Charles and Ray Eames
William Morris
Christopher Dresser
Adolf Loos
Marcel Breuer
Le Corbusier
Eileen Gray
Achille Castiglioni
Issey Miyake
Ron Arad
David Chipperfield
Jasper Morrison
Deyan Sudjic
The exhibition tells the story of contemporary design through seven key cities at their creative height: London (1851), Vienna (1908), Dessau (1928), Paris (1936), Los Angeles (1949), Milan (1957), Tokyo (1987) and London (2008). It features a full range of objects from textiles and fashion to industrial pieces, furniture and prints.
Curated by Deyan Sudjic
Design Cities tells the story of contemporary design through the focus of
seven key cities, in each case looking at their most creative moments. Whilst
focusing on how specific periods have contributed to the evolution of design,
the exhibition also investigates the ways in which design has shaped
contemporary culture. Beginning in London at the time of the Great Exhibition
in 1851, and moving to the Vienna of Adolf Loos in 1908, to the Bauhaus in
Dessau in 1928, to the Paris of Le Corbusier in1936. In the post-war period, the
exhibition moves to the Los Angeles of Charles and Ray Eames in 1949, then
to Milan in 1957 and Tokyo’s creative flowering in1987. Finally, returning to
present day London which is once again the world’s leading centre for design,
the base for Ron Arad and Ross Lovegrove, Jasper Morrison and many other
leading contemporary designers.
The exhibition will feature a full range of objects from textiles and fashion to
industrial pieces, furniture and prints. It will include design classics such as
chairs by Charles and Ray Eames, as well as work by a spectrum of designers
that together will evoke an impacting impression of their era. Key exhibits will
include work by William Morris, Christopher Dresser, Adolf Loos, Marcel
Breuer, Le Corbusier, Eileen Gray, Achille Castiglioni, Issey Miyake and Ron
Arad.
Design Cities will investigate the tangible link between design and the city and
will celebrate the key achievements of this relationship.
Exhibition Curator and Design Museum Director Deyan Sudjic adds “One
fruitful way to understand the development of design is to look at how certain
cities, at specific moments in their histories has moved the practice of design
on. That is the thesis of this exhibition. It looks at what it was that made a
sequence of cities, at various moments shift the direction taken by design.”
Design Cities has been organised by the Design Museum, London in
association with Istanbul Modern. The
exhibition opens at Istanbul Modern, Turkey from 23 April until 10 August 2008.
It will travel to the Design Museum from 5 September to 4 January 2009.
To request further information, images, and interviews please contact
Ashley Woodfield at the Design Museum Press Office on 020 7940 8787
email ashley@designmuseum.org
Design Museum
Shad Thames - London
Opening Hours
Daily 10am - 5.45pm
Last admission at 5.15pm
Admission
£8.50 adults, £6.50 concessions, £5 students. Free for under 12s