„Schöne neue Welt – American Mid-century Design“ @ Frank and Oliver, Zurich

Just as the Man in the Corner Shop was famously satisfied with his life until the Boss from the Factory turned up to buy cigars – so too were we content with our life until 00:42 this morning.

Because then we received the invitation to Frank and Oliver’s next exhibition in Zürich: „Schöne neue Welt – American Mid-century Design“

On their many trips through North and Central America Oliver Müller and Frank Landau have acquired a unique collection of objects. In the exhibition „Schöne neue Welt – American Mid-century Design“ they wonderfully demonstrate just how much post war American design was influenced by European designers.

Others dream of travelling Route 66 on a Harely – we just want to be Oliver Müller and Frank Landau.

The exhibition „Schöne neue Welt – American Mid-century Design“ focuses on furniture and domestic items from the past 60 years and includes early works by designers such as Charles und Ray Eames, George Nelson and Edward Wormley.
Which if we’re honest sounds like 100m2 of design porn.

Among design historians the chicken egg question in terms of whether post WWII American designers influenced Europeans or vice versa is the most common reason for after-dinner arguments. The second most common disagreement being if Eero Saarinen was American or European.

Despite Frank and Oliver’s bold claim, we don’t expect „Schöne neue Welt – American Mid-century Design“ to answer the question – because the connections between the continents were too close and boths sides profited from the experiences of the other. Then there’s the whole post-colonial theory issue – but lets not go there. Not today.

However for all with an interest in contemporary design and in the development of furniture design since the 1940s „Schöne neue Welt – American Mid-century Design“ certainly promises to provide a wonderful opportunity to better understand the products, their development and for all their relevance in the context of contemporary furniture design.

„Schöne neue Welt – American Mid-century Design“ opens at Frank and Oliver, Forchstrasse 179  CH-8032 Zürich on December 2nd at 17:00.

The ESU 400-N by Charles and Ray Eames part of „Schöne neue Welt - American Mid-century Design“ at Frank and Oliver, Zurich

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