The Plant, the Architecture and the Womb in “Design contra Design” Exhibition
@National Galleries of Grand Palace, Paris
26th September 2007 – 7th January 2008
“Design contra Design” is neither an exposition of paintings, nor a projection of films. The space of it is neither a museum nor a show-room. “Design contra design” is a fiesta of Objects, which bring psychedelic, hypnotic, corporeal or strictly intellectual exaltation. The place of these objects is an Altar understood in its totemic, industrial, fetishistic, capitalistic or consumptive senses.

The title of the exhibition stresses two problematic sides of Design and its presentation. The tautology (“Design, Design”) points to the problem of strict definition of “Design”, especially attempts to fix its meaning after the flood of individual definitions since sixties and post-modern impact of eighties. The opposition (“…contra…”) hints on the multiplicity of trends and its contradictory character, to the juxtapositions and the crosses in styles, forms, ideas and utilizations of Designs. Multi-objects, multi-senses, multi-sensibilities.
There is no chronological arrangement of the Objects in “Design contra Design”. Rarely now we meet one, who still naively thinks that “time” can act as a stable rope we should bind objects to, sustaining thus historical correctness and scientific precision. Objects in “Design contra Design” are organized in shirt circuits, sparkling dialogues: objects argue or fulfill each other overlooking thus their own origin, history and meaning.
An object is not just a result of its appearance; it is an effect of the movement, advancement, construction or destruction. First section of the exhibition, “The Form”, starts with this message and draws formal comparisons: the straight line (which draws associations with right, Man and correctness), the curve line (capricious, immoral, feminine and even dirty character) and the biomorphism (representations of bees, fishes, lobsters, that animate forms).
>>>to be continued...
(Rodi・On / Critic)
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