Grüezi, Ciao, Salut, Allegra! Alongside the Focus District and the Festival Headquarters, the Guest Country is a further thematic cornerstone upon which a considerable part of the festival program is built every year. With this changing focus, each year's VIENNA DESIGN WEEK offers a richly detailed insight into the creative life of a different European country. This year's guest is our western neighbor, Switzerland, which is celebrated worldwide for its rigorous design culture and the uncompromising commitment to quality of its industrial production, as well as for a range of innovative educational and training institutions. On the basis of these principles and across all the festival formats, the Guest Country of the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK 2020 a diverse program that – just like a panning shot – promises enlightening insights into and an overview of the present and the future of the Swiss design landscape. Special attention is being paid to highlighting new possibilities for cooperation.

To mark Switzerland's appearance as Guest Country, the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia – in cooperation with Design Prize Switzerland – is presenting the exhibition DESIGN SWITZERLAND.