design museum: a new collection, an existing selection and new perspectives

design-museum-london-2013

I tried to do some modern architecture photography. A dramatic angle for the converted banana warehouse that serves as museum since 1989. Back than I was 7 years old, just moved from Poland to Germany and had no idea that something like ‘design’ exists. Sometimes I like my naivety back. A fresh start to define design.

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A model of the future Design Museum that will move to the ‘early-60s architectural splendour’ of the Commonwealth Institute in 2014

design-museum-Shad-Thames-london

My visit to the Design Museum was end of last month for the preview of ‘Extraordinary Stories about Ordinary Things’. I enjoyed the short speech by Deyan Sudjic about what makes design a subject that is relevant in a museum. Not in a gallery. And that design needs a why, how and a who. I guess he means a appropriate explanation board, a story. He said that curator Gemma Curtain put a selection of 150 objects together that try to tell a stories about extraordinary everyday objects, all organised in 6 main areas like taste, plastics and fashion. The collection is very British, too much Anglepoise and very Modernism. It simply hasn’t convinced me yet. It struck me with excitement when I saw Jasper Morrison’s piece. When I left the building I saw that the table is printed on most of folders. Good choice.

Swiss-railway-clock-at-design-museum-london

A classic in the entry area of the museum. A Swiss railway clock. Did the British design got a classic clock? Big Ben?

Lady-Ritblat-and-Deyan-Sudjic

Lady Ritblat, Design Musem Trustee and Donator of a collection of fashion items together with Design Museum director Deyan Sudjic, who gave a short introduction during the press preview

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Earlier this year I started reading Deyan Sudjic’s book ‘The Language of Things’. Indeed, I found some of the objects Deyan is mentioning in the book also in the exhibition. One of them is the Anglepoise lamp

anglepoise-lamp-at-design-museum-london

Illustration of the Anglepoise Lamp
I enjoy drawings & illustrations that accompany objects by telling a story

calculator-divisumma-26-by-ettore-sottsass

Calculator Divisumma 26 by Ettore Sottsass
Massive, isn’t it?

courier-battery-shaver-by-kenneth-grange

Courier batter shaver by Kenneth Grange Read Justin McGuirk’s article here

ekca-ac-65-radio-by-weils-coates

Ekca Ac 65 Radio by Wells Coates

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Radiotime by Wells Coates

handlebar-table-by-jasper-morrison

Handlebar table by Jasper Morrison
A lovely surprise and soemething I have never seen before. Can we have more of that?

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British Motorway signs
WOW, big things do impress. They also have a telephone box and a traffic light. See below:

national-traffic-light-by-david-mellor

National traffic light by David Mellor

nesting-table-by-marcel-breuer

Nesting table by Marcel Breuer

pierrot-by-afra-and-tobia-scarpa

Pierrot by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, 1990
It comes unassembled and needs to be clipped together

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Plastic Relicts II, 2008 by Committee
A mysterious object consisting of a plastic component from A Dyson vacuum cleaner and an extrusion made from black plastic

Extraordinary-Stories-about-Ordinary-Things-at-design-museum

Exhibition view of Extraordinary Stories about Ordinary Things

Alasdair-Thompson-from-Minimumblog

I bumped into our friend Alasdair Thompson from Minimumblog

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