mutant materials in contemporary design

Inbunden bok. The museum of modern art New York.

Mycket gott skick. På engelska.

Curated by Paola Antonelli, the exhibition explored how new technologies and innovative uses of traditional materials were transforming contemporary design.

The exhibition featured over 200 objects and prototypes from international sources, all designed within the ten years prior to the exhibition. The items on display were examples of materials—including plastics, ceramics, fibers and composites, rubber and foam, glass, wood, and metals—that were endowed with atypical characteristics and behaviors through advanced design and manufacturing processes.

Key themes and objects included:
* Material Transformation: Examples of wood that was as soft as upholstery, and plastics made as translucent as glass or as hard as stone.
* Hybrid Materials: Objects made from composites, such as carbon-fiber airplane parts, which combine the properties of different materials like lightness and strength.
* Innovative Applications: Featured objects included ceramic razor blades, titanium wheelchairs, and swimming fins made from liquid plastic.
* Interactive Elements: Some raw materials and production process phases were illustrated, allowing visitors to handle some of the materials and gain a better understanding of their physical properties.

The exhibition aimed to offer insight into a new approach in the relationship between designers and materials, focusing on an aesthetic centered on economy and ongoing research.