How Do You Pronounce Design in Portuguese?
Museu de Design e Da Moda (MUDE) presents How do you pronounce design in Portuguese? an exhibition that explores the concept of being Portuguese and its impact on contemporary material culture.
The exhibition seeks to understand how the geographical location, historical heritage, culture and traditions of Portugal have influenced the work of artists. Moreover, it explores how the concepts of place, belonging, identity, and memory have developed in design, searching for possible shared values and characteristics.
To do this, the exhibition takes a close look at product design created and produced by Portuguese designers over the last 60 years with a special emphasis on the period spanning from 1980-2014. A remarkable aspect of Portuguese design is that it was almost always developed with limited means and resources. The country’s lack of strategic policy for nurturing and promoting design through establishing institutions and awareness related to design, as had happened in other European countries throughout the last half of the nineteenth century, was a major obstacle to practicing design fully.
Another characteristic of design practice in Portugal is its proven receptiveness and openness to the country’s surroundings. Pieces of design reflect not only French, English and Dutch influences but also Oriental, African, Brazilian and recently Italian and Scandinavian inspirations. These exchanges and influences have led to great diversity in Portuguese material production that ultimately have come to characterise Portuguese collective identity.
How do you pronounce design in Portuguese? sees more than 150 works presented by 76 designers from various generations and backgrounds showcased between Lisbon and Paredes, in Portugal. The exhibition displays a selection of works representative the various eras and influences that have touched Portuguese design paying particular attention to traditional production sectors such as cork, wood, glass, crystal and porcelain.
The exhibition will be on display until Sunday 31 May 2015 at MUDE in Lisbon, Portugal.
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