The catalog book for the exhibition at the MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art in Vienna highlights two central ways of thinking in modernity through an antithetical juxtaposition, including their historical background and lasting impacts to this day: Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956) and Adolf Loos (1870-1933) represent contrasting reactions to the fundamental issues of modern civilization triggered by the processes of industrialization and democratization. This led to two designs for a modern way of life: Hoffmann advocated for a comprehensive aestheticization of all areas of life, while Loos interpreted architecture and design as a functional backdrop for the development of individual personalities. Renowned experts from Europe and the USA explore a wide panorama of the preconditions, highlights, and consequences of these two traditions of modernity in 16 essays.