I own a museum piece. Actually I own two; and I sadly threw out one in the skip a few moves ago (a loopy, linen -covered coat hanger). So says Barcelona’s new Museu del Disseny (Design Museum) and I won’t argue. My Rafael Marquina olive oil dispenser and 1970s citrus juicer (bought not so long ago in a junk shop) won’t be parting ways with me anytime soon.
For a city where a new, often privately owned, museum pops up pretty regularly, the Museu del Disseny is creating a lot of buzz, even amongst friends that don’t necessarily get a kick out of that sort of ‘thing’. It certainly comes in an imposing package – a brutalist, hammerhead-shaped building at Glòries, the city’s new eastern ‘gateway’. Neither as colourful nor fanciful as its famous neighbours (Nouvel’s Torre Agbar and the flashy new home of Els Encants flea market), it was designed by veteran local studio MBM, the architects responsible for much of the city’s award-winning, pre-Olympic facelift. Some believe the decision to award this prime public project to them was a sign of gratitude.
For a city where a new, often privately owned, museum pops up pretty regularly, the Museu del Disseny is creating a lot of buzz, even amongst friends that don’t necessarily get a kick out of that sort of ‘thing’. It certainly comes in an imposing package – a brutalist, hammerhead-shaped building at Glòries, the city’s new eastern ‘gateway’. Neither as colourful nor fanciful as its famous neighbours (Nouvel’s Torre Agbar and the flashy new home of Els Encants flea market), it was designed by veteran local studio MBM, the architects responsible for much of the city’s award-winning, pre-Olympic facelift. Some believe the decision to award this prime public project to them was a sign of gratitude.
Whatever the case it’s the collections that matter. And they are great.
Spread over four floors, the exhibitions focus on the same number of disciplines: decorative arts, graphic arts, costume and industrial or ‘everyday’ design. Whilst I didn’t have time to view the decorative arts, and can’t imagine that the pieces would surpass the glorious modernista collection of furniture at the MNAC, the other three floors had me drooling. No shots of the exhibition salas have been released yet (the museum officially opens this Saturday, December 13th) but here is taste of what you will see.
Spread over four floors, the exhibitions focus on the same number of disciplines: decorative arts, graphic arts, costume and industrial or ‘everyday’ design. Whilst I didn’t have time to view the decorative arts, and can’t imagine that the pieces would surpass the glorious modernista collection of furniture at the MNAC, the other three floors had me drooling. No shots of the exhibition salas have been released yet (the museum officially opens this Saturday, December 13th) but here is taste of what you will see.
The costume collection, or El Cos Vesit (‘The Clothed Body’) is beautifully displayed against inky walls with dramatic lighting. It features a crop of mid century dresses and evening wear by Balenciaga and Pertegaz – evoking an early Avedon shoot, only with mannequins.
The Graphic Design Collection features works from 1940 to 1980, and given the relative abundance of pieces available to the collector, the curators have made the wise choice to favour quality rather than quantity. It’s a joyous ride for lovers of color, the sharp and astute forms of Spanish mid-century poster art and vintage travel posters (the early Iberia ones are a treat).
It’s the Design Collection however that will be the main focus of the museum now and in the future (the building already hosts design-related events and conferences). As the directors rightly point out, Spain, and particularly Barcelona, has a strong history of industrial design – vacuum cleaners, ashtrays, bar stools, the minipimer the most miraculous of all kitchen gadgets) and other flotsam of everyday life. Ricard, Tusquets, Mariscal, Tresserra – all the famous names are here, along with classics such as the BFK or ‘Butterfly Chair’ (which was, for the record, jointly designed by a Catalan) and Impala motorbike – the mode de transporte of 1970s Spanish hipsters. The collection is fun, direct and easy to understand and appreciate - just a like a good piece of design should be.
www.museudeldisseny.cat
www.museudeldisseny.cat
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