VISI exhibits top 50 designs at iArt Gallery
From Alejandro Aravena to Google and everything in between
In celebration of its 50th issue, VISI – South Africa’s premier décor, design and architecture magazine – will be hosting, in association with Absolut Vodka, the VISI Top 50 Designs exhibition at the iArt Gallery in Cape Town from 18 to 23 August 2010.
Each VISI editorial team member was tasked with reminiscing on design post-1998, including architecture, product, furniture, automobile and technology design, and compiling a list of 100 designs they deemed ‘definitive creations’. By following four major design principles – outlined by the team, namely earth, technology, space and the democratisation of design – each entry was judged according to these principles and its staying power was tested. Ultimately the VISI Top 50 Designs exhibition was borne.
“From the Apple iPad to YouTube, Hella Jongerius’ Polder Sofa to Philippe Starck’s Louis Ghost Chair, the BMW Central Building in Leipzig Germany to the National Olympic Stadium in Beijing, the Apartheid Museum to the Guggenheim Museum; all these creations are well and truly ‘definitive creations’,” adds VISI editorial director, Sumien Brink.
“Not only will each design live on to be a classic must-have in your home or garage or even a sight-to-see on your travel itinerary, they will also stand as benchmarks by which future designers measure their own creations. They are simply exceptional examples of design that document a tipping point in design history, which initiated trends and allowed other designers to explore new horizons.”
Visitors to the exhibition, which will consist of a combination of physical as well as detailed print and photographic installations (in the case of architectural and automobile designs), are also able to purchase a copy of the commemorative VISI 50th issue, which includes a pull-out section detailing each of the top 50 designs.
The VISI Top 50 Designs exhibition runs from 18 to 23 August 2010 at the iArt Gallery, 71 Loop Street, Cape Town.