Masterpieces of Furniture Design

Furniture is closer to us than most other objects in our lives. It is an everyday companion, and it is everywhere: at home, at work, in public spaces. Furniture reflects social change and innovation, and sometimes it references symbolisms that are as old as human civilisation. From solving technical and constructive challenges to creating beauty and inspiration in our everyday environments, furniture illustrates what design is all about.

The Vitra Design Museum owns one of the most complete collections of furniture design, comprising more than seven thousand pieces, from the past two hundred years. The exhibition »Masterpieces of Furniture Design« spotlights key objects from this collection. It features iconic design classics as well as lesser known pieces, and sets a special focus on expanding the canon of design by calling attention to female designers and non-Western makers. All objects shown here are early original versions – some of them prototypes or one-offs – that epitomize the initial design idea behind each piece. As the majority of furniture icons belong to the typology of seating, this is also reflected in the exhibition.

The exhibits are grouped along seven criteria that can define excellence in design – from design’s close ties with art to its potential for socially or ecologically sustainable solutions. The archival section in the centre of the room features prototypes, material samples, and original documents from the Vitra Design Museum’s archives providing background information. The large-scale images on the walls show the exhibits in the historical setting for which they were created or in which they were presented for the first time.

An exhibition by the Vitra Design Museum and Qatar Museums

Space
600 – 1,000 m² / 6,000 – 10,000 sq ft

Curators
Mateo Kries
Susanne Graner

Exhibition and Graphic Design
René Herzogenrath 
Judith Brugger
Stefani Fricker

Detailed information
Illustrated Concept

Exhibition Tour 
07.09.2023 – 09.12.2023, M7 Qatar Museums, Doha, Qatar

For further information please contact Cora.Harris@design-museum.de.

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