The Design Center at Philadelphia University is pleased to present ANTIQUES OF THE FUTURE®an exhibition spotlighting over 100 objects of everyday life, part of a collection assembled by architect and home furnishings designer, Lisa Roberts. The exhibition runs from April 25 through June 25, 2007.
Over the past three decades, an international array of architects and industrial designers have been recasting what was once considered merely utilitarian for tidying the house and keeping life organized — toilet brushes, toasters, rubber bands, salt & pepper shakers – into objects that are sought-after, front-page news, products that are racking up major design awards and headlining museum exhibitions around the world.
Roberts’ collection of over 300 pieces includes everything from heavy-duty vacuum cleaners to porcelain vases, perfume bottles to garbage cans, watches to cuckoo clocks. Her recently published book, also titled Antiques of the Future titillates the viewer with a taste of her collection. The Design Center will be the only venue in the U.S. to exhibit works from Roberts’ vast collection.
The ANTIQUES OF THE FUTURE® exhibition demonstrates how the home and our modern lifestyles have become muses for the most revolutionary new movement in the design field. “America has come to embrace and expect good design in all aspects of daily life. There is no turning back,” remarks post-modern architect Michael Graves.
Among the 100-plus pieces on display are:
• Volcoino by Karim Rashid for Umbra (2004): The non-piggy piggy bank is an elegant, abstract sculpture that looks like stainless steel or silver, but is, in fact, chrome-plated ceramic.
•Ty-Nant Water Bottle by Ross Lovegrove for Ty-Nant (2001) : After working with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Apple Computers, Ross Lovegrove created a sculpted clear bottle that gives the illusion of water frozen elegantly in space.
• B.L.O. by Marcel Wanders for Flos (2001) : What looks like a colonial candlestick is a high tech lamp, switched on and off with a blow on the bulb.
• Hannibal by Julian Brown for Rexite (1998: When closed, this two faced, plastic paperweight resembles the ancient warrior Hannibal; opened, the piece doubles as an elephant-shaped tape dispenser.
ANTIQUES OF THE FUTURE® elevates our understanding of domestic culture, delights the eye and helps us better appreciate and understand the design that exists all around us.
The Design Center is free and open to the public Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and by appointment for groups. For more information: 215-951-2860 or thedesigncenter@philau.edu
The Design Center at Philadelphia University (TDC) promotes the appreciation of design in everyday life. Addressing a broad audience, TDC furthers the awareness and understanding of design, both past and present, through exhibitions, research, education and the stewardship and interpretation of its collection.
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