stylectrical – electronic design that is making history museum für kunst und gewerbe hamburg, germany august 26, 2011 to january 15, 2012

‘braun television set HF1 (1958), on display in the exhibition ‘stylectrical’ at MKG hamburg images by roman raacke, courtesy of museum für kunst und gewerbe hamburg

museum für kunst und gewerbe hamburg features the exhibition, ‘stylectrical – electronic design that is making history’. curated by ina grätz, this show focuses on the evolution of the product design process in the context of cultural studies, examining nearly 300 electronic products dating from the mid-20th century to present. various demands such as material, form, aesthetics, function, handling and usage must be taken into account during the design process: ‘stylectrical’ grants insight into the subject and points to new perspectives on modern design.

with more than half of the objects created by american company apple, the exhibition traces the brand’s popular products for the first time in a comprehensive overview, spotlighting their consistent and recognizable aesthetic. in particular, it provides insight into the company’s direction under UK-born jonathan ive, senior vice president of industrial design at apple since 1997, as well as formal links to leading creators of electronic design history like the german company braun.

stylectrical at the museum fur kunst und gewerbe, hamburg braun transistor radio T3 (1958)

stylectrical at the museum fur kunst und gewerbe, hamburg braun radio-phone combination SK4, 1956

stylectrical at the museum fur kunst und gewerbe, hamburg braun record player PS1000, 1956

stylectrical at the museum fur kunst und gewerbe, hamburg sony walkman TPS-L2, 1979

stylectrical at the museum fur kunst und gewerbe, hamburg apple macintosh classic, 1990

stylectrical at the museum fur kunst und gewerbe, hamburg nintendo portable game console gameboy, 1995

stylectrical at the museum fur kunst und gewerbe, hamburg a rarely seen device designed for schools, called the apple emate 300, 1997

stylectrical at the museum fur kunst und gewerbe, hamburg

design-aerobics 2011: TECH GADGETS course september 15 – november 15, 2011 as more and more technological objects find their way into everyday life

designboom will hold an online design course on the theme of ‘tech-gadgets’. we’ll look at the most significant designs yet and ponder what might be around the corner. to see a lesson sample and information on how to enroll click here.