Modern design is as much about the toothbrush as it is about the airplane. It is, after all, the conception and realization of man-made objects. It has been with us since the Industrial Revolution and the dawn of mass production. A well-designed product is one that fulfills its basic function efficiently and has the added bonus of style -- although how style is judged varies with time and place.

Most of the exhibits at "Design Now: Austria," a contemporary design display at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, share the twin principles of utility and aesthetics. A few achieve one at the expense of the other, but all are evidence of the centrality and importance of Vienna. Its Secession artists and designers started a revolution of architecture and design at the beginning of the last century, and the revolution is ongoing.

"Living in Austria, especially Vienna, sometimes feels like living in a museum," says Christian Knechtl, one of the organizers of "Design Now: Austria," at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art. "The aim of this exhibition is to show that Austria is, in fact, at the forefront of contemporary design."