April 2006 • In Review
The Shows Go On
These exhibitions and events from the last 25 years continue to matter.
By Akiko Busch
Looking back at the architecture and design exhibitions of the past 25 years, at first glance much seems to have changed. But a closer examination reveals that things have evolved. In the early 1980s, as Modern design’s pared-down expressions were called into question, designers welcomed the creative input of the fine arts—architects collaborating with artists and the art furniture movement are just two examples. Back then architects were designing exclusive teapots in silver; today they’re designing affordable ones we can buy at Target.
In deciding how to assess these shows, Metropolis searched its own library, asked curators for their input, and perused the archives of galleries and museums around the country. There were more than 100 shows in our initial tally, so this final list is a streamlined version—and it’s purely subjective. It wasn’t necessarily curatorial excellence or a show’s initial impact that determined its selection; instead we chose to evaluate the exhibitions, particularly those further in the past, by assessing their ongoing influence. The dozen shows we selected documented and interpreted a significant moment in the recent history of design. More important, their resonance continues to be felt.
Read a sample of Akiko Busch’s book, The Uncommon Life of Common Objects, by clicking here.
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The proposition that ancient Egypt and rock ‘n’ roll could contribute to the design of lamps and chairs was called everything from whimsical to elitist. No matter. Ringmaster Ettore Sottsass held that the 50-some pieces introduced at the Italian design collective’s Milan debut represented the New International Style, meant to replace the high-minded rationalism of the old International Style. Today Memphis’s herringbone laminates and wild colors and forms may look like the merchandise equivalent of attention deficit disorder, but at the time the movement’s inclusiveness and daringly decorative surfaces reminded us that form and style know no bounds and new materials can be used to reinvent traditional objects. That message continues to reverberate a generation later in the work of Droog Design.
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