Love Your Kitchen Lights? Explore Human-centric Design Museums

Have you ever stood before an oil painting in a historical museum and been stunned at its beauty or marveled at a gorgeous dress once worn by a royal princess? We admire the craftsmanship of artists who, devoid of modern technology, created these remarkable works of art. Yet, amidst this reverence for the past, we seldom ponder the present or the future. Imagine encountering a lamp in a museum display room, a replica of the one on your bedside table, or a ceiling light resembling the one in your kitchen. Would you experience the same awe and wonder? Perhaps not. Design museums, with their human-centric approach, beckon us to explore the contemporary. Here, innovation, functionality, and aesthetics, different objects of modern life converge in one space. These spaces celebrate the artistry of everyday objects, inviting us to appreciate the beauty in our own lives. So, step away from the historical canvas and find out more about it in Love Your Kitchen Lights? Explore Human-centric Design Museums.

Have we ever thought back to the days when our great-grandparents were living, say compared to the one we live in now? The simplest change is the ease of modern life. For example, our modern lighting.

It may be strange to think about this, but it was only in the 20th century that electric lighting began to appear. Lighting history starts with candles, oil lamps, and gas lamps. From streets to homes, this was how lighting was used. Often highly decorated cases, especially as their light-giving functions were not great and were expensive. The visuals of the lamp were key.

Now we have electric lights and LEDs, which have influenced the aesthetics, functionality, and mood of various spaces, such as homes, workplaces, theatres, streets, and public buildings. Now far more stripped-back in design, they are the perfect example of how 20th-century design has become part and parcel of our daily lives.

French designer Patrick Paris is a strong believer that a wall lamp enters into a more specific dialogue with space compared to a simple table lamp. Paris sculpted the original shapes of the Chadophe wall lamp in plaster before making the concrete models. Made by www.serax.com.

Lighting history perfectly sums up the evolution and impact of modernism in our current world. But when did the change from decoration lead to functional lead design happen and why?

Since more design museums have opened in the past decades, they have been presented in multiple showcases to unveil the tapestry of our modern world. This period started with the concept of Modernism.

Modernism comes from the Industrial Revolution when the mechanical world took over from handmade items. The movement rejected the forms of art, literature, philosophy, and social organisation of the past. Inspired by new materials, techniques, and media, such as steel, glass, concrete, photography, and cinema. Suddenly the modern world and its industrialisation became celebrated.

Modernism sought new ways of expression and devoted itself to creativity, experimentation and originality. Reducing costs and allowing for mass production.

Most of all it was about prioritising how we use the product over how it looks. Modernists put human needs first, rejecting ornament, realism, and historical references. But a preference for abstraction, simplicity, and functionality.

With the care of modernism for the quality of human life, human-centricity became the principle of good design. That is why the growth of design museums has been so prevalent in the 20th century; essentially a song of praise for modern people, which is us, ourselves.

Where is the best place to celebrate the evolution of modernity? A design museum would be the best choice. Design museums, unlike traditional ones, showcase the present and future, focusing on design over art, function over beauty, and solutions over objects.

It highlights how human creativity and innovation shape our world, demonstrating how design meets needs, solves problems, and influences society. For instance, it might display a lamp as a solution to adjustable lighting needs.

If you have never been to a design museum, you might be surprised by how realistic some works are. They are not just imitations of reality, but creations of new realities. They are the results of human imagination and innovation. Maybe a design museum could be more refreshing and inspiring.  Explore the meanings and implications of simple items that all humans interact with daily. Think critically, creatively, and collaboratively. 

Many great institutions for design exist in different countries around the world

The Triennale di Milano, Italy

The Triennale Milano, established in 1923, is a global cultural institution based in Milan, Italy. It showcases contemporary art, design, and architecture. The institution began with the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Monza and moved to Milan in 1933.

Over the past 80 years, it has fostered international dialogue between society, the arts, and industry. It hosts exhibitions of renowned artists and promotes industrial design.

ADI Design Museum, Italy

Also in Milan Italy is the ADI Design Museum, a renowned institution dedicated to showcasing and promoting design. It houses the historical collection of the ADI Compasso d’Oro Foundation, which includes projects that have won the prestigious Compasso d’Oro award. This award, established in 1954, recognises quality in Italian design. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions, public talks, and initiatives. It serves as a dynamic platform for narrating the history of Italian design and its industrial, economic, cultural, and social implications.

Moscow Design Museum, Russia

The Moscow Design Museum, founded in 2012, is Russia’s first museum dedicated to design. It collects, studies, and preserves Russia’s design heritage and introduces viewers to international design. The museum’s collection ranges from the avant-garde to the present day, including works of constructivist artists, significant developments of Soviet designers, and contemporary. Interestingly it is also a travelling museum.

Russian designers, and iconic international designs. The museum has organised exhibitions in prominent spaces in Russia and abroad and represents Russia at the international level. It also engages in educational activities, produces documentary films on design, and publishes books based on its collection.

DesignMuseum, Denmark

Located in Copenhagen, there is a museum dedicated to Danish and international design and crafts. The museum is housed in what was once the Royal Frederik’s Hospital, built in 1751 as Denmark’s first public hospital.

Carl Petersen, Faaborg Museum, Faaborg, Denmark, 

It has also been home to the design studio and furniture school of Kaare Klint, one of the originators of modern Danish design. The museum showcases design from the past, present, and future with exhibitions that explore new perspectives on design, along with the Danish design legacy and historical collections.

Another wonderful element of the space is it is a place where visitors can interact with design works and explore their meanings and implications.

The Design Museum, London

The Design Museum in Kensington, London, is a hub for contemporary design across various fields, including architecture, fashion, graphics, product, and industrial design.

Founded in 1989 by Sir Terence Conran (Sir Terence Orby Conran CH RDI FCSD was a British designer, restaurateur, retailer, and write）It’s a place where the design industry, education, and the public intersect. The museum, which relocated to Kensington in 2016, has welcomed over 2 million visitors since reopening. It was awarded the European Museum of the Year in 2018. The museum’s interactive exhibits invite visitors to explore the impact of design.

Vitra Design Museum Weil am Rhein, Germany

The Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Germany, is a leading institution dedicated to design. Established in 1989 by Rolf Fehlbaum, former Vitra CEO, it’s housed in a building designed by Frank Gehry (a Canadian-born American architect and designer). The museum showcases design’s relationship to architecture, art, and everyday culture.

Its collection, one of the world’s largest collections of modern furniture design, includes key objects and estates of important design personalities. The museum also organises touring exhibitions, events, and workshops.

If you enjoy reading Love Your Kitchen Lights? Explore Human-centric Design Museums why not read New Designers in the Design Museum

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