DESIGNED FOR DESIGN The new, innovative space, designed by the IMA’s Design Studio in association with Jeff Daly (formerly Senior Design Advisor to the Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art), will feature a three-part space linked to create a dramatic 180-foot-long vista. The architecture of the galleries features articulated bays defined by a coffered ceiling, free-standing walls, floating platforms, and dramatic cantilevered wall cases. “The gallery design will be like no other space in the Museum,” stated Lara Huchteman, exhibition designer at the IMA. “We wanted to create a unique and dynamic experience for our visitors as they viewed these objects, most on display for the first time.” Visitors will enter through an introductory gallery that provides an orientation to the entire installation as well as showcases recent acquisitions and small special exhibitions.
Above: Hella Jongerius (Dutch, b. 1963); Nymphenburg Porcelain Manufactory (manufacturer), “Four Seasons – Summer” Teapot, 2007, glazed porcelain, slipcast, fabric, A) teapot: 4-1/2 x 5 x 9 in. B) lid: 1-1/2 x 2-1/2 (diam.) in. C) cozy: 11 x 5 (diam.) in. D) cord: 6-1/2 x ½ in. Indianapolis Museum of Art, Funds provided by Janet Barb in support of the Design Arts Society, Nancy Foxwell Neuberger Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2013.16A-D © Hella Jongerius.
The next space, referred to as the transitional gallery, will concisely illustrate the history of modern design from 1945 to 1980 using highlights from the IMA’s collection. Through the display of a wide range of works, from Modernist chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames to a Postmodernist sculptural piece in the shape of a foot by Gaetano Pesce, this gallery will demonstrate the enormous changes in design technologies and materials that took place in the decades following World War II. As the demand for modern furnishings rose, designers responded by utilizing emerging technologies and new materials such as plastics to create enticing and innovative forms.
The main and final gallery will present the Museum’s collection of contemporary design from 1980 to the present, exploring three stylistic movements—Modernism, Expressionism, and Postmodernism. Masterpieces by established designers such as Ettore Sottsass, Frank Gehry, and Achille Castiglioni will be juxtaposed to objects by emerging artists such as Tord Boontje, Konstantin Grcic, and the Bouroullec brothers. The installation will demonstrate for visitors the complexity of ideas and the variety of movements that have characterized this contemporary era of design.
“THE GALLERY DESIGN WILL BE LIKE NO OTHER SPACE IN THE MUSEUM.”
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