Ron Arad’s “Yes to the Uncommon!” at the Vitra Design Museum
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From readymades constructed from old car seats, and innovative carbon fiber furniture to hand-welded steel furnishings and sculptural mass-manufactured products, Ron Arad’s works defy conventional boundaries. The designer’s diverse oeuvre — including ea
Ron Arad’s “Yes to the Uncommon!” at the Vitra Design Museum
From readymades constructed from old car seats, and innovative carbon fiber furniture to hand-welded steel furnishings and sculptural mass-manufactured products, Ron Arad’s works defy conventional boundaries. The designer’s diverse oeuvre — including early designs from the 1980s to the more recent objects — is being presented in “Ron Arad: Yes to the Uncommon!” at the Vitra Design Museum through October 14, 2018.One of the highlights of the exhibition is the spectacular machine “Sticks and Stones” (1987). “By ‘eating’ chairs and metal objects and then disgorging them in the form of pressed cubes, the contraption performs an act of deconstruction through which Arad casts a critical light on our consumer culture while also questioning the role of the designer. Just recently restored, the machine will be put into operation for the first time since the early 1990s. It will be on display in front of the Vitra Schaudepot for the duration of the exhibition,” writes the museum.The show also includes “Tinker Chair” (1988) hammered from a welded sheet steel, from the famous furniture series “Volumes,” along with iconic pieces such as “Big Easy” (1988) and “Little Heavy” (1989). Additional objects include the “Well Tempered Chair” (1986), created from bent sheet steel, and the “Bookworm” bookshelf (1993), one of Arad’s most famous designs.Born in Tel Aviv in 1951, Ron Arad studied at the national arts academy in Jerusalem and the Architectural Association in London. Arad started his career at an architectural firm in London. According to the museum, “One day he left for lunch and never came back: this consequential decision marked the beginning of an exceptional career, which has been characterized by an incessant pursuit of freedom and unconventional paths.” “Arad’s oeuvre not only breaches the traditional boundaries between art, design, and architecture – time and again, he has made his experimental, rebellious concepts accessible to serial production methods and, by extension, to the mass market,” states the museum.“FPE Chair” (1997) for Kartell or Vitra’s “Tom Vac armchair” (1997) are examples of works that went on to become highly successful industrial products are also on display at the exhibition.Ron Arad’s London studio is active in the fields of product and furniture design, interior design, and architecture. The firm’s notable architectural works include the new Design Museum Holon (2006–2010) and the interior of the Watergate Hotel (2012–2016) in Washington, D.C.Ron Arad’s “Yes to the Uncommon!” is on view through October 14, 2018, at Vitra Design Museum, Charles-Eames-Str. 2, D-79576 Weil am Rhein, Germany.For more information, visit: https://www.design-museum.deClick on the slideshow for a sneak peek at the exhibition. http://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more
