Aesthetics is relative and constantly evolving, while building an understanding of a design object is a process that can be developed over time. Design movements have been trying to set out universal standards on what to call a good design.
As a response to the 2014 Chelsea Space exhibition titled A Good Design?, this exhibition invites all visitors to build a relationship with the objects they encounter, rethinking the notion of design through direct experience.
The window display includes selected books and three groups of British design objects from the 1950s to the 1970s, part of the Camberwell Inner London Education Authority (ILEA) collection. Rather than following works' function or chronological order, the groups are assembled based on materiality and the role it plays in modern design. By scanning the QR code for each group of design, you can participate in social media discussions with others, in which questions can be asked and ideas can be exchanged. Every Friday, we will respond to visitors' comments and enquiries on selected designs. The social media platforms of MA Curating and Collections and Chelsea Space will serve as a digital sphere to expand the experience of the physical encounter and allow for new readings of the objects.
The exhibition is curated by MA Curating and Collections students Alina Savina, Chih-Chun Chan, Ewa Kwasniewska and Jess Wan Ka Po, in collaboration with the Chelsea Space team. Faced with pandemic-driven implications of physical restrictions and social distancing, the exhibition offers a new digital way of engagement for the audience to explore their relationships with the exhibited designs.
Follow @curating_collections on Instagram for details on the online programming.
installation view from inside Chelsea Space
Camberwell ILEA collection objects
Camberwell ILEA collection objects
Camberwell ILEA collection objects
selection of books about British design
installation view
