Source Material

24.10.2014 – 08.02.2015

Vitra Design Museum Gallery

Our material world is made up of a succession of layers; generation by generation, work by work, each new layer is informed by and created in dialogue with existing objects. The exhibition »Source Material« at the Vitra Design Museum Gallery examines the material foundation from which creative work is made today. Organzied by three prominent figures from the design world – designers Jasper Morrison and Jonathan Olivares as well as creative director Marco Velardi – the exhibition presents the objects, keepsakes, and references that have had a pivotal effect on the work of around 60 minds from the fields of architecture, art, cuisine, design, fashion, film, and music. Among the contributors are Thomas Demand, Konstantin Grcic, Inga Sempé, Naoto Fukasawa, Richard Sapper and many more.
Found within the  everyday working or living environments of these contributors, the objects in »Source Material« are stepping-stones for the creative process. »The food we eat, the spaces we occupy, the written and visual media we engage with, the songs we listen to, the art we spend time with, the films we watch, and the objects we live with were all informed by past material culture and, in turn, will influence future creative decisions «, say Morrison, Olivares and Velardi on their initial thoughts to create »Source Material«, which was first shown at Kaleidoscope Project Space during the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan in spring 2014.
For the presentation of the exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum, many new objects have been added to the original selection. While the presented objects share a similar scale – they could all be found on a shelf or table – they are widely varied: clothing, tools, instruments, books, zines, pieces of ancient, natural, or industrial material, toys, decorative objects, an album of music, an accidental sculpture, and a conceptual model. Some of the objects provide regular inspiration to their owners, others represent important values, and still others have changed their holder’s outlook or informed a specific work.
»Source Material« is an exploration of how the legacy of material culture that surrounds us affects the creative process, but also an affirmation of the potential of an object to reflect and nurture the human spirit.
»In a world where so many objects are made, and so few ever manage to meaningfully engage or propel us, it is our hope that this exhibition will further our understanding of the relationship between mankind and objects«, say the initiators of their project. »Source Material« is accompanied by a 144-page catalogue designed by SM Associati and published by Vitra Design Museum.