This week the Victoria and Albert Museum opened a new exhibit, Telling Tales: Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design.
This exhibition explores the recent trend among European designers for unique or limited edition pieces that push the boundaries between art and design. It showcases furniture, lighting and ceramics, designed by a new generation of international designers, including Tord Boontje, Maarten Baas, Jurgen Bey and Studio Job, who are all inspired by the spirit of story-telling. Each tells a tale through their use of decorative devices, historical allusions or choice of materials, sharing common themes such as fantasy, parody and a concern with mortality.
The exhibition is in three sections: The Forest Glade is inspired by fantasy and nature evoking the spirit of fairytales. The Enchanted Castle exaggerates and parodies historical design styles often associated with displays of status. Heaven and Hell is concerned with themes of mortality and the afterlife.
I love the V&A and only wish I was going to see this exhibit in person, but alas, no trips to the UK are in my immediate future. Fortunately, the online exhibit gives a nice overview and taste. This exhibit is open through October. You can also read some of the Guardian's article about it at: Review: V&A's Telling Tales show gives furniture a fairytale twist.
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