World made of Glass
-
Title
World made of Glass.
Transparent Design -
Client
Wilhelm Wagenfeld Foundation
Bremen - Year 2017
-
Dimensions
360 m2
special exhibition
„Transparency has become a keyword of the present day.
We demand transparent processes in business and politics,
while simultaneously fearing the loss of our own privacy due to
the transparency of our control society. Transparent objects also fascinate us in everyday life: As early as the beginning of the
20th century, glass and plastics began their triumphal march in architecture, modern industrial and furniture design and fashion.“
Exhibition catalogue / World made of Glass. Transparent Design
„The longing for purity and clarity, for glowing lightness and crystalline exactness, for immaterial lightness and infinite liveliness found a means of its fulfillment in glass—the most ineffable, most elementary, most flexible and most changeable of materials, richest in meaning and inspiration, fusing with the world like no other. This least fixed of materials transforms itself with every change of atmosphere. It is infinitely rich in elations, mirroring what is above, below, and what is below, above. It is animated, full of spirit and alive … It is an example of a transcendent passion to build, functionless, free, satisfying no practical demands—and yet a functional building, soulful, awakening spiritual inspirations—an ethical functional building.“ Bruno Taut
In fashion transparency can be considered provocative as well as an inspiring.
With the development of transparent synthetic materials, new possibilities providing insights evolved.
How much transparency does a functioning society need?
How many details do we expose on social media?
What strategies of opacity are exist?
World made of Glass. Transparent Design
2017
Wilhelm Wagenfeld foundation’s annual exhibition in 2017/18 titled “World made of glass. Transparent design” is dedicated to transparency.
In the beginning of the 20th century, there was considerable excitement for transparency. The recently discovered x-rays made visible what was previously hidden from the human eye. Modern designers connected a scientific perspective with the hope for a better world. In the second half of the 20th century, technical equipment with transparent casing hit the market and unveiled circuits and transistors. With the development of transparent synthetic materials, new possibilities providing insights evolved. In fashion too, transparency can be considered provocative as well as an inspiring. The desire to liberate oneself from the material world has a long tradition in Western cultures. Simultaneously with the excitement for transparent materials, there were voices critiquing the ideal of transparency.
Welt aus Glas. Transparentes Design
2017
Welt aus Glas. Transparentes Design“ heißt die große Jahresausstellung 2017/18 der Wilhelm Wagenfeld Stiftung und widmet sich der Transparenz.
Zu Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts herrscht eine wahre Transparenz-Euphorie. Die gerade entdeckten Röntgenstrahlen machen sichtbar, was dem menschlichen Auge bisher verborgen blieb. Moderne GestalterInnen verbinden den wissenschaftlichen Blick mit der Hoffnung auf eine bessere Welt. In der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts kommen technische Geräte mit transparentem Gehäuse auf den Markt und enthüllen Schaltkreise und Transistoren. Mit der Entwicklung transparenter Kunststoffe eröffnen sich neue Möglichkeiten, Einsichten zu gewähren. Auch in der Mode kann Transparenz ebenso provozieren wie anregen. Der Wunsch, sich von der materiellen Welt zu befreien, hat in der abendländischen Kultur eine lange Tradition. Zeitgleich mit der Begeisterung für durchsichtige Materialien regt sich schon früh Kritik an dem Ideal der Transparenz.