matali crasset + m/m paris + alexandra midal: liberty, equality, fraternity exhibition

liberty, equality, fraternity wolfsonian museum, miami on now until march 26th, 2012

‘liberty, equality, fraternity’ exhibition by matali crasset all images © silvia ros

french designer matali crasset has curated at exhibit ‘liberty, eqality, fraternity’ at the wolfsonian museum which explores  the implication of product design on the social, political and economic climate of france. the title is the translation of the french motto ‘liberté, égalité, fraternité’ and looks at artifacts from 1940’s until today. the objects investigate the ideas that have defined french public life through furniture, crafts and industrial products, both as a reaction to and cause of the french atmosphere, based on the idea that design is not only decorative but also politically relevant. 

crasset worked with the wolfsonian’s marianne lamonaca, france-based design professionals michael amzalag and mathias augustyniak of M/M, and alexandra midal. the show includes works of designers from both the past and present including roger tallon, pierre paulin, philippe starck, and the bouroullec brothers. together, they pose the question of what materials make history, and how it is defined and formulated. 

‘an ideal home / forming a circle’ by matali crasset

‘alpha omega / model for a city’ by roger tallon

(left) ‘city of the mind / the tree’ by philippe parreno, pierre huyghe and M/M (right) ‘french design digest’ by jean royère, hermès, jean prouvé & baguette

‘french design digest’ by jean royère, hermès, jean prouvé & baguette

‘mixed media / the chain’ by françois brument, pierre charpin, garouste & bonetti, les simonet, jérôme oivet, martin szekely

‘armchair activicts/ the barricade’ by michel ducaroy, pierre paulin

‘starck system / the star’ by philippe starck

‘french administration / the pedinent’ by erwan & ronan bouroullec