shanghai museum of glass: keep it glassy exhibition

shanghai museum of glass: keep it glassy exhibition‘skull cuernos’ by andres basurto / photo: diephotodesigner.de

esthetics and craftsmanship, solid and liquid, smooth and raw, and dark and light collide in ‘keep it glassy’, making it into an engaging visual experience while providing a new and rich perspective on glass. acting as brand consultants, museum designers and co-curators, coordination asia has yet again added a beautiful presentation the shanghai museum of glass’ total concept.

keep it glassy ‘multifunctional hall’ photo: diephotodesigner.de

coordination asia has been collaborating with the shanghai museum of glass since 2009 to create a cultural hotspot in shanghai’s baoshan area. the cultural institution has quickly grown, recognized nationally and internationally for their programming. their latest exhibition ‘keep it glassy’ is dedicated entirely to glass design featuring pieces by tadao ando, the campana brothers, droog… the works on show expressing the traditions of this craftsmanship, while highlighting the new and surprising ways of applying the material. the slow process of heating and melting glass, creating shapes and colors, combining it with different materials, and succeeding or beautifully failing to control it, has brought about objects by world-renowned creatives.

the 1000 square meter space of ‘keep it glassy’ is a former workshop with an industrial character. coordination asia chose to leave parts of the venue’s industrial character mostly untouched, emphasizing only original details on the walls and floors. in contrast, a maze of mirrored pools were developed as wayfinding, leading visitors through the exhibition space and to showcase the shimmering pieces that seem to float on a thin layer of water, creating a play of light on the ceiling. the look and feel of the venue is a constant reminder of the designer’s workshop, whilst the eye-catching sleek pools form pedestals for the dazzling end results of the designer’s labor. a subtle reference to the many faces of today’s designer – artisan, stylist, star – can be found here.

keep it glassy hall 1 ‘the supernormal’ photo: diephotodesigner.de

keep it glassy hall 2 ‘the pun and the fun’photo: diephotodesigner.de

keep it glassy hall 4 ‘the art in design’ photo: diephotodesigner.de

left: ‘cui’ by adrian frouferight: ‘doll with orange glass’ by ellen urselmannphotos: diephotodesigner.de

left: ‘slumped vase’ by esque studio + ‘memory’ by boris klimekright: ‘wall tears’ by esque studiophotos: diephotodesigner.de

left: keep it glassy hall 3 ‘cheers to that’right: ‘batuque vase’ by estudio campanaphotos: diephotodesigner.de

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