Super Contemporary at the Design Museum, London

Finding myself with a couple of hours to spare at the weekend I went along London’s south bank to catch Super Contemporary at the Design Museum. Having interviewed guest curator Daniel Charny, for Aesthetica’s current issue I was interested to see the logistics of showcasing a timeline of the UK, and particularly London’s, political and cultural fluctuations over the past half century, alongside new innovations from 15 top design makers practicing in London today.

I’m a big fan of the design museum, especially the recent Hussein Chalayan retrospective and this provided a great contrast for the full scope of the institution’s remit. While the Chalayan space felt spacious and separated, Super Contemporary’s occupation of the museum’s first floor seemed to almost shrink the space with so much going on and the exhibition felt both smaller, with a paradoxical excess of information. Charny’s timeline proved to be truly absorbing however - I kind of wish I’d left my friends earlier in order to soak it all up and I feel like I’ve received a comprehensive crash course in the sparser areas of my design awareness. The exhibition faces a difficult predicament in contextualising the four prolific areas of product design, architecture, fashion and communication design within the huge changes of the British cultural, political and everyday realities since 1960 and for me the timeline was the most absorbing asset (despite the fact that Charny had emphasised the centrality of the commissions in our interview) – perhaps I’m too preoccupied with looking backwards instead of forwards!

Of the commissions Neville Brody’s Freedom Space was really striking, enhancing my awareness of being observed to an unnerving degree, but I also looked upon Paul Smith’s kitsch Rubbish Bin with amusement, it combined a traditional racing green with the plastic bunny mould in a manner which Smith has made his own over the years, and hints at the source of the unique extent of his popularity in Japan – paragon of the traditional and the contemporary amalgamation. Paul Cocksedge’s Rain It In was fantastic in its fusion of the dichotomies of art and science, and would prove hugely popular to this nesh visitor. I was also really interested to see Wayne Hemingway’s KiosKiosk, as it built on his ideas which we’d recently discussed on opportunism for escaping rents for new businesses in the recession.

All in all, Super Contemporary was a fantastic visit, another great contribution on the all-encompassing aesthetic possibilities showcased by design today.

Visited the Design Museum recently? I’d love to hear your thoughts…

www.designmuseum.org

Pauline

Image credit: New London Bin by Paul Smith

Aesthetica Magazine: New Issue Out Today

What's inside the latest issue of Aesthetica Magazine:

Chen Ke, one of China's young rising stars, discusses her work and looks at this era of abandonment, while grappling with its truths and consequences. Peter Saville examines the democratisation and changing aesthetic of design. Also, highlights and recommendations from this year's Venice Biennale, and a new perspective on contemporary Polish art, as well as the 10 must see exhibitions.

Many of the features look at the grey areas between right and wrong, such as Fred Cavaye's recent film 'Pour Elle', and Matt Charman's new production, 'The Observer', which opens at the National Theatre this summer. In keeping with the DIY theme, we're running a two-part guide on How to Make A Short Film, as well as admiring the enterprising attitude of new British band, Morton Valence. Finally, we chat with Daniel Charny about 'Super Contemporary' at the Design Museum.

This issue reminds us that we are innovative and can break away from the assembly line of manufactured culture. In fact, it pays homage to the spirit of that idea.

Out now nationwide from WH Smith, Borders, galleries and newsagents or from www.aestheticamagazine.com

Contemporary Chinese Art

Okay, so contemporary Chinese Art has been on the rise for the greater part of a decade, so I'm not announcing anything new, but there is really something special about contemporary Chinese art. I find it subjective yet at the same time universal, it begs for your attention and offers an insight into one of the most fascinating countries in the world. Only to have come out of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, to become a major world player in both consumption and production, epitomising globalisation, moving from agrarian to urban all in a few decades is amazing. Think about how long it look for the shift from agriculture to industrialisation in the UK?

I feel inspired when I see some of these images, through the cultural, social and political aspects of the work, which I find awe-inspiring.

We were recently one of the media partners for Art Beijing, and today I received the catalogue (I must say that it's more of a book, a beautiful collection of artworks from the galleries), and coupled with my reading of Young Chinese Artists, published on Prestel (Ed Noe and Steiner), I feel like there is so much at stake here. In the arts world, we're in the middle of a major shift here. In find contemporary Chinese art challenging and provoking, and I like that.

If you haven't guessed, I'm currently working on a piece for the June/July issue of Aesthetica, on a pioneering young artist, called, Chen Ke. Her work is sombre, dark, lonely, and incredibly intriguing.

Check out the issue from the end of the month.

So, out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on Chinese contemporary art, how does it compare to other work being produced today?