Manga is much more than just entertainment. This is the central message of the current exhibition ‘Girl Meets Manga’ at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst (MAK) in Vienna. It tells the story of Japanese comics as a companion for young women seeking their place in a society full of contradictions, and is shown in the museum’s Works on Paper Room. Curator Mio Wakita-Elis brings her own perspective to the exhibition: as a teen in Tokyo in the eighties and early nineties, she personally experienced the way manga reflected the reality, desires and inner conflicts of young girls.

Divided into five chapters, the exhibition takes visitors through a time when manga became a mass phenomenon in Japan – while also serving as a medium for social discourse on feminism, consumerism and gender roles. The tension between pop culture and critical reflection is illustrated by iconic series such as ‘The Rose of Versailles’ by renowned artist Ryoji Ikeda.

Between Tradition and Change, Fantasy and Reality

The exhibition tells the story on two levels: the cultural and socio-historical context is complemented by the curator’s personal commentaries, which provide an intimate insight into everyday life at the time. The result is a rich narrative that interweaves individual experience with collective history. Magazines, everyday objects, visual and audio media and a special reading area with original manga invite visitors to linger.

The exhibition concludes with short audio excerpts from women living in Vienna who talk about how manga still shapes their lives – far beyond the borders of Japan. Girl Meets Manga is a multifaceted portrait of growing up between tradition and change, fantasy and reality.

The exhibition runs from 2 April to 17 August 2025 at the MAK. Further information and details of the supporting programme are available at mak.at.