Design Real, curated by the renowned industrial designer Konstantin Grcic, is the Serpentine Gallery’s first exhibition devoted to contemporary design. Grcic’s selection for the exhibition focuses on ‘real’ items: mass-produced items that have a practical function in everyday life.

DESIGN REAL,  open 26th November 2009 – 7th February 2010

SERPENTINE GALLERY

Kensington Gardens, London W2 3XA (020 7402 6075)

The exhibition presents a wide range of products with different styles and functions, from furniture and household products to technical and industrial innovations. Designs by several well-known designers, such as a chair by Jasper Morrison, luggage by Ross Lovegrove, and waterproof shoes by Zaha Hadid are joined by products from anonymous designers, including a wheel-shaped water container, a municipal recycling bin and a Volvo tail light.

The exhibition aims to provide new perspectives from which to look at the material world around us and encourage new insights into design. “What interests me about industrial design is how these things are made, in what material, and how this has affected their language and their quality,” says Grcic.

He continues, “Some objects are very technically-driven; the function really determines the object. Other objects have much more of a signature or an authorship; you see the handwriting of the designer who made it and that’s what makes it so special. There is only one common denominator for the objects selected: they came onto the market not more than ten years ago.”

A dedicated internet site is the exhibition’s central resource and an integral part of its concept. The site investigates the objects in the exhibition in detail, exploring aspects of their development, production and use.

Images courtesy of Serpentine Gallery: from top – LURE, Cora-Z Spoon Classic (Cormoran); TAIL LIGHT, Volvo XC60 (Volvo); OFFICE CHAIR, Aeron Chair (Herman Miller); MEGAPHONE, ER-1206W (TOA Corporation); FLAT PACK CHAIR, Ellan (IKEA)

EDITOR’S COMMENTS:

The Serpentine Gallery is famous for its revolutionary art exhibitions. For it to move into design for the first time is a bold move. Industrial design in a gallery setting? Really?

My initial reaction was to dislike this show. I loath mass-produced design on pedestals. The notion of not being able to touch it (as I was reminded several times by an exasperated gallery attendant at the opening – argh!) is completely against my principles. For me, design is for everyone. It is to be used. We are the consumers of it.

But then again, so much amazing, everyday design is taken for granted. Because it is usually integrated into the busy mish-mash of everyday life for which it was created, the context with which to appreciate it is lost. As a result, the only ‘design’ to really make us sit up these days is brash and sensationalist.

What the curator has done here is place examples of great design into an environment where people will pay attention and hopefully learn to appreciate that design plays a huge role in every element of daily life, either on a functionalist level or an emotional one.

Refreshingly, the design itself takes the centre stage, not the author of it. Move over celebrity designers. Remember what and who you are designing for.

The exhibition is devoid of any explanations to accompany the exhibits. At first this is frustrating, but be sure to check out the website that goes with the show where you can find thorough justifications for each item’s existence.

For the design literate, the final selection of objects may seem somewhat random. Step back and accept it for what it is – a journey into the mind of Konstantin Grcic who I rate as one of Europe’s finest designers.