European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century

This exhibition will examine two decades of design from some fourteen countries across Western Europe. Organized as an international undertaking by the Indianapolis Museum of Art in conjunction with Denver Art Museum and Kingston University, London, the project constitutes the first encompassing and critical assessment of the most creative aspects of contemporary Western European design from 1985 to 2005. Rather than focusing on individual countries or artists, European Design will define the larger aesthetic movements that have transcended national boundaries and will elucidate the quintessential objects and major designers of these decades. The project will be organized around two major concepts which characterize design in these decades -- Modernism (i.e. industrial design) and Postmodernism (i.e. decorative design) -- within which there will be a number of sub-themes. Two generations of designers will be featured ranging from Ron Arad, Jasper Morrison, and Philippe Starck to Tord Boontje, Konstantin Grcic, and Studio Job.