MoMA Spring 07 Preview- 01.18.07
NY Designer, Joey Roth, went and checked out the MoMA Spring Preview for us, and i must admit i wish i could have been there! See more below for his coverage of what exciting new products are coming… Personally, i’m already wanting the Speaker Mug…
—- Today I visited the MoMA store in SOHO to see a preview of new products they’re adding for the spring. While they didn’t push the springtime vibe as far as they could (patio furniture, gardening tools, and a kite or two would have been perfect), the buyers put together a collection that was quiet, airy, and playful.
This On/Off Lamp by Alberto Meda is a wonderful acrylic execution of an obvious idea. Tilt it one way and it’s off, the other and it’s on. I wish the tube of mercury that probably switches the light were made visible. It’s hard to see in the photos, but the lamp’s shape makes its function obvious- when resting in one position, it’s clear that it would be just as sturdy in the other. These espresso cups by J. Lozano got me with their super-simple handles. The shrunken-shovel demitasse spoon was cute too.
I love the thought behind Ross Lovegrove’s work (and his name). These Supernatural chairs are like a piece of art nouveau wood, reworked for injection molding. I’m not usually a fan of organic-looking plastic, but these are beautiful and safe for the outdoors.
This is a porcelain mug with a speaker on the bottom and just enough volume to hold a certain iconic music player. The speaker requires no external power and runs off the music player’s juice, like headphones. In this way the mug passively “holds” sound just like a real mug holds tea. Designed by Masato Tokuno, it was one of my favorites.
My other favorite were these ceramic salt and pepper shakers. One has a happy face made from holes, the other has a sad face. Both feature cute stubby legs and tiny corks in their bellies that you remove to fill them with salt or pepper. They’re apparently part of a growing design movement in Argentina. Does anyone know more about this?
So get ready, all these and more should be at the MoMA Store in no time!
I am also a designer from Argentina, living in Buenos Aires.
Most of these object are part of the new design scene growing in Buenos Aires. After the 2001 economic crisis many designers started producing objects, ceramics, leather and wood were the preferred materials because they allowed them to produce un small quantities.
If you are interested in the design scene of Argentina I invite you to visit www.d-culto.com, a product design webzine which showcases Latin American designers.
----- Pablo 06.11.07 05:12