwerksmesse will be taking place on the fairground of Messe München. Visitors can reach the trade fair through the main entrance West after taking the underground line U2 to “Messestadt West”. Multi-story car parks adjoin directly the trade fairgrounds.

For more information please contact:
Andrea Eisenschink, Exhibition Manager.
+49 89 189 149 132
andrea.eisenschink@ghm.de