Design in the fifties and sixties & Design with a Smile

Two exciting exhibits held at the Design Museum in Ghent

July 11 through October 12, 2008

Design in the fifties and sixties

The sixties were the years of popular culture when the streets and art were the main sources of inspiration.

A great deal of 1950s and 1960s design has passed the test of time extremely well and even grown to icon status. In the fifties, the Italians developed a style of their own whereas Scandinavian designers were inspired by plastic arts. The focal point, however, lay in the U.S. 1958 was a turning point. The sixties were the decade of popular culture. Exhibitions displayed designs by Arne Jacobsen, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Aarnio, Tapio Wirkkala, Gio Ponti, Harry Bertoia to name just a few.

Design with a smile

While surrealism may be mainly known as a literary and fine arts movement, the influence this 20th-century art movement has had in other domains is not to be underestimated. The world of design and contemporary design are no strangers to a healthy dose of surreal humor either.

The exhibit gathers designs and objects by modern surrealists and demonstrates that nothing is as it appears. Hairy rugs, lamps shaped like milk bottles, USB sticks carved from wooden branches or sofas made from stuffed cuddly toys.

The museum is open Tuesday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed on Monday. Entrance fee is € 2,50. For more information visit the website of the museum.