Exhibitions
The Museum of Design and Applied Art holds regular exhibitions. Hitherto the Museum has held its temporary exhibitions in a small exhibition space at Garðatorg, Garðabær. In May 2010 the Museum moves to new premises at Garðatorg. This is a landmark event for the Museum as its exhibition program will be running regularly for public with three to four exhibitions per year.
On display:
Our Objects (9.6.-16.10.2011)
From the Museum’s collection
Since its foundation in 1998, the Museum of Design and Applied Art has collected numerous artifacts of high quality that shed light on Icelandic design. The collection now reflects the diversity of the various sectors within the field of design. Icelandic furniture, particularly chairs, comprise the largest part of the collection. Today, the museum houses around 1,200 objects; among these artifacts are important works by foreign designers, mostly from Scandinavia, given our shared cultural background.
The story of Icelandic design is unclear, as it has not been extensively studied, and the public has not had access to this history. Nevertheless, we can trace the outlines of much that has influenced the nation’s design, such as the industrialization and modernization of Icelandic society in the twentieth century. The decades following World War II were a period of rapid progress, and the years 1945–1975 marked a turning point in the history of Western design in general. Prosperity and economic growth in many countries laid the foundation for new consumer societies. It was no different in Iceland. Industries for the production of furniture and clothing emerged. Thanks to customs restrictions, new professional furniture designers were afforded the opportunity to have their work manufactured for the local market; many of the objects shown here are from this period of Icelandic furniture production.
The focus of the collection of the Museum of Design and Applied Art is wide. Over the next few years, we will prioritize our acquisition of objects representing different fields of design. This exhibition only shows a small portion of the collection, and only a small selection of the different fields of design from which we collect. The wide variety of objects in the exhibition, representing different time periods, include examples of artistic design, applied art, industrial design, product prototypes, drawings, and the newest field of design in Iceland, product design.
Icelandic design has grown tremendously in the last decade. The public is becoming increasingly aware of the importance of quality design and the role design plays in our culture and our national identity. Icelanders should know the names of our designers and be familiar with their most important works, just as we know the names and works of Icelandic actors, artists, and writers. The Museum of Design and Applied Art is happy to take part in this project of researching, preserving, and sharing a part of our cultural heritage.
Harpa Þórsdóttir, Director