The image above shows the exhibition curators, Professor Susan Lambert (left) and Dr Louise Dennis (right), standing in front of a mind map illustrated by commissioned artist Bridie Cheeseman. It is a great way of visually representing the work of the museum and takes up the central wall in the lower gallery.
Also to be found in this area are examples of the MoDiP Student Creative project, run each year as a bursary awarded opportunity for AUB students to produce an output inspired by the museum and/or its objects, as well as three examples of projects undertaken by external artists, who have each interpreted the collection in a different way.
The main area of the upper gallery features some of MoDiP’s large objects as well as a variety of plastics design classics (refer image below). We were able to re-configure some frames acquired for a previous exhibition within which we have placed objects on open display. It was quite tricky stabilising the Pinarello road bike (refer image below), despite the fact that it has a carbon fibre frame so is incredibly lightweight. We were very grateful to receive assistance from two of our colleagues in AUB Modelmaking – big thanks to Paul Johnson for helping me to hold the bike whilst Louise secured it, and to Gideon Bohannon for pumping up the tyres!
We have included some handling collection objects to demonstrate the plastics materials most frequently encountered within museum collections. Visitors are encouraged to pick these up to feel the differences, with some great examples of fake fur, inflatable PVC and bakelite. Once the exhibition closes, we will develop this learning resource into another MoDiP grab box, which will be available for loan to groups interested in finding out more about this amazing material family.
Designated Design: A collection of national importance, will be on display in TheGallery until 22nd December 2022.
Katherine Pell
Collections Officer