Exhibitions 2007
28 October 2005 > end of 2007 Alonso
collection
from art nouveau to Studio Glass Movement.
Many decades ago, Mr. Alonso became fascinated by the various qualities and technical possibilities of glass. Collecting crystal and glassware has been one of his true passions ever since.
The Alonso collection is highly varied, both in forms and in techniques. It
covers the period between the end of the 19th century up to ca. 1990: from
art nouveau to Studio Glass Movement.
more ...
16 December 2006 > 9 April 2007 Louis,
Philippe & Marcel Wolfers
Masters in silver
This exhibition is a retrospective of the works of the renowned Wolfers firm, which owes its reputation mainly to Philippe's artistic production. In addition to its central figures Louis, Philippe and Marcel, the exhibition also highlights other artists who worked in association with this firm. Their contribution to this enterprise and their artistic influence is explained.
There is a special focus on Wolfers' participation in various international exhibitions. An innovative publication will be launched on the occasion of this exhibition.
16 December 2006 > 9 April 2007 Marimekko
textiles, fashion, architecture
Armi and Viljo Ratia established the company Marimekko in 1951 to brighten up post-war Finland with trendy interior textiles and groovy clothes.
The company earned itself a world-wide reputation by 1960. Jacky Kennedy, wife of presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, bought seven dresses with a label that had remained almost unknown until then.
The textiles, with their big graphic patterns in bright colours, became an icon of the sixties.
In the early 1980s the company disappeared from the spotlights.
Kirsti Paakkanen was asked to give Marimekko a new Èlan in 1991.
And she managed to do just that. Like Armi Ratia did before her, Paakkanen attracted the best Finnish designers.
The range of strong and highly recognizable prints from the sixties was extended with contemporary creations.
16 December 2006 > 9 April 2007AJOUR. Juweel uit beeld
Siegfried De Buck, Luc Derycke & Bart Janssen
"Vorm dolt ding
In zijn geding, tornt erts
Tegen klaarte in, omspringt
Zich in zijn monding"
Bart Janssen
Siegfried De Buck is one of the most reputed Belgian jewellery designers. He is also one of the most intractable ones. For 35 years now he has been making jewellery according to his own views, using unusual techniques and materials. At the obstinate exhibition “Ajour. Juweel uit beeld”, his jewels play in and with the poems by Bart Janssen and the disrespectful pictures by Luc Deryck.
16 December 2006 > 9 April 2007Dark
Don’t we all love the DARK
Entrepreneur Dark celebrates his 5 years with an exhibition of the full collection.
Dark is:
22 international design awards
32 lights
represented in 54 countries worldwide.
Dark works with external designers, creative people with an eye for lighting. All creations are designed with a lot of emotion and good feeling.
What really makes them stand out is their personality. Each one has a special name and a set of special traits. The 32 lights of Dark give a special feeling "You love it or you hate it".
Dark has won 22 international design awards in 5 years time. This give an idea of the impact and appreciation worldwide.
28 April > 24 June 2007 Kitsch, Camp or Design?
From the end of April the Design museum in Gent organizes a rather unusual exhibition under this theme. An exhibition that does not really depart from obvious things but that asks the visitor a number of questions. Questions about the confusing phenomenon of kitsch and camp, about the design aspect of Philippe Starck’s garden gnome, about the exaggerated ornamentation of the rococo period. We hope that the visitor will find a few answers in the exhibition. Or perhaps he won’t.
17 June > 30 September 2007Tribute to Charles Eames
designs from the collection of the Design museum Gent
in collaboration witch 
On 17 June 2007 it will be exactly 100 years ago that Charles Eames was born in the American state of Missouri. One century later, Eames has become one of the most important designers of the 20th century. Therefore a tribute, albeit a modest one, would not be out of place. The Gent Design museum uses its own collections for this occasion.
more ...
14 July > 30 September 2007Esthétique Domestique
home appliances 1920-1970
Housekeeping is not imaginable anymore without industrial products. Numerous goods and appliances meet our needs and comply with our wishes.
Due to the introduction of mass production techniques for the manufacturing of home appliances in the second half of the 19th century, traditional forms were adapted and new ones were conceived.
In the course of the 20th century an attractive design became more important, and designers were more and more involved in the design process.
In the past 30 years the French collector Jean-Bernard Hebey managed to amass an impressive collection of home appliances from the period between 1920 and1970. Some 375 items relating to the themes “Food and drink”, “Heating and cooling”, “Cleaning and getting cleaned” will be displayed.
14 July > 30 September 2007 Henry van de Velde:
architecture
Henry van de Velde, a designer with a long career, died 50 years ago. He was a European artist avant la lettre. Van de Velde managed to present himself as a great master of art nouveau who became a pioneer of modernism through the years.
He built no less than four houses for himself. In addition he was also the architect of several schools of art, museums, theatres, monuments and libraries.
A photo exhibition, organized 50 years after Henry van de Velde’s death, shows the impressive oeuvre that was left by this Belgian architect.
13 October > mid-January 2008 Christopher Dresser
pionieer of modern design
In spite of the fact that his name is far less well-known than that of Ruskin, Morris or Pugin, there is good reason to call Christopher Dresser (1834-1904), born in Glasgow, the first industrial designer. Trained to be a botanist, he used botany as a source of inspiration for his language of forms.
After a visit to Japan in 1876-1877, the brilliant Dresser created several objects that were clearly influenced by Oriental models. It is those objects, with their minimalist forms and with which he earned himself a name in later years, that will be on display.
Dresser showed a keen interest in the industrial production process. Most of the time he worked with standardized elements. He made designs for metal, ceramics and glass. If it weren’t for Dresser, modern design would be rather different today.
This exhibition connects with "British Vision" in the MSK in Ghent.
13 October > mid-January 2008Ettore Sottsass
Ettore Sottsass (1917), Austrian by birth but Italian in heart and soul, opened his own architecture and design studio in 1947. From 1958 he was the design consultant for Olivetti for over 20 years. One of the most remarkable designs from that period is without a doubt the “Valentine” typewriter, which is now part of the permanent collections of important museums. In the late 1960s - early 1970s, Sottsass played an important role in the avant-garde culture. His definitive rejection of modernism led to the creation of alternative trends that may be grouped under the denominator ‘anti-design’ or ‘radical design’. Sottsass worked both for Studio Alchimia and for the Memphis group. The latter was the fruit of many years of research and aimed to give a new symbolic and emotional value to the living environment and to appliances.
Today this Nestor is still active within Sottsass Associati, a group of designer friends.
The exhibition, organized on the occasion of the 90th birthday of Ettore Sottsass, gives an overview of his large but varied oeuvre. Both the aspects of architecture and design are highlighted.
The details of exhibitions of the past years are available at the exhibitions
archive.
